Even Celebrities Are Bullied

So what happens to theses bullies that scores of us ran into during our youth? Many grow up and continue to bully people as adults, but use different methods. Adult bullies often possess self-confidence and use bullying to maintain their power and control over other people. "Typically an adult bully will make someone else's life miserable until they either leave or quit their job, but this isn't the end to the bullying," said Alex Desjardin. "When the person that they originally target is out of the picture, the adult bully will always try and find someone else to start picking on."

Desjardin says these bullies "target people with talents or people who are good at their jobs" because they feel intimidated by them. Normally, adult bullies are very competitive and try to eliminate anyone who makes them look bad or not as effective. Sometimes they go after new or older employees. Bullies also erroneously make the mistake of thinking that their criticizing and belittling will make other's work harder. Just the opposite is true: Morale and work production decline. They cause high employee turnover rates at businesses because of their negative attitudes in the workplace. What the adult bully desires, explains Desjardin, "is more attention, so what they will try and do is eliminate the person who is getting most of the attention so that they can have it all for themselves."

One way to deal with bullies is to not show fear and stand up to them.

Actor Tom Cruise learned how to effectively handle bullies as a youngster. Because of dyslexia, he was placed in remedial classes -- at 15 different schools. "I'm not the biggest guy," he has said. "I never liked hitting someone, but I know if I don't hit that guy hard he's going to pick on me all year. I just laid it down."

Sage advice often repeated by adults who were bullied as children rings true in many cases. Just look at Miley, Taylor, Jessica, Christian and Tom. "Success is the best revenge."