Taming The Bully

Taming The Bully (320x320)

Kids seem to learn at a very early age how to bully others.  I am not sure what it is in our nature that wants to dominate someone, but obviously, it is more prevalent in some folks than in others.

When you look past the false bravado, there is a wounded soul.  There is someone who has become warped into thinking that bullying someone is going to get them their way, and that their deviant behavior is acceptable.

We see bullying even evolve with adults who bully their spouse, their children, and their employees.  How can adult hold on to such childish behavior? Good question, and not a simple answer, but I think it boils down to this, wounded people wound people.

This is in no way justifying what someone is doing, but it is simply understanding what you are dealing with when you are confronted with a bully.

The only thing that seems to get through to a bully is to stand up to them.  You have to let them know they crossed the line, and that may not be an easy thing to do if they are volcanoes waiting to spew all over you.  Who needs or wants that?   But what are the alternatives?  If you allow a bully to continue, someone is going to get hurt…if not physically, at least emotionally.

We all read the articles about kids who have been bullied at school and were so desperate and hopeless they took their own lives.  The same things have happened even to adults who just could not take it anymore from a spouse or boss.

Sometimes it is cyber-bullying.  I can’t believe what some folks post on Facebook and Twitter.  That is NOT the place to be trashing someone….but it happens every day (not that you should be trashing people anyway).

I guess what made me think about this was a kid that bullied me in school.  I was not big enough to stop him.  My older brother intervened and he never bothered me again.  Can we agree to just speak up next time we see bullying happen?  Whether it is with someone we know or a stranger, speak up.  The bullying won’t stop until they are confronted.  Let’s do our part to tame them. No child or adult should have to live in fear. You just may save a life.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

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