Bullying..it is not a joke, or a "kid thing" or fun...I know

I know we've all heard horrific stories lately about the rise in bullying - just this week a young boy was beaten, dragged and hooked on a fencepost in the snow..all by classmates who  thought it was a cool thing to do??


But this wouldn't happen to our kids, right?     Well, not so much.

Ella.  7 years old.  A mere wisp if a girl.. my grand-girlie.

Yesterday she was on the 5th step of a riser (bleacher) and a "bad boy" { a known bully } threw. her. off.

She landed on her side, which is now quite bruised, but, thankfully, no broken bones, no head injury..just a fear of going to FIRST GRADE. !?@#@?#$

I was not home last evening to get her "good night" call, but on her voice mail message she said she couldn't sleep because her side hurt, she misses me and she loves me..

This all said in her tiny, soft 7-year old voice.

This is not the first incident for this boy..hopefully it will be the last.  Brandi & Johnny are going to her school to speak with the nurse, teacher and principal.

There was a incident report filed.  His parents are being called...

I, of course, want more.

I want to meet the parents, to see the boy, to look at him and try to understand what he told himself that made it alright to toss a little girl from a 5th step on to the ground.

I want to know the schools "zero tolerance" policy will be upheld.  I want to see the parents and the child together receive counseling..

**Bullying is a form of abuse. It involves repeated acts over time attempting to create or enforce one person's (or group's) power over another person (or group) , thus an "imbalance of power”. 

The "imbalance of power" may be social power and/or physical power. 

The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a target. 

Bullying types of behavior are often rooted in a would-be bully's inability to empathize with those whom he or she would target.

...and I want to tell Ella that bullying is not acceptable..that she will never have to worry about being bullied again..that she need not be afraid to go to school.  Ever. Again.

But I can't make those promises.  Not until parents take responsibility for the lives that they brought into this world.  Not until schools REALLY, TOTALLY, SERIOUSLY enforce a zero-tolerance bullying status fairly and consistently.

All I can do is to tell her how much Grandpa and Grammie love her and how her Mommy & Daddy will protect her and how she needs to be brave, and report bullies she sees, to tell the teacher when she feels bullied and is afraid.

And hopefully, this tiny hummingbird of a child will never have to feel afraid of going to school again.

-me

PS - please visit:
http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/   to see what YOU can do...