of course it needs to be adressed! I was bullied when i was a lot younger but it soon stopped as i grew up and was more capable of defending myself. Teachers in many cases do nothing and in my case did nothing but the one thing im thankfull for is that chris doesn't go through what i did when i was younger as he can defend himself and at times other people

Its something that has always been around and always will be. It's a part of human nature to attack something weaker. Weather to make oneself seem better, or because that person was bullied. In the US, though teachers and others have tried to restrain it, it still happens. The downside is when a person has had enough and fights back. No, i don't mean to defend themselves, but to become the agressor and hurt the bully. A young man only a few months ago was sentenced to Juvinile detention for shooting a bully. His parents nor the teacher would stop it. So it goes to the next step. The bully is dead and the bullied is punished. No justice all the way around. *Do not continue if you don't like soap box preaching*

The parents of a bully are fully at fault. They raised the child. The chose, weather busy with work, or friends, or whatever, they did not see thier childs aditude changing. Bullies do not happen over night, they are molded, buy cercumstances and choices. Parental envolment in a childs life is paramount. They are raising the next generation and it is thier Obligation to do it right. *gets off soapbox*.

*Warning, boring life story ahead*

Final is right, it is the parents. A lot of them simply don't want to know what their child is doing, and that's even more infuriating. Having been bullied throughout my entire school life, and now, in my last year of school, still being bullied. I have never had a school year where I haven't been teased, insulted, ridiculed, hated or had rumours spread about me. Some years it became physical. Already, the bullying has changed who I am, the impacts are being felt. Because of that, I have turned into a hateful, bitter and uncompassionate person with years of bottled rage, among other things. Also a couple other things have changed which I'd rather not say. I'm sure as well, when I'm 30 I'll be telling a therapist this, because I'll be bundled with issues.

People have it all wrong these days, instead of discriminating and hating others for being black or ugly, we should practise fairness and hate every living thing equally.

I have been bullied quite a lot when I was a younger lad, but I gained respect through a way I wouldn't recommend using, a fist.

I fought them, I threw their hatred of me back at them, they didn't like that, so they started fighting me, needless to say, that was dumb, since I never threw first punch they always received punishments.

Fisch, your story, the bottled rage you have, loosen it, just get rid of it by letting it out in a place where no-one knows that you are there, do whatever you want, start shouting your lungs off, do whatever you like, meditate on yourself, why do I have this rage?? what did they throw at me that I got so angry over??
knowing yourself can often lead to improvemnt, and in some ways can get you a defense, think of a reply you can give them next time they try to piss you off. think ahead, try to predict what they will say to that, so you can counter it again, etc etc etc, I think that once you do that, and they try it again, they will finally stop doing it, one tip though, Use sarcasm, try to depict them as sorry looking sods that don't know any better then to have to resort to violence to bully someone.

Lastly: Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will NEVER hurt you, stay as cool as you can about it, even if they say something so horribly nasty and mean that you just want to kick his arse, close yourself off from those things, and say something you know he will never like, a comment about his mother usually does the trick, just think of it, that he is NOT cool because he bullies, you are cool because you can turn around his every insult, develop some self secureness, that air can work wonders, you don't care what he says, you are above him, he is just a worm that doesn't know anything better, also it might help, that no matter how insulting he may be, laugh, laugh your ass off if you want, that will show him how pathetic his insults are.

last, if he kicks your ass, got to whatever policing faction, and throw the book o' law at him, if he and his friends kick you up, report em to the police for assault.

it will help

I remember being bullied in school. Not very pleasant. I ended up becoming a bully myself as a result. You know what they say, "What goes around, comes around." I ended up becoming notorious in elementary school, junior high, and high school. I didn't want to be that way, it's just how it happened. I didn't have any enemies during school anymore, though. People had even heard of me, even though THEY went to ANOTHER school. That's how much of a bastard I was. That feels like a lifetime ago, though. Even in high school, I just got along with people instead of beating the s**t out of 'em, even though that still happened to a point to people I didn't like, just not as often as I used to. It's not a memory I'd like to have, but I do. It keeps me in line today, even though I'm going on 22 in two months. A lesson: Ignore bullies and don't antagonize them. They're not worth the effort. Just like a lot of people in this world.

Bullies don't have to be a fact of life. Bullies basically are kids who have lousey parents that teach them the wrong things about what's important, if they bother to teach them at all.

So yes, more needs to be done. Parents need to be taught good parenting skills.

As for victims of bullies, I know it is very very cliche and tiresome to hear but there are such things as martial arts schools that teach you self defense and help you to develop confidence in your physical abilities. The best schools are the ones that also teach you the correct attitude to have too.

Not well known but an excellent martial art to learn is aikido. It is both a physical self defense discipline and a mental defense discipline.

Bullying is one of the reasons I got into the martial arts. The martial arts did help straighten me out. I only did it for a couple of years, but it turned my life in another direction. I was still a pain in the ass during school, but not as much as I used to be.

Martial arts eh. I suppose then you were on par with other kids who had learnt martial arts. Nothing to fear if someone appearing weak surprised you with fighting skills.

People have it all wrong these days, instead of discriminating and hating others for being black or ugly, we should practise fairness and hate every living thing equally.

Edited by - fisch on 7/10/2004 11:10:40 PM

I was bullied when I was a little kid. I took a shovel and the rest is history

What about emotional bullying?

Life...
Forum Systems A must read

What type ?

Expulsion from a group, or random nasty phone calls ?
Be more specific ........

Emotional bullying is far worse than physical bullying. Physical damage is fleeting, it usually heals soon enough. Emotional damage can take years and/or the help of a therapist to heal. People can say truely cruel and heartless things. The worst kind of emotional bullying however, has to be spreading rumours. Walking around and having people laughing at you for unknown reasons. Hearing people saying things about you behind your back, and you can't do a damn thing to stop them. It's untraceable and cowardly. My point is, emotional bullying can destroy you, and kill the person that you are and could be.

People have it all wrong these days, instead of discriminating and hating others for being black or ugly, we should practise fairness and hate every living thing equally.

bah, a bit of emotional trauma builds character, just look at how I turned out

On second thought, don't, Nobody should strive to be like me....i'm just some hermit living in a d*mmed forest

---

I have never had a school year where I haven't been teased, insulted, ridiculed, hated or had rumours spread about me

---

I wouldn't even consider that bullying. It happened to me, I just got thick-skinned and never took it seriously enough to really get upset over it. It was mostly the rumours crap and being insulted behind my back because many of them wouldn't dare say that sort of stuff to my face. People will always give you a load of crap if you look a little different or do your own thing. **** 'em, don't get your panties in a twist over the silly little arseholes, it's not like they're really achieving much if they need to go out of their way to try and piss you off to fulfil their day.