Bullying doesn’t always end when childhood ends

Growing up, I was body shamed for being underweight. While people associate body shaming with being overweight, it can affect anyone whose appearance doesn’t fit society’s expectations. The teasing affected me so deeply that I spent years covering my body and didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin until I was well into my 30s. That’s why I believe body shaming is a form of bullying, and we don’t talk enough about the long-term effects it can have on a person’s confidence, self-worth, and mental health.

Bullying isn’t only something that happens between people of the same age. It can happen from older individuals towards younger people, and sometimes from younger individuals towards older ones. It can happen at school, at home, in communities, online, and even in the workplace.

What happens as we grow older?

Many people who were bullied carry the effects into adulthood—struggling with confidence, self-worth, anxiety, trust, and self-acceptance. And what about the bullies? Some mature, reflect, and change. Others continue the same behaviour in different forms through gossip, intimidation, manipulation, exclusion, or abuse of power.

That’s why I believe we need to talk more about bullying, not just as childhood issues, but as experiences that can shape lives for years.

Have the effects of bullying stayed with you into adulthood, and do you believe bullies truly change?

#BullyingAwareness

#BodyShaming

#MentalHealthMatters

#EndBullying

#HealingAndGrowth

#LetsTalkAboutIt