Is this a mean thing to say about someone in your school year group?

‘He’s a freak. I don’t like him’.

How would you feel if you heard this being said about you to others in your year group by someone?

Do you think the person who said it was mean/cruel?
  • Not sure why I added a kiss then. I had just messaged my husband lol

  • I agree it's almost an everyday occurrence. I have even been yelled similar when just walking down the street by a nieghbour who's a bully. It was amongst other stuff but hes the odd one. It's like hes projecting his thoughts of himself onto me. He stalks women, never changes his clothes and sits outside staring at people all day. Most bullies are insecure or having other issues and bully others. I dont understand it to be honest. If it's you theyve spoken about ignore it as they arent worth your time x

  • This person doesn't like you. Most people don't like everyone they meet. As such, there's nothing wrong you simply because they feel this way, nor is there necessarily anything wrong with this person expressing their opinion.

    Freak can have a varied definition, esp amongst school children, so it's difficult to know specifically what this person meant in regards to how they perceive you.

    I have a strong sense of social justice and used to be infuriated when others expressed their dislike for people, especially when it was behind their backs. Over time I've come to learn that this is a socially acceptable norm and actually it can do a lot of good for these opinions to be expressed. For example, saying out loud why you dislike someone can sometimes highlight to you how you are blowing things out of proportion, how you might be being unkind etc. It also gives others the chance to give their opinions, which can open your mind to why people might behave or react the way they do and that this might not necessarily be a bad thing.

  • They're definitely being mean and / or cruel.

    I was treated this way every day for years by a group of kids when I was at school. Strange thing is, their leader was a grotesque waste of existence who, upon learning how gravity works, became morbidly obese in an effort to make the world revolve around him.

    Fast forward 20 years and nobody agrees with him on any point; many people find me inspiring. You'll find a similar change in people's attitudes when you leave school. It's a fresh start and something to look forward to.

  • It sounds like an everyday experience for many autistics, I had much much worse things said about me at school and at home by my family and relatives, for years and years.

    The irony is that some of the people making these remarks, are just as freakish themselves.