I was "bullied" for years during my childhood--from ages four to fourteen. Physically, psychologically, and emotionally. It really does change who you are and paves the way of who you become. I believe that, in the end, only we can decide how we let it change us but it definitely comes with a load of negative effects. I, for one, even at the young age of five, found myself to be low in the way of self-esteem. I always felt ugly. My self-esteem and sense of self-worth plummeted the most between ages eleven and thirteen where I found myself literally hiding myself in my clothes. I wore nothing but black and hoodies, regardless of the weather. In my hoodies, I would hide, even in my own home. I made sure to keep the hood on and my face as far in as possible so as to hide it from the world. I ALWAYS wore pants, even to bed. I would stop eating for periods at a time to lose weight. I attempted suicide various times between the ages of nine and twelve. Needless to say, I struggled a bit with being mistreated.
Now, I do still struggle with my self-image now and again but I no longer let the past weigh me down. What's done is done and nobody who ever hurt me in any way gets to decide how I feel about myself. I have forgiven and find myself moving on, leaving the memories to lose their strength. I've no desire for suicide, but a love for life. I do, however, have a strong resentment toward those who think they have the right to "bully" others. It's absolute BS and they don't know what it does to a person, unless they, themselves, are victims of "bullying." This is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed on higher levels and dealt with in a better fashion than society and law deal with it now. I still feel as though a great deal of it is swept under the rug; no one wants to discuss it or acknowledge it and that's a problem.