As kids, most of us encountered someone along the way who made life a lot more challenging than it needed to be. Someone who might steal your lunch money, slam your locker shut while you were trying to put books away or call you unflattering nicknames during gym class. 

While some of us may be relieved to never see our bullies again after graduation, one lucky woman recently had the opportunity to get back at the man who tormented her during middle school. Below, you’ll find the story that she shared on the Petty Revenge subreddit, as well as some of the replies invested readers left her.

This woman encountered her former bully again ten years later when he became her coworker

Image credits: drazenphoto (not the actual photo)

So when the opportunity arose to blow up his life, she didn’t hesitate to act

Image credits: Teddy Yang (not the actual photo)

Image credits: angles_and_flowers

One fifth of students report experiencing bullying in school

We’ve all been talking about the dangers and harms of bullying for decades, but unfortunately, it still runs rampant in schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one out of every five students reports being bullied, and 41% of students who say they’ve been bullied at school believe that it would happen again.

Some of the most common forms of bullying in schools are being made fun of, called names or insulted; being the subject of rumors; being pushed, shoved, tripped or spit on; and being excluded from activities on purpose. Nowadays, the internet can also play a dangerous role in bullying.

20.9% of kids between the ages of 9 to 12 say they’ve been cyberbullied, cyberbullied others or have witnessed cyberbullying. But this kind of behavior often translates into the real world as well, as 13% of tweens say they’ve experienced bullying both in person and online, compared to only 1% who say they’ve only been bullied virtually.

Bullying can have devastating impacts on victims

Despite how common bullying is, particularly among kids, it is certainly not something to be taken lightly. Verywell Family reports that being bullied can have a detrimental impact on a person’s self-esteem. Victims of bullies may feel angry, bitter, vulnerable, helpless, frustrated, lonely and isolated.

These feelings aren’t likely to go away overnight either. Adults who were bullied while growing up may continue to struggle with self-esteem, have a hard time developing and maintaining relationships, have difficulty trusting others and seek to avoid many social interactions. They may even blame themselves or start to believe lies they’ve been told about bullying, such as that it wasn’t actually bad or that they were somehow at fault.

Being bullied can even have a physical impact on victims. Verywell Family reports that those who experience bullying will often become stressed and can develop anxiety. Bullied kids are also more likely to complain of stomach aches and headaches, and stress can worsen pre-existing conditions such as eczema, stomach issues and heart conditions.

Overcoming the effects of bullying may not be easy, but it’s always worth it

When it comes to overcoming the impacts that bullying can cause, Better Help recommends being kind to yourself and making sure you find a great support system. What happened to you was not your fault, and it doesn’t define you. Learn how to grow confidence and improve your self-esteem.

And if you ever find yourself in another situation where bullying or inappropriate behavior starts rearing its ugly head, don’t hesitate to nip it in the bud. You should never have to put up with bullying, whether you’re at work, at a family gathering or on the bus. Take care of yourself, and try not to harbor anger. It’s normal to be upset about what happened to you, but find a healthy outlet to release your frustrations so you can live your life to the fullest.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever gotten revenge on a former bully in a similar way? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article, we recommend checking out this one discussing revenge on a bully!      

Many readers applauded the woman for her petty revenge

However, some were critical of her actions

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