Oh, I want to write a 2/10 novel, too!
I was the bullied, the bully and I've defended of those bullied.
When I was in elementary school I was always seeking attention. I was awkward and to compensate I would try to get the attention of others by sometimes picking on those I thought I could pick on. At this point in my life, we were all prepubescent children, so my bullying was juvenile and mostly harmless.
In middle school things started to change. I remained a small kid while all the other guys were going through changes. Because of my size I was targeted and I became the bullied. The locker room is where I got it the worst, especially since I didn't have a single hair on my body at this point. Guys were quick to point that out and the best way I learned to deal with it was through fighting... and I fought a lot. There was this one kid named Tajdev; some foreign kid with his never-cut hair wrapped into some cloth. He was particularly bad at teasing me about my lack of body hair (in 6th or 7th grade)... so, I responded by jumping on the locker room bench and laying a round-house right across his face, following with a couple punches and a grab at his turban. There were a couple other guys that would push me around in the hall because I was a featherweight. Hell, one day I was locked in the costume closet backstage during our theater class. During my middle school years, I've probably been in almost two dozen fights... most of them were in defense or as retaliation for bullying.
In high-school things were even worse off. It was evident at this point that I was a late bloomer, especially since I was still the only hairless guy in the locker room. Because of that, I was physically less developed and that also let me fall behind athletically. I couldn't compete in gym class and I'd catch shit for it - I was always too short, too weak or too something else. I normally just dealt with it at this point... I mean, how could I fight guys who were literally twice my weight and stand a chance? This isn't saying I didn't have my fights in High School, because there were a couple. Sometimes I'd win... sometimes I'd lose. Each time I'd earn some respect.
At some point in High School I started floating between all the different cliques and, by doing so, I remained relatively neutral with any one group... except the punks. They were more my crowd since most of them were skateboarders that listened to similar music. In an attempt to earn respect in that group, I started fucking with underclassmen. I had a habit of kicking trashcans down the stairs to the underclassmen level between classes so the underclassmen would have to fight through trash to get to lunch. I also picked on kids on the bus... like Broy - a plumper with a high-pitched voice and a haircut like Pugsley Addams. (Broy is now a registered sex offender for taking indecent liberties with a child.) I would also mock him in my
Broy Voice, and throw stuff at him from across the bus. Regrettably, I think I made fun of a lot of fat people... and I can't think of a reason other than they're fat. It's not like I could make fun of the average-sized guy by saying, "LOL UR AVRG!" I couldn't make fun of the short guys either because I was one of them.
Between my junior and senior year I had my first growth spurt and I think I was around 5'3" at the start of the year.
During my senior year I started to see things differently. I somehow started to mature mentally and I developed a stronger sense of justice, pride and respect for myself and others. I didn't disrespect people as much for things they couldn't help... like being fat, their voice, teeth, or anything else. Early in my senior year I felt compelled to join the military... and doing that, I felt even more empowered. I dunno. I just had a transformation that summer.
In my Spanish II class, there was a freshman named Cory. He was also a late bloomer and was even shorter than I was at his age. He and I befriended one another and I was his 'in' to the older-classmen gatherings. One day I was walking to my Spanish class and as I turned down the hallway I noticed three kids who looked like they were in the automotive class picking on Cory who had arrived to our Spanish class early. He was visibly upset and I rushed to his defense and kinda stood between he and his bullies. I didn't know them... I think they were Juniors... but I didn't appreciate them picking on Cory. One of them grabbed at me and I went into my zone and started fighting with everything I had. As I was fighting the guys I grabbed one by the arm and pulled him off balance towards Cory. I said, "He's yours." Cory then jumped in and started his own 1v1 fight. (One thing I never knew about Cory is he was some star wrestler in Middle School.) Together, Cory and I beat the ever living shit out of those guys while their classmates, and automotive teacher, stood by watching.
It felt good. I was able to protect and defend someone who was in the same situation I was in at that age. Word traveled of me and Cory and for a bit we were revered as some awesome fighters. (Cory told me I looked like a ninja while I was fighting - years of martial arts paid off, I guess.) It was cool... no one fucked with us after that. (Well, I dunno what happened to him after I left HS.) There were a couple other people I'd defend that year but they weren't physical, just kinda talking down the bullies.
I can't blame anyone for my bullying other than myself. I was the one with the inadequacies. I was the one trying to impress others. I can't blame anyone for that. My parents actually tried teaching me to not bully others and to defend those in need... but at that age, what do parents know? Plus, it's not like they were around when I was bullying people. So... the bully is to blame; not the parents or the schools.
As a nation there isn't anything we can do about it. Kids will be kids; they're immature, cruel and will do things for acceptance. Like others said, the most that can be done is the parents teach their children right from wrong. (Clearly, that's not the end-all since you'll have fucks like myself who disregard some their parents lessons and walk their own path.)
As far as cyber-bullying... Eh, never been cyber bullied. I've only trolled.
