Faith Filled Family Magazine November 2016 | Page 84

Addressing Childhood
Bullying
BY L. CARTER

M

any are afraid. In
fact, every year
over 3.2 million
students are victims of bullying, according to Dosomething.org. This is the case
despite the so-called “anti-bullying” and “zero tolerance” policies
that are supposed to be in place
in our schools. It is time to see
the bullying problem for what it
is. It is not just a rite of passage,
or “just part of growing up”.

regular
influence of drugs/
alcohol. Older siblings can also
be the cause of the problem.
If
they’ve been bullied, they
are more apt to bully a younger
sibling to feel more secure or
empower themselves. Very often
parents are bullies, are angry, or
don’t handle conflict well. Kids
usually bully because they learn
this behavior at
home. It is
learned behavior which can be
unlearned.”

The good news is, “it is learned
behavior that can be unlearned.”
That is where the problem lies. But what are we doing to help
The policies will not be enforced kids unlearn this behavior? Are
when adults fail to see the prob- we just walking around saying
lem as a problem. It is a seri- there’s nothing wrong with it,
ous matter that needs to be “it’s just part of being a kid”? Bedealt with accordingly. In order cause it is true that it has been
to see change, school policies a part of being a kid for far too
are in need of a makeover. Per- long. Probably everyone you
haps our mentalities could use a know has experienced a bully at
makeover when it comes to this some point in their lives.
subject as well.
They were either a victim themWhat Makes Someone a Bully? selves, or witnessed someone else being one. It is all too
Stomp Out Bullying explains it common in schools and very
little is done about it because no
this way:
one wants to tell, or “snitch” on

“A common reason that a someone else. Thus, the behavkid is a bully is because he/she ior continues, and the bully conlacks attention from a
p a r - tinues to hurt other people.

the chance to be with him often.
Maybe their mom has her hands
full with other siblings. Maybe
they don’t even know their father, and therefore will not get
the love and approval so desperately needed. This child may
see another child getting that
love and attention from a parent,
a father or a grandfather, brother
or uncle, mother
or sister, and
become so envious and jealous that they
choose them as
a target.

Now, this is just
a scenario. It
may or may not
happen in this
way. But we
know it does
happen. It is
easy to see how
they may see
someone
receiving what they so desperately
want for themselves and without
even thinking about it, they strike
out. The bully may not even be
aware of how h e or she is feeling, they just know they want to
get this person. They most likely
have not connected the dots.
They may or may not know why
ent at home and lashes out at
As
stated
before,
the
bully
child
they chose this person for their
others for attention. This can include neglected c h i l d r e n , may feel neglected at home. Per- target, they just know they want
children of divorced parents, or haps their father does not live in to make them miserable.
children with parents under the the home and they do not get