Online Bullying vs Physical Bullying: Which Is Worse?

Bullying is very rampant in the world, and bullies know exactly what they are doing. They often intimidate people they see as weaker just to feel good about themselves.

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I have been a victim of bullying twice. The first experience was disheartening, while the second one ended very differently. Let me share both.

The first happened during my secondary school days. I was in SS1 at the time, I used to be one of those students who were both brilliant and playful.

On that fateful day, immediately the bell rang for break time, my friends and I rushed out of the class to start our usual run-and-catch game. It was during the play that the unexpected happened. While running, I mistakenly stepped on a boy’s leg. Before I could even apologize, he gave me a dirty slap.

I didn’t realize when hot tears started rolling down my face.

I looked at him and noticed he was in the same class as me but from a different department. He was taller and bigger, so there was nothing I could do. One of my classmates got very angry and confronted him, asking why he would slap his mate over something that was clearly not intentional.

The boy was known as one of the “neat freaks” in school, he hated stains on his white shirt or socks and avoided rough play.

But still, he slapped me… and nothing was done about it.

I carried that grudge all through secondary school, and even after we graduated, I still remembered him.

Two years later after we graduated, I visited home and saw him on the road. He still looked the same, but I had changed. I had grown taller and more muscular from the factory work I did after school.

I was in a moving vehicle, so there was no chance for revenge even if I wanted to.

But something unexpected happened that day…

When I saw him, I didn’t feel anger anymore.

I felt pity.

He looked so skinny and fragile, and at that moment, I realized something, sometimes life handles things better than revenge ever could.

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Now to the second bullying experience…

It is always the tall boys!

This time, it didn’t happen in school, it happened at home, on the football field.

On that day, we were just playing a normal friendly match. During the game, there was this guy trying hard to show his strength, but somehow, I was stronger than him. He couldn’t dominate like he wanted to, and the way people were cheering me on only made him more angry.

That was when things changed.

He stopped playing fair and started kicking me every time I had the ball. I had to warn him not to injure me, but instead of calming down, he pushed me and challenged me to a fight.

Now, I am a logical person, I don’t jump into fights I can’t win. He was taller and bigger, so I tried to avoid it. But he kept insisting, even charging at me aggressively.

At that point, I had no choice but to defend myself.

As we started throwing punches, people rushed in to separate us. While they were holding him back, he struggled to break free so he could attack me again.

That was the moment.

I threw a punch, and it landed clean on his chin.

Immediately, he became dizzy.

People shouted and cheered for me again, and that moment gave me a kind of confidence I hadn’t felt before. But I also knew something important, I had gotten my chance, and I shouldn’t push my luck.

After he regained himself, he still wanted to continue the fight. But I called it a day.

He was angry, but I already had my win.

And deep down, I knew the truth, if I had taken it further, things could have gone very differently.

So I walked away with my win lol.

When it comes to bullying, whether physical or online, both have their downsides.

Physical bullying can cause real damage: injuries, pain, and lasting scars. But beyond that, it also affects people mentally. Some people never find the courage to stand up to their bullies, and over time, they develop fear, even the sight of that person can make them uncomfortable or anxious.

On the other hand, online bullying hits differently.

In my opinion, it affects people more when they actually have something to lose online.

For example, on this Hive platform, being targeted by a bully, especially a “whale” can affect your earnings. It is not just small damage; it can wipe out your source of income completely.

But for someone who isn’t dependent on that income, it is a different story. Downvotes or attacks won’t really matter to them, so they can easily ignore it.

That is why I think online bullying is more bearable, as long as it doesn’t threaten something important to you.

At the end of the day, one major advantage of the online world is this:
If someone is trying to bully you, you can simply cut them off, block them, mute them, or leave the platform.

And just like that… it is over. 😄

Just call me Burl.
I am a professional gamer, motivational speaker and a crypto enthusiast
Discord: burlarj
Twitter id: burlarj1
Telegram: burlarj
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