[Twinge]

Hah, I can relate a lot to this.
The bullying I've suffered is more discriminative-type. But there was a lot of verbal and physical violence involved. What I went through in kindergarten, continued ALL the way to high school. And it would be too much to describe it all, those 10 years (maybe some months less, I wasn't typically bullied from ages 7-11).
Has it altered me? Pretty much, it has. I didn't have much of a choice to develop in the opposite direction though. I can't say I wasn't like this my entire life. This went from the start, and I learned to dislike the majority of people. While it's not the main reason why I'm generally cynical in personality, it fits the rest of the factors. In the end the transformation is who I am.
Bullying has taught me this cruel wicked side of reality, of people, the flaws of our society. In reaction, I grasped the knowledge with appreciation. That's why I'm still different from most I know. I'm not afraid to be myself. If I want to be quiet and odd, so be it.
It's not pleasant to undergo, but it has its perks, and I'm happy I'm the way I am. If we weren't strong enough, we wouldn't have the chance to learn this.
Being bullied and isolating myself also allowed me to look at life outside the box. Where I stand watches from both positive and negative aspects.