I was bullied at school, I also bullied others because of it. Not proud of it and if I had the chance to now meet those I’d upset as a kid back then I’d sincerely apologise profusely and try and make amends somehow.
I was also lucky that my Dad is absolutely batshit mental. Most of the time he’s a likeable nob but when I was getting bullied he bided his time and waited for the kid after school, asked me to point out who was doing it, grabbed him by the throat when no one was around and said if he messes with me again then he’ll kill him and his family then set the house on fire. Terrified the poor lad. You know how Jimmy Bullard looked nervously scared of Big Dunc? I felt a bit like that.
The kid didn’t speak to me for over a year at school then one day he randomly came and apologised and while we didn’t become best friends or anything we actually got on well after that. He even came round for tea once and felt better after my dad said he would never actually do such a thing.
23 years later my Dad is still mental but thankfully his days of threatening school kids and their families with death and corpse burning are behind him (I think). Although he has a 3 year old grandkid now so when he gets older I expect Dad to go full on Gran Torino if anyone messes with him. Mad old bastard.