Sometimes, you’ve got to fight fire with fire just to teach someone an important lesson. Especially when it comes to nasty bullies, it can help give them a taste of their own medicine. You’ve got to be a special kind of person to be creative enough to take on a mean person without stooping to their level.
Although it’s not always advisable to become a bully to fight one, this woman only did it to protect her aunt. She took on a corgi-loving tyrant, defended her aunt’s honor, and emerged victorious, all with one email.
More info: Reddit
Nobody should be bullying anyone, especially over an innocent hobby that brings them joy
Image credits: Pixabay / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The poster shared that the drama between her sweet aunt and a bully happened 12 years ago on a corgi lovers' forum all because her aunt did not actually own the breed
Image credits: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexel (not the actual photo)
One of the ladies in the group, named Donna, took issue with the poster’s aunt not owning a corgi and used to make subtle jabs about that until one day, she escalated and sent a nasty email
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The lady’s niece took it upon herself to confront Donna and wrote a kindly worded email back to her that was actually quite brutal
Image credits: Millenniauld
Donna not only got a jab right back, but she was also laughed out of the forum and banned for bad behavior
The reason all of this took place was because the poster’s aunt had never owned a corgi. Apparently, this was enough for Donna to spew hatred and make her feel bad about joining a very cute forum. What’s worse is the bully’s behavior was initially mild and then escalated when she realized her victim wasn’t fighting back.
It’s weird to think of an old person tormenting someone else, especially someone who’s in their 60s. Shockingly enough, around 10-20% of seniors living in communities or assisted living facilities get bullied. Very often, these instances are kept hidden out of fear or embarrassment about finding themselves in such a situation.
While most think that bullying ends in the schoolyard, the terrifying fact is that bullying among adults may often take the form of psychological abuse. Sometimes, there might be name-calling, teasing, using insults, gossiping, or even spreading rumors about the person.
All of this can cause the victim a lot of pain and may even force them to retreat within their shell, especially if they've never dealt with it before and there are no parents or teachers to intervene.
To get a deeper insight into this situation, Bored Panda contacted Dr. Stephanie Fredrick. She is the Associate Director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention and an Associate Professor of School Psychology at the University at Buffalo. She is a licensed psychologist and a nationally certified school psychologist and consults with schools on bullying and cyberbullying prevention, as well as youth mental health and wellness.
Dr. Stephanie told us that “bullying is a complex issue, and the reasons individuals (children, teenagers, and adults) bully others are typically multifaceted. In some cases, an individual may bully others to feel powerful, gain attention, or gain control in a situation. This may be especially the case if they lack power or control in other areas of their life.”
“They may even have been bullied themselves (or are currently experiencing bullying). They may have also learned over time that bullying gets them access to things such as attention, fame (such as on the internet), or even tangible things. In this case, it is a behavior that is learned and reinforced over time,” she explained.
The author told people in the comments that Donna probably “wanted my aunt to feel small.” Donna also probably expected that nobody would come to know about her spiteful comments and email. She must have genuinely not thought she’d ever be confronted about her bad behavior, which is why she kept on doing it.
Image credits: Rene Terp / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Bullying doesn’t simply disappear just because the bullies have gotten older. Experts say that a senior citizen tormenting others may have done so when they were younger as well. This type of behavior isn’t likely to change overnight and, unfortunately, can surface at any time.
Luckily for the corgi-loving lady who Donna kept insulting, her niece was courageous enough to stick up for her. The poster made sure to write a gentle and condescending email that was just enough to take Donna down. It also got her laughed out of the forum she loved and eventually banned.
Dr. Stephanie also told us that “there are many ways to deal with a bully. It is important to try to stay calm and not to have a big reaction, [as it can sometimes] exacerbate the situation. Try to disconnect yourself from the bully (whether that is online or in person) as much as possible and surround yourself with friends and family who make you feel safe.”
“If it is cyberbullying, document the evidence and report it to the platform. Depending on the platform, you can also block or mute individuals. If your safety has been threatened in any way, make sure to contact the police. Bystanders can be incredibly important in stopping bullying. If you witness bullying or cyberbullying, make sure to report the individual and check in with the person who is being bullied,” she shared.
It’s not always easy to know why someone becomes a bully. Maybe it has to do with their childhood, their circumstances, or even socialization. For an older person, they might do it because of the helplessness they feel in their lives, and take that out on someone else. This may also give them a sense of control and make them feel powerful.
No matter what the underlying cause may be, bullying is just not right. Now, if you can’t turn the other cheek when you’re being unfairly persecuted, maybe you can hire the poster to get revenge for you. She’s only done it once but has a 100% success rate.
People were delighted to learn that karma finally caught up to Donna
