Bullying

Kids enter a whole new world in school settings and now online as well.  There are a lot of hurtful and mean things said to kids that they endure alone.  Cyber bullying is a new reality, which leads many victims to commit suicide.  These are not just snarky comments, but cutting or inappropriate pictures posted of kids, and some cannot even go to school anymore.  The question is not should parents or school officials get involved, but when do you step in?  We should begin with the definition of bullying.  According to Paul Coughlin, founder of The Protectors, a faith-based solution to bullying, bullying is "The superior use of power with the intention to harm another person over a period of time.  It is an ongoing campaign of cruelty.  It is highly predatory. Bullies are highly selective of who they attack, when, and how."




Paul Coughlin has a great podcast about solutions to bullying:  https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/familylife-today/listen/a-faith-based-solution-to-bullying-214226.html


One solution is to stand up for yourself and defend yourself.  For instance, if a bully is asking for your lunch money, you say "no" and you do not give in.  If this continues, you tell the principle or authority figures.  It is crucial for schools to intervene.  Most kids who are bullied are vulnerable and do cannot stand up for themselves.  Extreme measures must be taken because bullying can ruin the lives of some children.  Parents need to be the first line of defense for kids.  They need to be informed and offer emotional support and advice.  Unfortunately, many kids do not have this kind of parental support.  For this reason, school administration must take extreme measures to protect students and hold bullies accountable.  Kids who are targeted are unable to rescue themselves and often feel worthless.  Many feel they have no where to go.  They lose their courage and then accept this sort of behavior. 


Immediate and strict punishment is necessary and schools and state legislatures must take action to protect those who are targeted.  Bullying as defined above is a form of child abuse in my view.  We need to uphold the dignity of kids who are being taken advantage of and pass appropriate legislation. 


The most important thing is to get informed and learn as much as you can about bullying.  Two great resources:  https://www.familylife.com/podcast/familylife-today/bullies-bullied-and-bystanders/
and https://theprotectors.org/product/raising-bully-proof-kids/