Wedgies, swirlies, after-school fights. These aren't foreign concepts to most of us, especially those of us who were ever picked on by a bigger, meaner kid growing up. While many movies tend to stereotype bullies and the nerds they tormented showing laughable instances of being shoved into lockers and comical displays of revenge, other films give a thoughtful depiction of the psychology and reality of bullies and the bullied. You probably wouldn't want to be on the bad side of these domineering characters.

1. Scut Farkus in A Christmas Story

   The infamous bully with the yellow eyes is a classic example of a neighborhood ruffian, terrorizing the smaller kids with his trash-talking minion by his side. While the wolf's theme from Peter and the Wolf may not have literally played whenever our old antagonists appeared, it's certainly close to the menacing theme song we imagined. Farkus makes Ralphie and his friends cry "Uncle," stalks them on their walks home, and nails them in the face with snowballs, but just like many real-life bullies, he's not above crying when he gets a taste of his own medicine.

2. Regina George in Mean Girls

   Boys may use physical bullying more than girls do, but there is no greater hell than the one that can be created by mean teenage girls. Regina George is beautiful and always gets her way, and yet still feels the need to bad-mouth every girl in her high school. She even starts rumors about former friends, like her middle-school best friend, Janis, whom Regina labeled as a lesbian. Most girls know, whether popular or not, that high school is a minefield for girls as they try to win over boys and pretty friends, often at the expense of other girls. Regina might be the Queen Bee and ultimate bully of the school, but the movie also shows how girls within the same group of friends tend to torture each other.

3. John Bender in The Breakfast Club

   Everyone seems to have their role in the high school world, and for John Bender, it's that of the misbehaved bully. While in detention with a jock, a nerd, a princess, and a weirdo, Bender teases everyone, especially the rich Daddy's girl. He reduces her to tears by making fun of her and embarrassing her for having such an easy life. But throughout the movie, you see a different side to the classic tormenter. Bender's jealous of what his life is lacking, including money and the love of his parents. He's been neglected and abused throughout his childhood and it's hardened him. The Breakfast Club humanizes bullies and allows us to see that there's often a hurt child behind the mean exterior.

4. Carlin in Scum

   This 1979 British film about inmates in a borstal, or youth prison, shows a brutal side to such institutions and what happens when teenagers are left to struggle for dominance. In the world of youth correctional facilities, at least in the late '70s, the options were to be bullied or become a bully yourself. Carlin is the perfect example of a troubled youth who turns to violence only as a means to survive. He arrives at the borstal after taking the blame for his brother's crime and tries to stay out of trouble, but discovers that it's impossible to stay out of harm's way. After being assaulted by the current borstal leader, Carlin gets his revenge and becomes the new "Daddy" by issuing beatings to anyone who stands as his competition.

5. Mitch Hiller in Enough

   We traditionally think of bullying as something that stops after graduation, but some evil people never outgrow their domineering personality. Enough is the story of a woman who is physically and psychologically abused by her husband. He uses their daughter and his money as pawns to keep his wife under his control and turns to violence when that won't work. Though the fact that Jennifer Lopez plays the main character in this drama kept the film from achieving much success, the stalker husband Mitch Hiller drives home the point that bullying doesn't stop in school and reminds us of the women out there who battle this kind of bullying every day.

6. Marianne in Easy A

   Bullies come in all forms, and even people who feel like they've got good intentions can turn into tormenters. In Easy A, a girl lies about losing her virginity and an overzealous (and albeit stereotypical) Christian named Marianne spreads the rumor and ruins the girl's reputation. Though this character is a little over-the-top, she serves as a reminder that bullying someone because they don't follow your religious beliefs is still bullying and there are better ways to save someone than trying to run them out of your school.

7. Kenny in Let Me In

   You may not believe in vampire children after seeing this American remake of the Swedish Let the Right One In, but you'll be confident that horrifying, savage bullying exists. The director of the film nails this thought when he says that the real horror of the story isn't the vampires, but the hell that some children have to go through. Kenny tortures his classmate, Owen, beating him and threatening to push him into a frozen lake. Even after Owen stands up for himself, Kenny just recruits his older brother to help him teach Owen a lesson during a terrifying scene in a pool. The fate of the bullies may not be realistic, but their methods unfortunately are.

8. George in Mean Creek

   This 2004 independent film helped humanize bullies. When you're on the receiving end of insults or poundings, it can be hard to get any insight into why someone would act that way, but it becomes clear in this movie that bully George is just lonely. When some boys invite George on a boat trip with a plan to get revenge, they discover that George is really trying to be accepted by them and has been acting out for attention. George meets a sad doom after joking about a sore subject with one of the boys and it serves as an example of a misunderstood tormenter becoming the victim of vengeful bullying.

9. Biff Tannen in Back to the Future

   Biff Tannen is the kind of bully who never grows out of his domineering ways and continues picking on weaker guys even when he's out in the working world. Before Marty McFly travels to the past, Biff is Marty's dad's supervisor, humiliating him every chance he gets. We then see that Biff has been taking his aggression out on the older McFly for decades. This kind of bully hates anyone who gets in the way of what he wants and will step on people to get ahead, only stopping when he finally gets challenged by one of his victims and knocked down himself.

10. Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid

    It's not unusual for a top athlete to turn to bullying when he feels his dominance (in a sport or otherwise) being threatened. In The Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso challenges Johnny's status with a popular girl and Johnny's martial arts team begins to torture Daniel. Johnny tries to defend his pride by exhibiting fiercely violent tendencies, which is often the answer young men turn to when they haven't learned better ways to deal with problems. You can also see the influence an adult bully can have on the younger generation as Johnny's sensei encourages him to be ruthless and use immoral karate moves.