Men often downplay bullying in their friends circle as jokes

It has been normalized in our society for men to make fun of each other in friend groups and put each other down. You may have noticed this in your own guy’s group, where some try to impose their authority and dominance on others. This looks like them calling someone fatty, skinny, ugly, poor, baldy or anything else of that sort. And for some weird reason we accept that abuse as jokes from our own friends.

We think it's normal and are usually laughing with them, even when we may be hurt because we don’t want to come off as being “weak” or someone who cannot take a joke. But in reality, there is nothing funny about it.

Our inner children are internalizing all of this, triggering their wounding on deeper levels. They feel raw and unsafe. Furthermore, these often reiterate the parental abuse that we already have faced. We slowly begin to shut down inside believing whatever we are being called is true, therefore, becoming an even bigger target for this.

It is important to recognize that you are being bullied by your friends. Whether you are the bully or someone who is being bullied, childhood wounding is the root cause of it all. In either situation, your parents likely put you down and silenced your voice growing up. You might have had narcissists in your own family who made you feel and stay small. Therefore, you either feel like you deserve the same from others, or you rebel outside the home to make yourself feel more bigger and powerful.

Recognize this behavior and strengthen your boundaries against these bullies regardless of your age, because only you can protect yourself and your inner children. If it continues, remove these toxic people from your life.

Once you create these strong boundaries, it is important for you to heal so you don’t put up with this abuse ever again. You are deserving only of unconditional love.