Comments | thistle_chaser: Wil Wheaton responds to a 13 year old girl's question about being bullied

thistle_chaser

Wil Wheaton responds to a 13 year old girl's question about being bullied

Mar 31, 2014 08:27

I wish someone had said this to me back when I was 13:

Back when I was in school, there had been no school shootings yet. Bullying was okay. Even teachers got in on it (either actively or by looking the other way). Only once did a teacher ever try to stop me from being bullied, and when she was ignored, she gave up ( Read more... )

bullying, kids, rl

Comments 21

(The comment has been removed)

thistle_chaser March 31 2014, 16:17:09 UTC

Yeah, I could see that working (and hopefully I'd respond that way if it ever happened now!).

I'm sorry it happened to you, too.

loupnoir March 31 2014, 16:43:10 UTC

I was the tallest kid in school until the sixth grade, and I was also one of the heaviest. During the sixties, you were expected to suck it up when people called you fatso, fatty, and Sherm (short for sherman tank). The teachers not only knew about the relentless "teasing," they participated. Even after I underwent a weight-loss program and got down to a "normal" weight in junior high, I still got the endless comments about my size all the way through high school. The bullying made me a bitter and suspicious loner.

thistle_chaser March 31 2014, 16:53:10 UTC

I can't say that it was the worst part of it, but the teacher part was just so painful. I remember one seeing what was happening, and I could see in his eyes that he understood how much I was being hurt, and he just turned away. It was at that point I knew all hope was lost, that nothing would ever make this better and that it would never stop.

I'm sorry you had to go through it as well. Weight was another thing they picked on with me, too.

We ended up the same. I can't imagine that my childhood wasn't the cause of me being such a loner now.

Oh well, at least we have the Internet now. Contact this way is good.

eglantine_br March 31 2014, 18:10:04 UTC

It happened to me too. Bullying that shaded into dangerous violence. (Large rocks thrown at me, being beaten with sticks, etc.) Teachers knew. They did nothing useful.

Books saved me. They proved that there were people out there that I would like, and who would like me. I wanted to meet the people in the books. I wanted to meet the people who wrote the books.

Still my default emotion meeting anyone is fear. I work around that. And I read, and I write.

thistle_chaser March 31 2014, 18:29:04 UTC

Ugh, that's awful. The most violent things that happened to me were more minor (handfuls of tacks down my pants, stuff put in my hair, that sort of thing).

Agreed on the books. There was one time I accidentally turned the teasing around: I had been reading and someone dropped a book down next to me and told me I should read that instead. Title was I Am The Cheese or something like that. It seemed interesting, so I said that I should. It deflated whoever it was.

I know what you mean on the fear thing. My chest gets tight and it's so hard to breath when I meet new people.

I'm glad the books made it better.

wizardelfgirl March 31 2014, 18:13:23 UTC

I must admit I was pretty lucky. While I was bullied in school, it started around 4th grade, so I had a few years of good friendship, plus the teachers loved me and treated me very well (they never realized I was bullied). Also, in the 80s-90s, bullying in Mexico was not like in the US or other countries. It was more about name-calling and isolation from the group (and some pranks like gluing my locker's lock) than any physical violence ( ... )

thistle_chaser March 31 2014, 18:33:36 UTC

That's good of you that you were friends with them. I'm not surprised that they remembered you -- I remember the one friend I had, too. I've tried tracking her down, but her name is too common and I've had no luck.

Thanks for leaving this comment. I too easily generalize and think ALL kids were awful.

voidmagus March 31 2014, 20:42:54 UTC

My elementary school was tiny, so while I was bullied there it wasn't too bad. Middle/JuniorHigh school was hell. I was jumped by multiple people regularly - most often on my way to shop class, that was on the edge of campus. I was a small kid, near blind so I wore thick glasses, avid reader, honors classes. In retrospect, if I had known how back then, I could've easily blended in and probably would've been ignored. No bones were broken, but I came home bruised and bloodied pretty often, including being stabbed a few times ( ... )

thistle_chaser April 1 2014, 01:26:16 UTC

Arg! I got lucky, my father died a few years ago (he had many, many problems and our family suffered for it).

I'm glad you have a better life now! I typoed 'life' as 'wife', but that fits, too. :)

voidmagus April 2 2014, 13:59:55 UTC

Thanks! Having friends I only talk to online is something I never would have done when I was younger - people I can't see, can't manipulate, and can not bend to some advantage? Wouldnt bother. That I can have such friends now, and see such discussions as worthwhile, is a major thing. So, thanks :)