Youth and teen bullies are a societal-malignancy, academically-vacant adolescents, who negatively impact others, in-person, or in-absentia, via home-invading social media. Beyond the hurt, in an instant, bullying can alter a life. A 12-year-old New Jersey boy was punched in the stomach at school by a bullying-punk, so hard, that a clot formed, traveled to his spine, burst, and left his lower-extremities paralyzed. His family received a multi-million dollar settlement from that district, for lack of effective-response to prior incidents. Appropriately, the three groups that enable bullying, are the very same ones empowered to stop it.
First, of course, students. Research tells us that bullies are 6-times more likely to land in jail by age-24. School is for learning, not hurtful intimidation. So grow-up, respect others, and improve academically. Be a positive role-model, not a negative one in handcuffs. Parents: You're the first-line of defense against hurt inflicted on, or by, your child. Young ladies, especially, face enough social pressures, without even more, cyber-delivered. One maligned teen, wrote on her Facebook page: ‘No one would miss me, if I wasn't here." No one responded. She killed herself. Monitor social media use. Set rules and enforce them. Be a fully-engaged parent, every day. Schools: Often the bully's play-pen. Add to your zero-tolerance, the weapon of bullying. Respond aggressively, but smartly. A long-bullied, young, Colorado student, after being hit, finally had enough, fought back, and was suspended! The ridiculous price of PC-suffocation. Bullying, taunting and humiliating others is damaging. So to all involved: Knock off the practice. Knock off the acceptance. Stop the human hurt.
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