I was very badly bullied in school, although most of the bullying was verbal. I was the only witness kid in school too. When I got to college, I made damned sure I never told anyone what religion I was.
Were you ever bullied at school for being a Witness?
by truthseeker 7 Replies latest jw friends
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maxwell
There was some bullying because I was a Witness, but most of the verbal taunting and minimal physical bullying was simply because I was a nerd and goody-two shoes. Now another question would be, would I have been a goody two-shoes had I not been a Witness. I don't know about that, but I am glad that I was not one of the bullies or taunters. After I learned how to eliminate the physical bullying, I feel that I was in a better position.
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Sentinel
Ah, those good ole school days as a JW. For me, it was from the eighth grade through to graduation. I find that most people are just ignorant most times, and kids can be cruel when they want to be, because of that ignorance. Even into my final years of HS, I felt like an outcast. The truth is, I was. I didn't fit in because I wasn't allowed to fit in. I had to go to school and get an education, and be a good little witness, but I couldn't develope friendships for the most part, partake in any social gatherings or celebrations. I was even pulled out of Glee Club--and I loved to sing. It was my release. The Elders told mom that it was something I should not be engaged in.
Because I didn't associate with classmates, they had the opinion that I thought I was better than they were. And, you know how that goes. Anyone different, anyone not fitting the mold of youth, is labeled in a negative way. Still, there were a handfull of classmates (our class had nearly 500 graduates) who came to my rescue and who practiced love and compassion. Despite punches in the back (literally), ridicule, taunting and embarrassing situations, I held my head high. In those days I felt humbled to be "chosen" as one who would "know the truth" and tried to set a good example. I truly believed all of the JW dogma. In our entire high school class, there were only two caucasian JW's (me and another fellow ) and one black JW named Mary. Those were the days of school busing for integration, and she had an even worse time than we did. Bless her heart; I wonder what ever became of her....
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franklin J
I had similar experiences, and as Maxwell put it, most of it was because I was a goody little kid. But the memories of being excluded for xmas and birthday parties still sting me; especially when I see how secure and happy my kids are. And the non saluting of the flag sent a clear message to all the other kids as to who the "unpatriotic" target would be.
Did this contribute to being an individual thinker as I got older? I really do not know the answer to that , except to add that to this day I do not care about peer pressure, or what others think about me; and wonder if all that difficulting being the odd ball as a kid, had some positive results as an adult.
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Nosferatu
It was a combination of being a JW and the out-of-date hand-me-downs that my mother forced me to wear. I had to wear those clothes because "Jehovah's people are supposed to stand out" as my mother told me. I was kicked, punched, whacked in the head with hardcover textbooks, etc. It was a horrible experience.
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truthseeker
i have to agree with a lot of you. Forbidden from taking part in soccer teams, I had no friends and consequently grew up as a bit of a loner. The few people in the hall close to my age just ignored me.
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Phantom Stranger
I have to go with maxwell on this. Take a kid and teach him that he has a truth that no one else has, and all the other kids will die and he won't... and poof, you've got a pain-in-the-ass.
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wednesday
yes i was. My mom (rest her soul) made sure of it. every new year she would go to the new teacher and tell them in a defiant way i was a jw and all the things she had better not make me do. Then of course, the teacher hated me and her. In my early years i defied her a time or two. But the teachers were so afraid of her, they would tell me"u are not allowed to do that, your mother said it is against your religion". Years later i ran into classmates who asked me if i was still in that "weird religion:" One teacher dogged me the whole year and failed me in one class, mainly b/c of an essay i wrote about jw's and ww2. I had to retatke it , thanks to her. In junior high, i had a male teacher who would make hateful comments about jws and the war. There was a lot of hatred for jws at that time, the late 50's and early 60's when i started school.And of course, what a pain in the arse we allmust have been in high school. Not attending the pep ralleys. We were forced into a little room and had to sit there while everyone else was at the ralleys. And of course, the ole double standard rears it's head in high school. There were a number of us JWS and some of us were more spiritual than others. One ran for cheerleader and homecoming queen. Even though the other jws knew it was not ok, they kissed up to her anyway. What a bunch of suck ups. I hated school.