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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask if I should get revenge anonymously?

84 replies

ClatterHatters · 30/08/2025 12:09

I posted on this site some months ago about some awful bullying that happened to me in secondary school. I’m glad I did because everyone was so supportive. 😊

One poster suggested I somehow get revenge on them anonymously. This is something I myself had thought about before I even posted on MN so this poster was hardly making a brand new suggestion to me as such.

However, whenever I’ve thought about getting revenge - in this day and age with everything so traceable etc - even an online anonymous message can to some extent be traceable - and CCTV everywhere etc. To be honest I’d have the hassle of constant worry that I was going to be caught if I instigated a vengeful act.

Also if I’m being honest - if I ever got found out it could look like I didn’t have a happy or successful life now if I was trying to get my own back with regard to a traumatic incident that happened to me decades ago.

AIBU to ask what others think ?

OP posts:
ClatterHatters · 31/08/2025 20:40

Northernladdette · 31/08/2025 20:37

Is it worth possibly getting a criminal record over or making a fool of yourself?
You need to let this go……,

No exactly - totally agree

OP posts:
Northernladdette · 31/08/2025 20:37

Is it worth possibly getting a criminal record over or making a fool of yourself?
You need to let this go……,

Emmz1510 · 31/08/2025 20:23

You are a good person and no matter what this person did to you I don’t think you would feel good taking revenge. Revenge comes from a place of anger and as long as you dwell on that, the person will occupy more space in your mind than they deserve to.
The best revenge is to live well, as they say.

IfHeWantedToHeWould · 30/08/2025 20:55

Don’t contact them. By all means write a letter or an email but don’t send it. They won’t care. If anything all you would achieve is giving them power. I doubt they even think of you.

Saying that I’m not sure what being the bigger person achieves, I would like to fuck up a couple of people, just enough. However what you can do is make sure you have boundaries, don’t allow anyone to treat you badly. Don’t allow poor behaviour. Prioritise you.

AntiBullshit · 30/08/2025 19:24

Be the bigger person and walk away and leave them to their life

CrowMate · 30/08/2025 19:23

You’d just be inviting them back into your life again, whether through occupying more of your head space or directly as a consequence.
Don't allow this to happen. Imagine how it would feel and impact you to be caught.
It would be great if you could find a way to leave them behind. I’m so sorry they’ve had this impact on you.

ClatterHatters · 30/08/2025 19:17

Boomer55 · 30/08/2025 16:53

The best revenge in anyone is to be happy abd lead a good life.

Forget your schooldays, and make your adult life as good as possible.

Ah thank you so true ❤️

OP posts:
Maddy70 · 30/08/2025 18:41

Gosh. Why? You are reliving your bullying by even thinking about revenge. Move on. You're an adult now stop giving it headspace

Tink3rbell30 · 30/08/2025 18:38

I get where you're coming from 100% as I always think why should people get away with treating people so badly? There should be consequences for them.

Carpetburn · 30/08/2025 17:23

The best revenge is a life well lived as the saying goes.

Hernameisdeborah · 30/08/2025 17:12

Don’t do that, because you’ll just end up feeling bad and worrying yourself sick about being caught. Remember, living well is the best revenge ❤️

Chompingatthebeat · 30/08/2025 17:09

Write a bedt selling book about it in which they recognise themselves

WoollyRosebud · 30/08/2025 17:07

I am now at the age where people from school are dying including some of those who bullied me. It is sufficient for me that I am alive and they are not.

Boomer55 · 30/08/2025 16:53

The best revenge in anyone is to be happy abd lead a good life.

Forget your schooldays, and make your adult life as good as possible.

ItsFridayIminLoveJS · 30/08/2025 16:48

Every few months myself and some school friends meet for lunch. We left school 50 years ago ( we are 66) our last lunch was to celebrate us all becoming pensioners.. unbeknown to myself and another close friend one of them invited another old school friend... she befriended on FB.. this " friend" was a bully at school to me and my friend ... going into our bags and taking out our tampax and throwing it around the class room... sitting behind my friend and cutting bits out of her hair...walking past us in the canteen and pouring water onto our plates of food...

When she walked into the pub where we were meeting for lunch...she was loud and made herself known... ( she was very skinny) and first thing she said was.. " l was so scared to meet you all in case l was the fattest here.". She ordered a salad.. pushed it around her plate.. but drank nearly 3 bottles of wine to herself... and from what she said.. it was clear she had become an alcoholic...her husband had left her because of it and her kids had nothing to do with her..
Clearly she had a very sad life... even if we did tell her what we thought of her .. doubt she would remember... we were just glad we have such great and happy lives.

almostoveritnow · 30/08/2025 16:45

ClatterHatters · 30/08/2025 15:54

No I haven’t had therapy

Something you could look into doing? It will help deal with the trauma and help you move forward, instead of being stuck.

I wasn’t bullied relentlessly but I was bullied by my boss as a young adult starting out in my career. Therapy helped. A lot.

I met my boss at Tesco a few years later, all smiles. I just looked at her from head to toe and back to head, didn’t say anything and walked away. It felt very good to not give her any space in my life.

autienotnaughty · 30/08/2025 16:17

I read a Fesshole that said they leave terrible anonymous reviews oh their bullies work place

andanotherproblem · 30/08/2025 16:14

I’m a firm believer that karma will get them, if it hasn’t done so already.

Pigsinblankets13 · 30/08/2025 16:06

Success is the best revenge (however you wish to define success!) - living the life you want is the best revenge, being at peace and finding your own happiness...channel that energy in finding your own 'rich' whether that's in your career, lifestyle, relationships etc.

I wanted to get revenge on an abusive ex...and now happily married with 2 gorgeous babies, being a mum and wife that I've always dreamed of... that's my revenge!!

Homegrownberries · 30/08/2025 16:04

"One poster suggested I somehow get revenge on them anonymously."

Of all the advice you got that's the one lunatic you chose to listen to?

FuriousInventions · 30/08/2025 16:00

I can see why you feel like this OP. I was bullied relentlessly through my childhood and lived with similar thoughts way into my twenties. You have my sympathy.
Please look into getting some therapy to deal with the past trauma and address the ongoing impact it’s having on your mental health - the absolute best revenge you could get would be to live a happy life with no feelings of shame or anger over the past. You can’t change how they acted towards you or how it’s made you feel up to now, but the onus is on you to take control of how you feel going forwards.

ZigZagJigsaw · 30/08/2025 15:56

Depends whether the revenge is legal or not. I reported a bully to HMRC anonymously once but I had knowledge that they might have been avoiding paying their tax. HMRC came after them, they were tied up in knots for a couple of years and still ended up with a £15k bill.

failing that, you could always send them a glitter bomb in the post. There was a post on here about it a while ago and I thought, I’ll keep that in mind in case I ever need it.

ClatterHatters · 30/08/2025 15:54

almostoveritnow · 30/08/2025 15:50

Have you had therapy for the bullying, OP? Maybe focus your energy on letting go and living your best life?

No I haven’t had therapy

OP posts:
almostoveritnow · 30/08/2025 15:50

Have you had therapy for the bullying, OP? Maybe focus your energy on letting go and living your best life?

beelegal · 30/08/2025 14:49

That thought has crept up on me a few times with my bully. But I don’t think I would have satisfaction from the revenge as that will always be that last thing I remember where I was the mean one. I would rather not.

Take comfort in the fact that you were the kind person, the tolerant one who suffered. With suffering comes compassion and it makes you someone far better.

Move on and if you ever find the opportunity to help/support someone else being bullied (as I did) that would be the most satisfying act.