How would you feel if a bully of yours from grade school or high school randomly contacted you out of the blue to apologize to you?

Question

And we’ll say they got your number or contact through a mutual friend. So they just call or contact you apologize for how horribly they treated you and then thats it. How would you feel about that?

Lynx122 · Accepted Answer

I did see a guy that bullied me on the bus years later I hadn't yet overcome it mentally. He grinned at me, he didn't regret anything. He might be a sadistic sociopath or something there was something in his eyes, he enjoyed causing others pain. Like all the other guys who participated in the bullying they were just being teenage boys doing stupid shit but this guy he enjoyed it he wanted to hurt me as much as he could mentally. If I saw him again I'd consider beating the shit out of him. I was the only one shorter and smaller than him when we were in school that's probably why he bullied me. I was a late bloomer but now I'm way bigger than him. He was barely bigger than in highschool. I'd never accept his apology because I know he wouldn't mean it, I saw his true character. It wasn't just a teenage thing, this is who he is.

BetaBucks · Accepted Answer

I'd wonder how they're making phone calls from the grave. Joking, cuz I never experienced any bullying because I didn't get drawn into any of it. I just told them to fuck off and offered to fight if they were interested. This has happened a ton of times and it always ends pretty quickly. Most bullies are just looking for weak targets. Even the female ones will back off just from calling them out. A lot of them just go on to do underhanded shit behind my back, but there's nothing anyone can do about that.

I do remember bullying two kids when I was really young. Preteen. I wish I could take it back, and have definitely treated them with respect as we got older. If I saw them now, I'd buy them a beer and make fun of myself for being such a f***** to them. If they take me out of the game, I'd feel like I deserved it.

Josey29 · Accepted Answer

Accept the apology.

I had a "best friend" in highschool who's boyfriend used to make fun of my appearance every day! Saying things like, I'm not as pretty as his girlfriend or I have small boobs or I'm a slut because I had a boyfriend.. my "best friend" would just laugh at her boyfriends comments about me. This happened every day for years!

I eventually got revenge. I was petty. 😁 She asked me why I did it... so I told her. She said she was sorry and asked if we could be friends. I friended her on Facebook and haven't talked to her since highschool.

I do believe people can change. If they are genuinely sorry. Give them a chance to redeem themselves for their own peace of mind. In my case, my friend only apologized because I showed her what it felt like.

petitedollbabee · Accepted Answer

I would be appreciative. We all do stupid shit in our teens and school years. If as an adult you gain the ability to reflect on your past behaviours, own up to them and apologise to those that it affected, then that shows a lot of mental growth and maturity, and I think it’s something to be respected. Some people never gain that maturity and carry on being bullies through their adult lives.

Vesuvius87 · Answer

Weirded out

It's been a long time since being in grades 4th-7th. They haven't been in my life (nor I in theirs) for the longest so what's with the sudden remorse? It's unlikely they finally saw how wrong their emotional bullyings were but rather they're either dealing with a current hardship at this moment or are involved in a 12-step program.

I would wonder why are they contacting me after this long? They could've apologized long ago while I was still in HS or when I was a college freshman, not this late in my life. I would have a conversation with them though and asked what's going on and why they suddenly remembered me after this long.

PeachyPie93 · Answer

I'd accept the apology lol
I seen one guy who bullied me all the way through elementary school he started chatting up my friend on the bus then when he got off I was looking at him and he smiled at me. I just turned away. There was another guy who was mean to me in high school he seen me at my job and started chatting me up asked for my number and asked me on a date. I went on the date thinking we could be friends but he wanted me to go back to his house so I ditched, never heard from him again lol.

NotTacocaT6969 · Answer

My school years were very strange compared to most.

Starting in 8th grade I snapped and began actively fist fighting any bullies I caught in the act, and winning.

Although they never targeted me, seeing my friends and classmates get physically/mentally/emotionally tortured for absolutely no good reason lit a fire in me.

I’m grateful to have grown up in a time where being on the defensive side of a fight meant less or no punishment.

Hypothetically, I would forgive them for realizing what they did was wrong on their own and having the guts to own up to it. But I would probably still not want to speak to them ever again.

DeeDeeDeVour · Answer

Not too long ago, a guy from the past asked me for an apology in a small reunion for "turning the tables around" on him.

He attempted to bully me in college, only to encounter my "crew" (as I fondly called them) who gave him a painful "crash course" on important things to remember about me.

Well, he didn't get the apology he had hoped for in the reunion that, unfortunately for him, had my crew and far more in attendance.

Caroline91 · Answer

I would just think they were working on getting right with some of their own life issues and accept the apology graciously. I did get bullied for one year in middle school when we moved and I went to a new school where no one knew me. But, by the second year, I had a pretty good reputation, including for not putting up with bullying, so it didn't happen any more.

Raphaëlle · Answer

Had this discussion with some friends and one friend was bullied in school. She would not forgive her bully because she's still angry about it. Had some people say some mean comments to me in school but that didn't really affect me so I would be surprised if someone ever even mentioned it.

DrPepper12 · Answer

Only had one incident of bullying when I switched to public HS and tried out for football team and pissed off guy who had position locked up since middle school. Didn't matter in the end. I had no money by then from tryouts taking too much time and decided on the dollars and picked up even more hours at work. Definitely made the right choice. I should call him up and thank him!

ChicanaChick · Answer

I've never been bullied so I would wonder if they even have the right person or are they imagining things. Something would be totally off for sure.

GOLDFISH_smile · Answer

Fuck i don't wanna do that. Surprised everybody saying they'd accept it... May just pretend I didn't see this tho don't think I'm that far along my redemption arc yet 💀

Peridot25 · Answer

That reminds me. I saw a couple of my bullies and they said hi to me, surprisingly. It was cordial because I was at work but I never expected them to apologize because I live a better life and I’m around better people.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Answer

I would feel stoned lol. Because this perspective would look like coming from a parallel world.

ChillNsweet32 · Answer

I got in a fight with a girl who tried to bully me but other than that I was never really bullied I stuck up for people a few times

Gwendoline · Answer

I'd assure them that they were right and thank them for helping to correct my failings

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

I'd tell them I forgive what you have done to me, but I will never forget what you did.

Abbycado · Answer

I’d accept if I thought it was sincere. That’s based on my own judgment.

Pete671 · Answer

I was bullied by a group of girls on occasions, but I quickly learnt to enjoy it, so I'd probably get a boner lol,,,

red-lipstick-girl · Answer

I think I would feel good because I was bullied so much I deserve an apology

LiamJHayden · Answer

That is one of my favorite movie scenes ever!

Twalli · Answer

Most people who bullied me are now extremely pleasant but haven't apologized.

beebella · Answer

I would've preferred that 20 fucking years ago. 😂

WhitneySnow · Answer

I’d accept the apology

How would you feel if a bully of yours from grade school or high school randomly contacted you out of the blue to apologize to you?

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I'd tell them I forgive what you have done to me, but I will never forget what you did.