Bullying in Fiction

[lilwriter]

You know someone was never bullied or went to school like in the 70s when the bullying is one of the two:
- Calling names, destroying personal property, or putting someone's head in the toilet.
- Straight up just beating them to death.

Bullying is much more nuanced, subtle, and goes inside and outside of school.
It can get extreme, but in most cases most people don't notice or just ignore as playful banter, especially the adults.

So umm... In conclusion.... Uhhhh... *Blows raspberry*

Ya’ll aint getting the shit beat out of you anymore? Well, at least there’s that

 

[KrakenRiderEmma]

It depends on what your school is like. I went to school with a lot of kids from low-income families who were being actively recruited to sell drugs or join criminal enterprises (in high school, but even in middle school sometimes). They often did not care at ALL about getting in trouble, and the vice-principal in charge of discipline would carry around a baseball bat to try and intimidate them. If they decided a guy was enough of an outcast / weakling / sissy they would definitely beat that guy in some more secluded place of the school, and got away with it part of the time. But then, the school was more worried about kids bringing guns, whether the metal detectors were working, etc. Somebody getting punched and kicked was not a big enough deal.

Of course, bullying among girls looked totally different -- much more quiet trash-talking, snickering, writing gossip on bathroom walls, sometimes pulling hair, etc.

 

[John_Owl]

the best way I've heard it put is like this: "The difference between bullying and playful banter is friendship."