Under their thumb

I believe many of us have already felt that way. Being bullied almost becomes a necessary part of what some call character building in our "modern" societies. I suffered from it, many times, in many ways. I still meet, on a regular basis, people frustrated enough to undermine you with the power they think they have. Getting away from them is one of the most difficult thing there is because the violence they exert is of a psychological nature, most of the time and the scars they leave stay buried inside the mind.
There is no one I despise more than a bully.