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An Open Letter to The Bully

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Auburn chapter.

Dear Bully,

I am reaching out to you in the hopes that by this point you have realized your wrongdoings, but as most do, you never will. You will never realize that the words you pin to a specific person affect them. You will never see that the way you mock people does not go unnoticed, but is seen by all. You will never understand that the way you treat others is not a reflection of them, it is a reflection of you.

In all honesty, I am writing this letter more for myself and your other victims than for you. I found that the more your words found themselves in my head, the more they affected my heart, and I refuse to allow that to happen. I refuse for the way you treat poeple to make my heart cold. I will not allow for myself to dislike you so much that I hate you, because I am not the type of person that hates others. I love others.

So maybe this letter is about me letting you know that you didn’t win, I did. Maybe you just need to understand that even though the things you said about me were heard and seen by others, I will not allow for my heart to be changed because of it. 

I do, however, hope that your heart will change because of it. I want you to know that, despite the mean and hurtful things you have done to not only me, but to others, I forgive you. I hope the world shows you nothing but goodness and love. I hope you see that the things in this life that are the most worthwhile are not mean jokes that make people laugh at the expense of others, but are moments that you share with people in times of pure and honest joy.

You are not the first Bully in the world, and I am sure you will not be the last. I do know, however, that you are the last one that will ever affect me the way that you did.

Best wishes,

Sam

 

To anyone that has either been bullied or is currently being bullied, I hope that this honest letter to The Bully helps you. The real point of this letter is to give a voice to those that feel weak and powerless at the hands and words of another, and to let them know that they will not go unheard. Your voice matters. Your actions matter. You matter. I hope that you feel empowered by the fact that you are fueled by love instead of hate. That is a trait that the person who has put you through this or is putting you through this situation lacks completely, and that is your strength. My advice to you is reach out and ask for help no matter how small your situation may seem. You can ask for help from counselors at your university, your public safety personnel on campus, and even sometimes just reaching out to a well trusted friend helps. It doesn’t matter who you contact about the situation, as long as you do let someone know. Facing a bully is a situation that no one should have to endure alone. So please, ask someone for help, anyone, because the worst feeling is being lonely in a situation like this, even though I promise you that you aren’t. So no matter the variation or extent of bullying you are facing or have faced, please remember that you are not alone. 

 

Samantha is currently a freshman at Auburn University and is currently studying pre-veterinary medicine with a minor in journalism. Samantha has a passion not only for animals, but also for people and loves to use writing as a way to reach out to others. She can be described as being spunky, driven, and generous. A few of her favorite things consist of the Auburn Creed, dogs, women in history, and lovely words.