Were you a bully in high school?

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

nursing-attracts-bullies.jpg.021d1a418203fb08a9807aa80a6659c3.jpg

I was scrolling on Reddit and one question that came up was, “What are your high school bullies doing now?”. Interestingly many said that their hs bullies are now nurses. Do you think the nursing profession attracts former bullies? How many of you were bullies in high school?

Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

I was petite and only resorted to violence of the tongue.

3 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

I was just...quiet. I was like that cartoon chihuahua that had the mouth of a pit bull, but only when provoked. I was and am the only female (mom excluded) in a family of military veterans...had and did learn to defend myself. As such, my BS-detecting sonars remain pretty much on point and have kept bullies at bay...much like a force field. 

5 Votes
Specializes in Community health.

I was not a bully, I was bullied. I actually think teaching attracts more bullies than nursing does. 

On 9/24/2021 at 10:46 PM, Koalified said:

I was thinking the same thing as I was reading. LOL 

Me too. No question.  

2 Votes

Quite the opposite for me. Many people were nasty to me because I was “weird” and quiet (I’m on the spectrum). I learned to tune out most of their words after a while because I was too consumed by the overwhelming feelings of discomfort I was experiencing pretty much all the time. One girl who was particularly nasty to me is now deep into drug addiction and has been for a while. Oddly enough, her sister is a nurse now.

2 Votes
Specializes in LTC, Rehab..

I was severely bullied during my high school years. It probably had to do with my upbringing and lack of strong parental figures. I remember a bully breaking my nose and it bleeding really bad, and then the principal had the gall to say that it was "either both of us get suspended from school or we just sweep it under a rug" despite me not being the aggressor in the situation.

1 Votes
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
On 9/24/2021 at 6:33 PM, techitalia said:

The term bully wasn't really around until just a few years ago, when placing labels on everything known to man became the thing! In highschool in the late 80s' where I grew up which was a massive HS in Houston, you didn't get but hurt over people poking fun at you, you just dished it back and moved on, it was called interacting with one another! I guess we all were a bunch of bullies! 

This post makes me irrationally angry because it completely delegitimatizes bullying as something that's benign and everyone does it. Bullying is real. It's been around since kids have been in congregate settings (there's even a depiction of bullying in one of the Little House on the Prairie books), it's hurtful, it's stressful, and it's horrific when it happens to you. Children have died because of bullying. That's not being a "snowflake" jfc.

6 Votes
Specializes in Community health.
2 hours ago, klone said:

This post makes me irrationally angry because it completely delegitimatizes bullying as something that's benign and everyone does it. Bullying is real. It's been around since kids have been in congregate settings (there's even a depiction of bullying in one of the Little House on the Prairie books), it's hurtful, it's stressful, and it's horrific when it happens to you. Children have died because of bullying. That's not being a "snowflake" jfc.

I think most of us had the same reaction— the poster sounds like a vicious bully. But s/he doesn’t recognize it because they think “everybody was doing it and if you claim victimization, you’re a snowflake.” To that poster: I bet if we polled your classmates, they wouldn’t say everyone was doing it. I bet they’d still remember YOU. 

3 Votes
5 hours ago, klone said:

This post makes me irrationally angry because it completely delegitimatizes bullying as something that's benign and everyone does it. Bullying is real. It's been around since kids have been in congregate settings (there's even a depiction of bullying in one of the Little House on the Prairie books), it's hurtful, it's stressful, and it's horrific when it happens to you. Children have died because of bullying. That's not being a "snowflake" jfc.

Children have died because of perspective. 

I think bullied people has an air about them that attracts bullies. They display helplessness which could be easily turned around if protocols were in place. 

I understand that it's difficult to drum up the energy or emotion to do something about it, but, how many of you that were bullied, have now felt strongly enough to go back to your old school and ensure that something is in place to protect current kids from being bullied? 

Think how much that would have helped during your time. With the advent of social media, you know other kids that were bullied during your time, so reach out to them and form a group and you could easily put the principal or school board on notice. Remember how hurt you were back then and channel your emotions to doing some good for the current batch of bullied kids. You're an adult now, are you still afraid? 

I recently had bad experiences at ShopRite and T-mobile, so I channeled my irritation because I don't know how to stop. I got my revenge by relentlessly pursuing until I got corporate contact and making sure that the instigators were punished. 

It felt awesome! 

I also think that poster essentially said, that he gave as good as he got which didn't make him a victim. Just my opinion. If you lay down people will walk all over you! 

20 hours ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

Teachers? Hmmm, that’s an interesting thought. I’ve heard law enforcement attracts bullies but never heard teachers. Could it be the same mentality as criminals always go back to the place of the crime? 

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
On 9/22/2021 at 8:46 AM, Davey Do said:

"You don't pull on Superman's cape, you don't surf a tidal wave, you don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with Dave." -Jim Croce (possibly paraphrased)

I do kind of like your version better, not surfing a tidal wave sounds so much more interesting than not spitting into the wind!

1 Votes

Due to a stutter I was the bullied. I work with a nurse who said she went to high school with a fellow nurse who she said was a bully. This nurse is nice, patient,  and helpful. So how he was as a teen is not the reflection of his character today. 

4 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, NICU.

this is definitely a stereotype. When I was in nursing school, this guy at a party told me "I'm surprised you're a nursing student 'cause you're not a ***" LOL...

 

1 Votes
+ Add a Comment