My Story

Hey there! It’s Yoon, the founder of The Resilient Dandelion. I’m so happy that you made your way to my blog post, where I share my past experiences on being bullied. I hope that my story gives you inspiration and confidence to post your own stories too. If you are interested, then go to “Share Your Stories” and submit a form and I’ll post it for you in 2-3 days.

Now on to my story :

I was bullied starting in 4th grade. There was a boy who constantly lied to get me into trouble. In front of the teachers, though, he acted kind and innocent. He accused me of saying things I never said and doing things I never did. Eventually, he even claimed that I physically assaulted him, though I hadn’t done anything. Thankfully, I had friends who stood up for me, and I was vindicated. But if there hadn’t been witnesses or those friends, I could’ve been in serious trouble. Every day, I was terrified of what lies he might tell next, and I dreaded going to school because I didn’t feel safe there.

There were also these girls who made me feel worthless and invisible. They manipulated me into believing that others were talking behind my back when they weren’t, made me doubt my own truthfulness, turned people against me, and excluded me from their group. They acted sweet and perfect in front of teachers but were cruel to me. They would even kick me out of their lunch table when I tried to sit with them, leaving me with nowhere to belong.

One of these girls, interestingly, was my best friend, or so I thought. She had bullied me in 4th grade. She always wanted to outshine me. Since I considered her my “best friend,” she used that to her advantage. One minute she would be kind and funny, the next, she was mean and arrogant. I could never predict her behavior, which made me anxious. Because I never knew what that girl might do to me when no one was watching, it felt like I was trapped in a snare she had set, and I couldn’t do anything. As a result, I was scared to go to school every day, and even at school, I couldn’t feel comfortable for a single moment. 

After she moved away at the end of 4th grade, things improved, and 5th grade was much smoother.

But in 6th grade, things took a turn again.

One of the kids who had been bullying me since 4th grade teamed up with another kid to start bullying me together. They made me feel invisible, spread rumors about me, and drove wedges between me and my other friends.  One day, because of a physical incident caused by that kid, I had to explain everything to the teacher. The teacher found out about the situation and made sure we didn’t sit near each other anymore.

Despite all of this, the most important part of my journey was the close friends I made along the way and the supportive, understanding teachers and parents who gave me advice and sympathy throughout the year. With their help, I was able to reduce the impact that the bullies had on me. I learned more about myself and how to cope with challenges than ever before. Though it was difficult, I now believe that going through such experiences helps you grow stronger and tackle life’s obstacles.

The purpose of sharing this story is to reassure other victims of bullying that they are not alone. My advice to you is to remember that there are people who truly care about you. Focus on them, and the impact of the bullies will start to lessen and eventually fade away.

Have hope,

Yoon Kim
Founder of The Resilient Dandelion