Derek Hough recalls being bullied:

They would 'hold a gun to my head'

Before Derek Hough was two-stepping his way across the "Dancing with the Stars" dance floor, he was a victim of bullying as a child.

"Bullying can be physical, verbal or emotional," he said in a heartfelt speech on Friday at the GLSEN Gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he received an award.

"Words and threats are just as painful as fists, especially with social media these days," he continued. "For those of you who don't know, I was actually bullied as a young boy."

The 29-year-old dancing pro went on to detail his horrific experiences at the hands of peers who bullied him.

"They would tie my ankles up with a very rough rope and hang me in a tree upside down, spit on me and call me names, even hold a gun to my head," he recalled.

Like many victims of bullying, Hough kept the abuse to himself.

"I didn't tell anybody -- my parents or teachers or friends or sisters," he confessed.

Dancing was a way to escape the harsh realities of his childhood.

"It became my safe place, the place where I could grow and flourish and find those answers," he said of the early years of his dance training. "I know now that the worst thing you can do is suffer in silence."

Learning from his own experiences, Hough urged others being victimized to speak up and get help.

"Seeking help requires incredible strength and courage," he said. "The most powerful weapon you have against bullying is your voice."

He admitted to feeling as though he too became a bully for a time after his own victimization occurred. But he rose above it and realized that hurting others didn't make him feel better about himself.

"(You can) be a tall beautiful skyscraper or you can tear down all the buildings around you to make yourself feel big even though you're not," he said. "That's what bullies do. Let's create. Let's not destroy."