I lived in a shithole. Part of the reason why my hometown is losing population is because there is no industry, only fields (in the hands of very few people) and shops. You either move to a city to study a degree (and probably don't return) or stay working in the fields for peanuts. Those luckier get a job in a local job, working 10 to 22 monday to sunday, generally without a contract (so no benefits, no retirement...). My bullies were not the smartest; for what I saw last time I went to visit, they are not enjoying life, rather surviving.

I come from a small rural town where the only possible jobs are the fields or store clerk, unless you have a degree in something and can work in something more specialized. My bullies were not the sharpest tools of the shed so they barely finished high school (if ever), meaning that now most of them work odd jobs getting paid poorly and being exploited.