One of my favorite lyrics is in a song called "Wounded" by Third Eye Blind. They sing "Back down the bully to the back of the bus, 'cause it's time for them to be scared of us."
Bullying has always been a huge issue, and thankfully more and more awareness is being brought to the surface. My nephew was being subjected to bullying while taking the bus home everyday after school. It made my heart sink to my stomach whenever he would talk about it. Luckily, he did tell us about it. Some kids fear that no help will come there way, and keep silent on the issue.
How do you teach a child about how to deal with something like bullying, whether it is physical, mental or verbal? How do you put it in terms that even the youngest victim can understand? After all, it doesn't or ever will make much sense as to why it is happening.
I believe words are the most powerful weapon any human can wield. Words have the ability to demean, destruct, uplift, and build. They are the most true form of expression. Violence is not the answer. My son may turn out to have a sharp tongue, but his knuckles will remain unbruised, providing he never has to go through this. But how do you prove that to a person who is a victim of abuse, such as bullying?
I don't have the answers but I did come across this article online. 8 Sneaky Signs Your Child's Being Bullied will hopefully give you some preventative or after incident tips on how to deal with this issue. If your family is going through this right now, do not hesitate to get as many people involved as possible to make sure the matter is being taken care of.
Remember: Bullying is not limited to school playgrounds. It is something that affects all ages, in any environment. Don't be afraid to step in if you see it happening, even to a perfect stranger. Change needs to begin somewhere. Lead by example.
An important point to remember is that sometimes bullies are victims and vice versa. Making assumptions about who is the "actual" bully when you do not see the entire situation is dangerous; perhaps the initial victim got tired of being bullied and lashed out.
ReplyDeleteEmpower kids and they will be less likely to seek power in negative ways.
Very good point Sherri. Thank you. It is very easy to forget that side of things. We hear someone is being bullied we automatically assume the worst about the "bully". It all goes back to communication. As do most things. I think I am starting to notice a trend in these posts :) Thanks for reading!
ReplyDelete