Bullies Are Killers

‘At the heart of every relentless (and remorseless) bully is the certain (subconscious) knowledge that if they do it enough and for long enough they can actually kill their target. Just because someone isn’t using a fist, a gun or a knife doesn’t make it any less an act of violence. We need to educate society to understand this. Bullies are killers – they’re just doing it a little slower than we currently recognise’

One of the most unconsciously accepted predators throughout history are commonly known as ‘bullies’. There are many versions of this kind of injustice; however I’d like to draw your attention towards psychic and emotional bullying.

WORDS HURT

Whether you beat someone physically or badger them emotionally, the end result is still the same. Metaphorically, the bully aims to kill their target. For the bully, control is their primary weapon; they use it to gain power and momentum. When a person is being controlled they lose their ability to think for themself. They lose initiative and the capacity to rationalise effectively. The more control that is applied, the perpetrator has incremental access to taunt and manipulate the psyche of their victim. There are a number of strategies that are leveraged by the bully; as they continuously change their mind they thrive on making you feel as though you are going mentally crazy and then put you down for not keeping up with them. They also negate their words and expect you to read their minds for the sake of more blame and shame. The process is subtle, cunning and baffling – you are unaware of the monster’s work in progress. For the victim, evidence of this kind of humiliation is in their diminishing confidence; you feel low in self-worth and sad most of the time, and the perpetrator’s abuse that was originally covert becomes more and more overt.

It starts with a surreptitious comment that catches you by surprise. You question yourself (if you interpreted what was said correctly) and then sublimate the remark belittlingly because it was too random to measure. Naturally this happens again due to your initial response of not standing up for yourself, dampening your spirit and there is a downward spiral from then onwards.

THE VULNERABLE VICTIMS