Bullying Stereotypes Make No Sense

Growing up, I saw a lot of signature tropes about bullying in media, but personally I never saw these in real life and they kind of don't make sense.

[cheeki]

Real life bullies found out using social media and gaslighting was more effective than pure physical harassment

[hippopotomostrosesquippeda]

One bullying stereotype I absolutely love is that "bullies just need your reaction, so just don't pay attention" which would be the first thing a teacher say as soon as you tell them that you're getting bullied

[michel_langelo-projects]

I start shivering my timbers when the bullies group up, start snapping their fingers and sing an entire musical about how they're gonna torment you

[shroomer]

The idea of a bully giving someone a wedgie irl is incredibly absurd. If you did that people would think you're an absolute freak.

[wihatmi]

The biggest misinterpretation of bullying in movies is that the bully is usually alone, has no friends, is often fat, ugly or both, and definitely unpopular. In reality, bullying requires power structures. Most of the time, it is a group of popular kids bullying an outsider.

[dezkeiz]

"Intelligence has always been celebrated throughout history"
Pol Pot: And I took personal offense to that.

[theverythingindividual]

Another bullying stereotype is when the bullies grab your shirt and say "give me your lunch money!"

[Bababadalgharaghtak]

I think this is a generational thing. I grew up in the 90s and witnessed a lot of bullying first-hand. Our gym teacher often left the class unsupervised, giving bullies free rein. I remember one of my friends being humiliated with a wedgie while everyone stood around laughing at him—there was no way he could fight back. While I never saw anyone get a swirlie or shoved into a locker, I experienced something similar when a guy kicked a bathroom stall door into me while I was using it, leaving a scar in the centre of my forehead.

Most of the bullying I saw involved physical or cruel acts like throwing students into dumpsters or pelting them with plastic bottles filled with rocks. People were targeted for being perceived as nerds, especially if they liked fantasy or video games, so many hid their interests to avoid getting beaten up. I even knew a boy who was bullied because his dad had killed his mom.

Things began to change after the Columbine High School massacre, when schools started taking bullying more seriously and enforcing stricter policies. But back then, it felt like anything went.

[djinnspalace]

Another thing is the bullies always having some sad life or needing an outlet for their anger.
Thats just something people made up to feel better about themselves and it really annoys me how its become the norm in TV.

[DAMDO]

"the stereotype that you get bullied for doing well in school"
this one is how i figured cartoons lied to me because i got bullied for having below average grades back in elementary...

[kobrax]

I NEVER got the stereotype of the "Jocks" being huge meat-heads and bullies. Most of the Jocks I met in school were honestly pretty chill and sometimes big nerds themselves

[SevensMarkedSeven]

to be fair these bullying archetypes are based on the 80-90s bullies

[awesomo]

They make these stereotypes in shows because depicting realistic bullying is too sad to watch.

[thefaceofpainandregret]

That’s why I use the insult “you sound like a high school movie bully”💀

[kvidoland]

Today's form of bullying is more sophisticated than before. It's not about physical abuse or calling somebody "nerd". It's about gradual isolating the victim form the others, it's about ghosting them and threwing them away from virtual groups. It's about gossiping and trying to upset them without any visible clues. And who can't see the hidden behaviour of classmates then nobody will do something with it. I've gone throught that in my high school and I'm glad I'll be graduating and leaving these sick people...

[malohn]

As someone else has said, this is a generational thing. Bullying now is alot more online, hiding behind a monitor, more blackmailing and nonverbal attacks
In the early 2000's, bullying was literally you vibin and the bully came up and straight up punched you, assaulted you and yes, ripped your underwear apart. Literally happened to me.

[DK-nw]

Bullying people for having better grades dog that’s called jealousy

[LordFarquire]

Actual realistic bullying is way less physical and verbal, and more mental. From personal experience I can say it involves way more gaslighting and manipulation. If the bully makes it like someone is weird, the entire rest of the bully’s friend group will think so too regardless of if it’s true. That can spread to the entire class or even the entire school without anyone being able to tell any actual bullying is going on, which is why real bullying is so dangerous.

[WraxTV]

The bullying stereotypes aren't made up, they're just really out of date. I was around to see some of these things, but even back in my ancient times, a lot of these things just weren't a thing anymore.

I AM surprised kids don't get bullied for trying hard in school now, which is definitely a good thing. That was something that, at the very least, would get you socially isolated when I was coming up because if you were studying, you weren't out partying, smoking up, etc.

As for wedgies and swirlies - it was never a one-on-one thing. That was at least a five-on-one sort of thing. Still exceptionally rare, typically they'd just beat em up.

[thisperson]

kids were 100% putting THEMSELVES in lockers, but I've never seen the other way around