If you are feeling courageous, and this can be very hard, meet their bullying with kindness and forgiveness. I wouldn’t respond in email, but use this when in your face to face. You have to look in your heart to be truly kind and forgiving, because if you just pretend it will come off insincere. Perhaps they are a bully to you because they were bullied growing up, or they are threatened by you or are insecure in some way. Be compassionate to the reasons they behave the way they do, even if you do not understand it, and let that compassion let your own feelings go. It isn’t anything you have done that has caused their behavior, but something wrong inside the persons own heart. Hopefully understanding this can make your own hurt heal.

If you are up for it: When you are feeling emotionally strong, say a kind word or a small compliment to them if something genuine arises. It may not work, but if it does it might melt that aggressiveness they have towards you. If it doesn’t work, the others around will see the kind approach you have taken and you can at least feel that you have done the right and gentle thing in a tough situation.