A Story About Bullying

Mike was born a normal, healthy child but a sudden accident occurred when he was 7 years old. He was sitting on a tree limb 5 feet above ground, and as he was sawing the limb, he didn’t realize he was sawing the wrong end when it suddenly gave out and Mike went crashing to the ground. He hurt his arm badly with a gash the length of his forearm, and a large bump on his head. It took him several weeks to heal and some say since that time he was noticeably “slow” in a semi-retarded way.


At the time, the doctors gave him a clean bill of health. As the years went by, Mike gradually turned into an introvert, and didn’t take part in social gatherings or any other situation that involved a group of people. Many people commented on the change in him compared to only a few short years prior.


The other boys in the neighborhood felt sorry for him and didn’t bother him, but they never tried to befriend him, either. Instead, they eventually began telling lies and making up stories that weren’t true. Nevertheless, some people believed the stories and started teasing him. The teasing increased to the point where Mike would hardly venture outside. To make matters worse, his younger brother would also take part in the jeering and teasing, instead of giving him support.


Fortunately, his youngest brother and sister came to his rescue whenever the bullies would target him. Though they had the best intentions, his parents did little to stop the behavior after his brother and sister tried to explain how serious the problem was. It seemed he was defenseless because of his fear to speak up or try to stop the torment.


Of all the short stories about bullying, the most troubling are those that don’t have a happy ending. This short story about bullying happens to be one of them.


Mike never adjusted completely from the hurtful words and frequent teasing about this shyness. For him, acceptance and patience seemed foreign and as a result, his later years have been spent languishing at times in self-pity and no one to share his life with. It’s this type of outcome that accentuates the problem of bullying and its lasting effects. It’s hard to say if Mike’s life would have been different had he not fallen out of that tree, and we can only wonder at this point. One thing is for sure, however. Mike’s life would surely have turned out on a brighter note had he not suffered the traumatizing effects of bullying from an early age.