Is your kid a bully?
Is it just me or does everyone think school bullies are a part of life?
I think schools are more pro-active than ever – but maybe bullies are tougher than ever too.
In my life – I’ve found that sometimes victims become perpetrators – that is, nice kids who have been bullied, sometimes turn – even if just to keep their head above water.
I guess what I mean by that is, no matter how badly your kid has been treated at some stage – never be too sure you don’t have to have the chat with them too.
A 13 year boy called Elijah Vetma – a kid who suffers from a mild form of autism called Aspergers – has written a letter to his local newspaper, the Geelong Advertiser.
It’s caused quite a stir in Victoria – and I thought I’d read a bit this morning….Elijah says he wrote the letter after a particularly gruelling day, "help people understand how I and other people with disabilities feel about being bullied".
Here is a bit of the letter....
"For over four years I have had to put up with being bullied and teased and hated by everyone in the school. I've been called all sorts of names like germ boy, gay and retard … Kids don't let me join their groups when we had to do team activities … I try really hard to make friends but the people that make fun of me turn them against me. I don't know why they do this - maybe to be popular … Just because I have a disability I still have the same feelings of wanting to belong, to have friends, and be liked. I have feelings of sadness, anger, and confusion inside, being alone and hated … Each morning before I go to school I think of what's going to happen today. Nothing I have tried to do has stopped it."
His mother, Jan, says that when Elijah gets on the school bus each day she sees hime as a soldier going into battle.
That story just breaks my heart - most people know how it feels to be bullied - it's time we ALL taught our kids to be heroes at school and shut bullies down.
I think schools are more pro-active than ever – but maybe bullies are tougher than ever too.
In my life – I’ve found that sometimes victims become perpetrators – that is, nice kids who have been bullied, sometimes turn – even if just to keep their head above water.
I guess what I mean by that is, no matter how badly your kid has been treated at some stage – never be too sure you don’t have to have the chat with them too.
A 13 year boy called Elijah Vetma – a kid who suffers from a mild form of autism called Aspergers – has written a letter to his local newspaper, the Geelong Advertiser.
It’s caused quite a stir in Victoria – and I thought I’d read a bit this morning….Elijah says he wrote the letter after a particularly gruelling day, "help people understand how I and other people with disabilities feel about being bullied".
Here is a bit of the letter....
"For over four years I have had to put up with being bullied and teased and hated by everyone in the school. I've been called all sorts of names like germ boy, gay and retard … Kids don't let me join their groups when we had to do team activities … I try really hard to make friends but the people that make fun of me turn them against me. I don't know why they do this - maybe to be popular … Just because I have a disability I still have the same feelings of wanting to belong, to have friends, and be liked. I have feelings of sadness, anger, and confusion inside, being alone and hated … Each morning before I go to school I think of what's going to happen today. Nothing I have tried to do has stopped it."
His mother, Jan, says that when Elijah gets on the school bus each day she sees hime as a soldier going into battle.
That story just breaks my heart - most people know how it feels to be bullied - it's time we ALL taught our kids to be heroes at school and shut bullies down.
posted by Caroline Hutchinson at 9:44 AM
1 Comments:
I listened to your Is it just me yesterday and by the time i got home I was in floods of tears!
We too, have a son who has Asperger's and who has been bullied constantly since Pre-school.
He's in High School now, and loves going to school every day as he isn't bullied there! (Catholic High School!).
When he had his interview at the school, it all came out about the bullying, My son layed it all down on the line for the headmaster, Did they have bullies? he was sick to death of being bullied because of his Asperger's what was the school's policy on bullying etc? we were gobsmacked as we weren't aware any of this was going on.
His primary school was made aware, thankfully, he had a fantastic grade 7 teacher, who took it on board and taught Him that it is ok to speak out etc.
In my opinion, a bully, is a weak individual, who gets his jollies, by picking on vulnerable individuals at school or the workplace, A school bully, generally ends up being the workplace bully, a vicious circle and I wholeheartedly agree with you. Point out bullies, shut them down straight away, dont be afraid of them.
I have taught both my boys to look bullies in the eye and ask them what is their problem?
Thank you, for bringing this subject into the open, the more open it becomes, hopefully, bullying in schools will be a thing of the past (although, I doubt it)
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