Did Being a JW Make You a Bully VICTIM in SCHOOL?

by Smoldering Wick 44 Replies latest jw friends

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  bull01lay

  My brother was bullied constantly at school - he never would fight back, or when he did eventually 'lose it' it was blind rage, which is ineffective against a group of bullies. One particular group called themselves 'jew-bashers', and dragged my brother onto a waste disposable ground, knocked him to the floor, put an old washing machine carcass over him, then set it on fire. These lads were all 2 years older than me, but when I found out who it was I beat the living shit out of them, one by one.

  I had a lot of problems with bullying, but because most of them had had a taste of me alone, they wouldn't try anything unless there was several of them. I got beaten up quite badly at times, but always made sure they felt it too. And, if necessary, I'd find them when they were alone and repay their 'kindness'. When the class 2 years ahead of me left school, I no longer had any problems.

  I only ever got hit by one teacher, when I was 15. He hated witnesses, and I was always the 'trouble causer' in his opinion. I was arguing in my maths class with another pupil, and we'd just squared up to each other when the teacher came in. He shouted, stormed over to us both and then struck me across the face. I puched him back, and we stood glaring at each other until he walked away. He never reported the incident, as he would have been sacked for hitting me.

  Most kids in my 'form' class used to ask me questions about things, but I didn't get much ridicule from it - I guess they were scared of being beaten up.

  Some christian kid I was!!

  Bull!
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  Mary

  My life in School was hell. I was the only JW at my school, and from grade two till I quit, I was teased and tormented by the other kids because of Opening Exercises, Christmas, Easter, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, birthdays. I turned to food for comfort, so I put on weight which increased the teasing. Plus I got yelled at alot by my father, mostly for forgetting things or not understanding things. I was told I was "stupid" over and over again. As an adult, I realize that I had (and still have ) Attention Dificiency Disorder, but no one knew about it when I was a kid. So the combination of the torment I got at school, and the put-downs I got at home absolutely destroyed any self-confidence I had ever possessed and I still to this day, have no self-esteem. Despite being overweight, I still get men hitting on me all the time, which I think is strange........but I think they like my sense of humour
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  got my forty homey?

  I know what your saying Mary. I was fat also, and in addition to neing made fun of for that, being a witness, knocking on schoolmates doors, my Father would knock me for being fat and it causing the many pains I had in my feet and knees to which today I have rheumotiod arthtritus.

  So I dont take crap from no one no more, it gotta stop, say some crap and I split you in half!
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  Undaunted Danny

  I identify with all preceding postings. I began 1st grade in 1963 right around the time of Cuban Missile crisis,and the big "A" cleanup of all my schoolmates bones.This was superimposed with the wave of super patriotism ( President Kennedy's:"don't ask what your country can do for you,ask what you can do for your country" ) Everyday a little six year old boy with butterflies in his stomach enduring brutal persecution with no one to confide in except the jehover who don't exist. It was all for NOTHING! NO REWARD FOR MY OBEDIENCE TO NATHAN KNORR! Undaunted Danny,witness of the Watchtower holocaust and systematic child abuse. { they think it's fun to eat their young wild critters don't do that }
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  Jim Dee

  Yes absolutely

  I was harrassed and bullied for 5 years all through my secondary school for 2 standing up for right principles". In the end I lost it with 3 lads and went up to the biggest one and kicked him in the balls - Hard ("one wack in the happy sack and down they go" A.J. Rimmer)

  I was was never bothered again, so much for showing brotherly love - I was placed on probation in the hall because one "brother" saw me do it and I refused to show signs of remorse

  Jim
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  Undaunted Danny

  Notice:I'm not a skinny/scrawny little obedient J-HO boy anymore.Do not taunt,threaten,harass,stalk,terrorize or bully my family or my property. Undaunted Danny,as always tainting the jury pool in Bangor maine USA . harassment
  order I ain't the least bit squeamish about justifiable "H"
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  undercover

  I was bullied some in school. I fought back once, I won the battle but lost the war. Got in trouble with the principle, then my parents.

  I had a different way of dealing with possible bullying situations. I learned to become invisible for the most part. I knew that I was different by being a JW but I even looked different. I grew up in the late 60s and 70s where grooming and hair styles were way out there sometimes. I was one of a very few guys with short hair. Not just not long, but cut more like a military cut which was definately not cool at that time. No faded Levis for me. All of my clothes were neat and pressed. I had few school friends, mostly misfits themselves. Guys and a couple of girls that didn't fit into any one clique. But for the most part, I stayed to myself, avoided anything that could bring attention to my being different and I never tried to "witness" to classmates.

  While I hated school and felt out of place and lived on pins and needles waiting for the next embarrassing situation, there were other dub kids that fit right in at school. Their hair was short, but other than that, they didn't seem to have any of the issues that I had. At the time it hurt to see them fit right in but I couldn't. Later, after graduation, many of these dub kids either drifted away from the "truth" or were DFd. I rationalized that they weren't strong JWs to begin with and they let the school atmostphere degrade them. Now I see that they were just not as fooled or controlled by the WTS as I had been.

  I think any self-esteem issues that some of us may have or have had in the past, have come from our upbringing through this nutty religion. We're never good enough, or do enough and everyone outside our KH world is evil. How can you be normal when that is beat into your skull all the time?
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  Golf

  I'm happy to say that my brothers and I didn't get bullied. We were fighters, JW or not. If anything, we welcomed battles.

  Guest 77/Golf
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  ApagaLaLuz

  I agree with DH I was more isolated than bullied. I'm a fighter, so I suppose it was a good thing I never got bullied. Junior high was hard though, because I was overweight and poor so I did get made fun of, nothing to do with being a JW though. By the time I went to highschool I was a drama geek and thought I was too cool, and knew more than the rest of the kids my age there.
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  Leolaia

  Yes. But that was the least of my problems. That was just one reason out of many for everyone to tease me.