Has your child ever come home from school crying or feared going to school because of a bully? I remember how awful the experience was for me when an older girl at my high school chose me to be the target of her hatred.
This bully taunted me in the hallways during my freshman through junior years of high school. I would take different routes to my classes in a vain attempt to avoid her and yet she always seemed to find me. I don’t know why she chose to bully me. I had never done anything to her. I didn’t even know her, but that didn’t seem to matter.
Bullies are sneaky. They know how to avoid getting caught and are hyper aware of when teachers and authority figures are around. Without any witnesses, it’s one kid’s word against another’s and that only happens if your child has the courage to tell someone.
I never told anyone. It was too embarrassing. I just avoided the girl physically as much as possible. I wouldn’t make eye contact, react, or acknowledge I’d heard her mean comments at all. Eventually, three years later she graduated and was no longer part of my world.
I consider myself one of the lucky ones. By today’s standards, my case of bullying was mild. Bullying has spiraled out of control so much we now have children who have literally been bullied to death. They cannot take it anymore and don’t know how to cope.
We have witnessed the terrible tragedies of our children killing themselves by taking their own lives. And how many lives have been lost by bullied children who murder others in revenge, killing innocent children and teachers in the process?
Lea Wolf-Soffer is the executive director of a non-profit organization in San Diego called Deeds by Kids. One of the organization’s current projects is “Leap from a Bully to a Buddy.” Deeds by Kids is developing a guidance book with stories, tools, and techniques to help children, parents, and educators deal with bullying more effectively.
If your child has a story about bullying he or she would like to share, please click the link to visit the Deeds by Kids website. Stories may also be submitted via email to [email protected]. Children who submit stories may chose to remain anonymous or have their name published in the book.
Being confident can also help your child deal more effectively with issues related to bullying. Teen Speaking Skills offers fun, interactive classes which empower teens and pre-teens to become confident, effective communicators. Summer classes begin June 20 & July 7, 2012. For more details and to register your child, please visit Teen Speaking Skills.
