Bullying is a very common experience. The problem with bullying is that the intimidation is often very subtle, but terrifying nonetheless.
My Experience With A Bully
I personally remember being terrified of bullies when I was a 10-12 year old. My bully turned out to be somewhat infamous. David Walsh lived across the street from me. He'd taunt me and tease me. I was a sensitive, rather puny kid who spent all his time playing the piano and reading. I hated sports and was shy with folks I didn't know. David knew I was vulnerable and took great delight in threatening me. I don't recall his actually hitting me, but I felt very uncomfortable when I saw him outside his house, as I knew that I'd be subjected to some kind of verbal abuse. The fact that I remember the experience to this very day proves how humiliating and demeaning bullying can be. While I would never wish anyone ill, I was not surprised to see how David turned out. He died in the Bahamas in June 1998 from a ruptured aneurism, having fled his native Canada in the wake of the Bre-X mining scandal, allegedly with hundreds of millions of investors' dollars. At age 53 he was gone. Where was I? About a mile away from David Walsh teaching Latin at a private school in the Bahamas.
Some Things We Can Do To Control Bullying
Promote Smaller Schools.
Basically any form of intimidation flourishes in a setting where adult supervision is non-existent or severely limited. Reportedly students feel safer in smaller schools. That's why private schools frequently provide better control of bullying. School faculty and staff can supervise more effectively in a more intimate setting. In a small school children are not merely faces and numbers, but real people with real needs which in fact can be addressed by a professional staff.
Control What Our Children Watch And Play.
It's really up to us as parents to control our children's TV watching. Same thing with video games. A society which exalts the kind of violence mounted by the World Wrestling Foundation is asking for trouble. History teaches us that violence has terrific mass appeal; however, given the incessant, unrelenting driving home of that message of violence, is it any wonder that impressionable young people turn to violence as a solution to their difficulties?
Educate Faculty And Staff.
Like its cousin hazing, bullying demeans and humiliates young people. It scars them for life. While I certainly don't consider myself marred by David Walsh's bullying, it made enough of an impression on me that I remember how it felt to this very day. A trained, sensitive professional staff can and should nip the bullying bug the second it appears. Ask if your school has developed protocols to deal with bullying. Ask if the faulty and staff are informed about the issue. Enforce the protocols.
Conclusion
We all must work together to eradicate violence in our society. Hazing and bullying are major underlying causes. Constant vigilance and setting good examples are the best weapons which we adults can bring to bear against bullying.
