Boomers, what were expected of victims of bullying when you were in school? (separation, issues)

[sooboo12]

Calling them victims would never have crossed our minds. There were bullies and the kids that bullies picked on. But they weren't called victims. And I don't know how it was handled. I didn't know anybody being bullied and I wasn't bullied myself.

[doc1]

Attended public schools from '58 to '72.

Expected to fight back. My father told me not to worry about getting in trouble with the school administrators as long as I was just defending myself.

[boneyard1962]

I love reading posts about bullies that say:
1. Just fight back
2. Stand up for yourself
3. Bullies won't come after you if you hit back.

Reality check.
Bullies seldom if ever attack without having friends to back them up.
Bullies never let you up once they have you down
Many if not most bullies enjoy at the very least silent support from people in charge.At worst the people in charge not only turn a blind eye but will make excuses if not lie for the bully. After all we can't have the star quarter back suspended before the big game.

Bullies hate, and once they have a favorite target or targets will attack and bully until they find someone else.

Bullies like having a group to back them. It isn't the movies where the big dumb kid attacks the smaller smart kid one on one. Its the big dumb kid and a few of his smaller but equally dumb friends single out an even smaller kid to attack. The smaller kid knows that fighting back will mean an even worse beat down. All while other kids cheer and taunt. They cheer and taunt for a few reasons. The primary reason to make the bully think they are on his side and hopefully avoid being the next target.

Fight back? Yeah 1 on 5 always turns out well. I read posts of people beating the bully up. They must have lived in a Utopia where bullies never ganged up on the victim and always let it go if they lost. In the town I grew up in it was never 1 on 1 and bullies never let it slide if you got some licks in. They would just bring more friends next time.

[glamatomic]

A relative (who would have been a Boomer) committed suicide back in the 1970s due to the bullying he received in High School.

I assume it wasn't as common back then, but as my family history dictates, it did still happen.

[jbgusa]

I received anonymous "rep" on this post:

Originally Posted by jbgusa

Imitating my stuttering was constant through ninth grade. At the end of eighth I had had enough. I pinned one of the mimickers, Donald, to the group and started flailing away at him on the school playground. If I remember correctly I was punished, and not him, notwithstanding the fact that he broke every school rule in the book.

My ending was not as happy as yours on this.

with the reputation comment:

Originally Posted by Reputation comment at 724 a.m.

WTH? Seriously? That's crazy. You did the right thing by standing up for yourself because some jerkoff imitated your stuttering, even if you got in trouble.

I thank whoever gave me the "rep." Thank you. Both me and my parents had been complaining about the "mimicking" for several years, without notable effect. When I turned the tables, somehow I was wrong.

In 9th Grade someone made a unique offer; if I touched him he'd puke all over me. I went to shake his hand to see if he'd push a finger down his throat. Instead he pulled a bike chain out of his pocket and chased me down two flights of stairs and a ways through the building. My parents were asked to come for a meeting the next day where they were invited to remove me from the school.

I didn't cooperate and 10th grade, academic 1972-3 was much better.

Even now "sensitivity" and "anti-bullying" lectures are more aspiration than reality.

[Huckleberry3911948]

Fighting back made you feel better but went on your record which prevented you from transferring to a better non thug school
I give myself credit with no parents and 15
I escaped a toilet of a place by knowing when and when not to fight back
The jails are full of young men that don’t take crap from nobody

[burdell]

Boomers, what were expected of victims of bullying when you were in school? (high school, children)


In my grammar school things were settled in the schoolyard mano a mano.

[middle-aged mom]

Most “ bullying” today occurs over social media, not in the school yard.

Unlike physical violence, this sort of bullying can be incessant and a pile on as others join in.

Teaching kids that other people’s words do define you is critical.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by knowledgeiskey

Were there campaigns to end bullying? Were kids told to just deal with it and "man up?" I'm asking in light the whole Keaton controversy, but that's another topic.

Toughen up...that's from a male perspective. I have a friend that was bullied a bit, I could never figure out why. ...maybe because he didn't fight back? If anyone bullied me, they had fists to deal with as well as my older brother...needless to say, I didn't get bullied very long.

[PullMyFinger]

My youngest son had to wear an eye patch when he was about 7 years old to strengthen his weak eye for about 6 months. He was getting picked on about it of course by older kids so no option for him to just stand up to them. My mother had a great solution from the old days. We had a meeting with the assistant principal and the kids doing the bullying. We told them about his eye condition and how he looked up to them as mentors and if they could look out for him if people start picking on him. Worked like a charm. Mom was a genius.