I can sympathise to an extent with your experience, Harley, as I experienced something similar during my schooldays. Anyone who claims that name-calling is something just to be ignored, while giving some fair advice, isn't considering just how powerful an effect like name-calling has.

My way of dealing with it was through two methods - neither of which were really conscious tactics, just the way I naturally went about it. Firstly, I became much more introverted, and generally killed off my outward expression of feelings as much as I could. This meant that I could basically listen to all the taunts and jeers anyone sent at me, and show no emotion - often I'd just stare directly at them (or, more often, a point directly behind them so that it looked like I was staring at them), which worked well at making the bullies feel more uncomfortable. Generally, this meant people would eave me alone after a few minutes, although some stubborn ones would use every opportunity they could get, and the were the ones I would report to teachers, even if they generally did nothing.

Secondly, I found common interests with various people, and generally found a way to be accepted on the edge of a group. This would be things like playing football in the playground - generally a good way for a guy to be accepted - or finding a few people I could cont as friends. This led to being accepted by some people, who would then be more prepared to stick up for me, and so dissuading would-be bullies from picking on me. Generally taking a passive attitude to people, and lacking too much care in what other people thought of me, also helped.

The downside to all of this, however, is that I still tend to be fairly apathetic about things that other people think should be important, and also tend not to show much emotion - especially around people I don't know. This is something which I am generally trying to deal with, rather than just leaving, and is improving to a certain extent.

However, it is generally true that bullies are at least as insecure about themselves as you are, and are taking out their insecurities on you. While I do not believe this excuses their behaviour, it does mean I can at least feel some pity for them. Excuses only work so far - it explains the behaviour, but it doesn't get rid of the fact that they are wrong to act in that fashion, especially if they aren't making any effort to not act in that way.

Got in fights a lot.

Stand up to a bully and most of the time they back down. When they don't you might get your butt kicked, but I'd rather have a black eye than continuous torture.

It didn't matter that I was a big guy, bullies come in all sizes, and in gangs.

Of course it all pretty much stopped after I left high school.

Jimro

I stood up to bullies and I got jeered at more. I tried to fight them, but they ran away laughing because I'm crap at sports.

And I wasn't alone either, as I said. I think all my friends were bullied in some way; our tight-knit little group helped it from getting worse, but it didn't stop it completely.

Bullying shouls be treated on a case by case basis, not just handing out random advice all the time.

I got bullied a lot when I was younger. Then I saw a counsellor about stress reduction (an issue I thought was unrelated) because I was getting migraines and she helped me be a more easygoing, laid-back individual. The bullying gradually stopped after that. I think people who are really high-strung are easy targets for bullying. Obviously there's the real douches out there who will pick on people repeatedly for their appearance or whatever, but most will leave you alone if you don't let yourself be affected by it so easily.

It should be noted that laid-back or not, just about everyone gets the occasional dig about their clothes or something, but it's important to just take it in stride. Often it's meant in a humourous manner, other times it isn't. But if you avoid reacting by turning beet red and yelling like I did when I was a wee lad, it's unlikely to happen again. For example, recently someone bugged me because I was wearing a crappy T-shirt I got for free at UBC, so I responded with self-deprecating humour -- "What can I say? I'm a cheap bastard."

Hackers are bullies too. They pick on everybody on the internet just to piss off a few million people.

It's one thing to hack a well-protected board very slightly, just to see if you can do it; it's quite another to smash it into little pieces.

It's the internet. @#%$ happens when you don't secure your systems properly. Get over it.

You missed a forum, Lighthead.

Please cease all posting on the ezBread for the time being. Until then, use this.