Bullies are scary. They make us feel bad about ourselves and make us insecure. It is not unusual for people who have been bullied to worry that it will happen …
You remove the reward by owning your awesomeness. They will escalate. Get frustrated and eventually leave you alone. They will get worse – before they give up. This is to be expected. It’s part of the process. It even has a name: Extinction Burst and it’s well studied