Overcoming School Bullying: A Journey of Courage and Friendship

At school, I often found myself being bullied, both by my classmates and older students. They would demand money from me, sometimes without any clear reason. I wondered if it was because I wasn’t mischievous enough or because they thought I would be too afraid to stand up to them due to their seniority.

My classmates, in particular, would frequently demand money from me. Even when I told them I didn’t have any or hadn’t brought any, they would order me to go home during lunch break, get money, and bring it to them. Over time, I realized that the reason I kept getting bullied was that I always complied. I was no longer just a victim—I was enabling it by not resisting.

One day, I decided that this had to stop. At least, I needed to put an end to being bullied by my classmates. The only way was to fight back. I had to summon my courage, and deep down, I believed I could win. So, I refused their demands and challenged one of them to a fight. It wasn’t a response to being cornered—it was my way of taking control of the situation. Surprisingly, he agreed, and we set the time for after school.

The fight happened, surrounded by other kids watching as if it were some kind of gladiator match. We fought without rules. He moved erratically, not like someone skilled in fighting but more like a child throwing a tantrum. I wasn’t really hurt, but his shirt was torn. Did that mean I had won? I wasn’t sure, but the fight ended without a clear winner. However, from that day forward, he never bullied me again. That was enough for me.

Yet, there was still the issue of the older student who bullied me. If I tried to fight him, I knew I would lose. He was infamous for being the most notorious troublemaker in school. Instead, I found another way—I told my parents about the bullying. My parents were furious and went directly to his house to confront his mother. I later learned that he lived only with his mother, without a father.

For a brief moment, I felt sorry for him. But the next day, something unexpected happened. He approached me, apologized, and started treating me kindly. I never thought that confronting his mother would change him, but he was suddenly friendly, almost as if he wanted to be my friend. I couldn’t understand whether he was afraid, genuinely remorseful, or simply wanted to avoid trouble.

From that day on, we became friends. Occasionally, I even treated him to snacks at the school canteen—not out of fear, but as a gesture of genuine friendship. Looking back, I found it amusing. I even enjoyed befriending the so-called ‘bad kids’ at school. They weren’t as terrifying as I once thought; in fact, they were quite fun to be around.

It made me question myself: Was I actually a troublemaker too, just hiding under the disguise of a quiet, well-behaved student? I don’t know. But one thing was certain—I had learned to stand up for myself and had turned enemies into friends along the way.