If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
These are the folks that believe that anyone that they are paying can pretty much be treated as they see fit if they expect to be paid. Being paid by them can be a trick in and of itself. These are the most disrespectful and most unpleasant to work with. These are the bullies.
The city council passed an ordinance which could ticket parents and fine them more than $100 if their children are repeatedly bullying others.
It only takes one. Just one friend, that is, to reduce a child's chances of being bullied, and, if he is bullied, of developing depression as a result.
Is it odd that we have gone from being a nation that respects the impartiality of the press to one in which government has no qualms about personally bashing senior journalists when they deliver unfavorable news? Government leaders take note. You serve as an example.
The common denominator of all types of bullying is a lack, or erosion, of empathy. Nurturing empathy, a potential that is present in almost all children, is therefore at the heart of interventions to prevent bullying.
Glen Canning, wrote a blog about his daughter, Rehtaeh Parsons, who hung herself because of the trauma of an alleged gang-rape by four classmates and the relentless bullying that followed. He wrote, "They say parents need to teach their children. Instead, it was Rehtaeh who was my teacher." But here's the thing: Parents do need to teach their children, and they are not doing it. Rehtaeh Parsons' death arrives on the horrific heels of the Steubenvile high-school rape case and Amanda Todd's suicide near Vancouver last fall after a sexually explicit photo led to the bullying that eventually drove her to take her own life, too. Our job is not just to feed and clothe our kids, but to shape them.
When we read about horrific acts of bullying, it is not enough to utter the mantra "What is wrong with kids today" and flip to the next page of the newspaper. We are not powerless to prevent these tragedies -- the solution starts with educating our children in a culture of compassion.
How do we distinguish the angst and insecurities felt by most teenagers from the pain resulting from bullying? Does all teasing between kids warrant prohibition, or is there room for some joking and fooling around? When things clearly go too far, who should intervene?
Looking back, I'm proud to say I never bullied anyone, but I'm a little regretful I didn't step in to try to help the kids who were being harassed. Of course, any young person reading this post knows this is much easier said than done. Helping out a kid who's being targeted could potentially turn the bullies onto you, right? But I encourage you to somehow find the courage to try.
As Molly Burke went blind, her world shrunk. Her best friends were supposed to walk her to her lunch period, but instead eight girls led her into a wooded area behind the school, snatched her crutches and smashed them against a tree. They laughed, taunted her, then left her in the woods, disoriented and scared.
No one deserves to be hurt or feel worthless, so today before you post that mean comment or bash that innocent individual in the hallway, put yourself in the victim's position and let there be one less person crying today because of bullying.
If your child is the troublemaker, it's important to help set him straight sooner rather than later -- ideally before he gets labeled and before he finds himself losing friends.
I worry whether our well meaning desire to combat bullying could lead to an even bigger problem by branding children who misbehave as criminals instead of using other methods to create a more civil and compassionate environment for our children.
Turns out that while sticks and stones can break your bones, words, too, can really hurt. In honor of proving that out-of-date childhood adage incorrect, the week of January 21st-25th has been set aside as No Name Calling Week.
We should not become accustomed to a world where the pattern of wielding power -- especially firepower -- has authenticated and legitimized their possession of it.
'Tis the season for gatherings and good cheer with friends and colleagues present and past. But do these gatherings provide you with memories of bad experiences with bad bosses, bullies perhaps?
