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Mysteria
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Member Laureate
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328
British Columbia, Canada

0 posted 2010-10-07 08:12 PM


Gee, I don't know how I am feeling after going to a middle school presentation on the subject of "Bullying on the net, and at school."  I know this has always existed but I had NO idea that it has escalated to this level of destruction in the youth of today.

I am actually at a loss for words, and that does not happen often.  What is the answer to stop this in your opinion?  In my day, a swat would work, and did!

The only thing I see that contributes to this at such a destructive level are those darn cell phones, and that obsessive texting during every waking moment.

Any ideas what would work to stop this amongst our youth, and I will sure make sure your ideas are heard where I live, and hope others can do the same.

A child should be allowed a childhood, and definitely outlive a parent.  

Here is one of the videos they presented, and it says it all:

YouTube Video On Bullying from the U.K.

This was like one of their closing video, and just too sad.  It showed the kids in our area now gone.  

Please discuss this subject with your kids for the future of our young adults.  Kindness, Acceptance, and Passion are keys to understanding each other.

Why Do You Hurt Me?

Stop Bullying - Be A Hero!

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Mistletoe Angel
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Member Empyrean
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816
Portland, Oregon
1 posted 2010-11-12 04:37 PM


I believe the best antidote to bullying, speaking as someone who was physically bullied myself in elementary school, is having an abundance of resources and opportunities for expressing one's self imaginatively in their communities.

I'm actually about to serve a six-month term with the Sexual Assault Resource Center in a city neighboring my current hometown of Portland, Oregon, because I believe I can relate on an emotional level to many clients who have been victimized themselves and are looking for resources. Emotional abuse is the precursor to forms of violence when it goes unmediated often, and because I've experienced emotional abuse I believe I'd make an ideal representative there, and SARC agrees, and I want to see to it we can mitigate such unconscious behavior from taking place to begin with, but at the very least being able to offer everything each victim needs in a timely, immediate fashion.

If only our public school systems and local governments wouldn't stop cutting funding for the arts and humanities and dismiss them as more "fun" or "trivial" entities, I believe they would not only provide a positive sense of purpose and motivation for our youth and prevent such waves of violence, but also prove most beneficial for our local economies and promote sustainable growth. Portland, Oregon prospers because of exactly that: we invest heavily in our infrastructure, arts and ingenuity, and while in the short-term the costs may feel daunting, they have only served us well in the longer term and, as opposed to uncontained, sprawling forms of growth which isn't sustainable, Portland's form of maximizing yields within the urban boundary as far as slow, steady growth is concerned has only helped us.

I really think bullying stems primarily from a blocked creative outlet, more than anything. But once anyone finds an outlet to express one's self constructively, it overrides any impetus to channel one's energy in an unconscious manner, and rather focus on nourishing ones community.

Namaste,
Noah Eaton

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other"

Mother Teresa

Amaryllis
Senior Member
since 2010-05-20
Posts 1306
Mi now
2 posted 2010-11-12 05:21 PM


I honestly feel that in some ways the issue of bullying has been well-addressed... our school system takes it very seriously, and the relatively small and few times my own children experienced any, it was dealt with swiftly and conclusively. (read: it stopped.)
.

Bullying has been going on for a long, long time, as you mentioned. Only recently has it been given such serious attention, and that is because of the finality of the solution some kids take. THAT is what is different, currently. That is what I worry about. I doubt the prevalence of bullying is higher, I see it as a problem of our children seeing suic*** as a way out. (sorry I cannot even type the word.) Why and when has that become the avenue of choice? When children see and hear of others doing the same, it sinks into the subconcious somewhere and does its evil work.
.
When children feel safe with an adult (parent, caretaker, teacher, etc.) they can and eventually will open their mouth. I ask my kids all the time how things are going. The important thing is that the adult believe them, that their complaints are taken seriously, and quickly dealt with. Like the above poster, I also experienced bullying in the middle and primary grades, and the worst was my mother minimized it (didn`t `believe` me.) So nothing changed until my sense of self finally matured. I agree that creative outlets can help, yet I wonder if some bullying individuals would even avail themselves of the resources even were they available. (Sorry, cynical-sounding, I know.) The handful of bullys I have known in my life (my own and at my children`s school) were sadly neglected children.  Every time. Minimal or abusive/neglectful parental involvement, and sad home situations (yes, I realize that is a major generalization, but honestly that is my own observation.) . So the bullies especially lash out at those they instinctually (and unconciously) are fiercely jealous/envious of, especially if the target individual has a softer, more peaceful nature (like my own children.)
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Anyhow, in the assumption that we may never completely eliminate bullying, the options left us are to educate and uphold our own children, help them feel strong and capable; perhaps even enroll them in the martial  arts! I am serious.
.
Just my thoughts. Thanks, Sharon, for posting this important piece.
.
My best~
Amaryllis (also Sharon)  

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