Hollywood, MD – The issue of bullying has come up again as a topic on many people’s minds. Tragic circumstances surround the latest local debate so opinions offered shouldn’t be too blunt or extreme, right? Perhaps it’s time society did some soul-searching on the subject and accepted a few realities.
First, bullying is as old as the Scriptures. Goliath was probably the first bully and we all know what happened to him. For generations, in various cultures, within various age groups, people have been bullied. The schoolyard has frequently been cited as the turf of many who would threaten the physically and emotionally weaker individuals. There apparently is no age when a bully outgrows this heinous style of social interaction.
As you can imagine, parents of the bullied children are frustrated, angry and disillusioned. As one parent stated in a message to TheBayNet.com’s Facebook page, “there are all kinds of posts about kids being bullied in the schools here and nothing is being done about it.” Some parents feel the teachers and administrators are collaborating with the bullies. The truth is, the administrators and teachers may be as frustrated as the parents.
Any solution adults come up with is only going to be a Band-Aid. It may temporarily stop the problem but it will come back. You can’t suspend or expel this problem away. The potential resulting litigation would overburden an already overworked legal system.
And so there is only one effective solution. It’s a huge “if.” Quite simply, those children who have been bestowed with physical strength need to have a huge, collective change of heart. Leveraging your strength to get your way has to be viewed by them as the wrong way. It’s the physically strong who must collectively decide they have had enough of being regarded as bad news to the world. Preying on the fears of their smaller contemporaries has to be seen as the incorrect way to seek respect. Stronger children have to come to view themselves as protectors, not scourges, of society.
Unlike the days of Goliath, today’s children who have been blessed with strength have no excuse to allow themselves to be cursed by expectations of anyone who thinks being a troublemaker is cool. There are so many outlets—i.e. sports, where sheer physical strength is a desired asset—that can bolster one’s self esteem.
The grownups can only be a positive or negative influence to the would-be catalysts of schoolyard bullying. The children themselves will either solve or extend the problem.
The opinions expressed to not necessarily reflect the views of the management of TheBayNet.com
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com