Taking a Stand
Posted by Danielle Bean in Family on Friday, August 01, 2008 11:30 AM
Back when Rebecca introduced the topic of how to handle bullies, much of the conversation focused on physical bullying and teaching our children to defend themselves against physical attacks.
A few, however, brought up the topic of emotional bullying—something girls are more likely to engage in than boys—and something that has the potential to be even more hurtful than a punch in the nose.
I remember witnessing the viciousness of emotional bullying in my own childhood. I also know some people who still bear the scars of emotional bullying, long after they have become adults. Whether our children are the perpetrators, the victims, or the bystanders, this is no small thing.
Today, Shannon, from Rocks in My Dryer, shares a touching story about how she and her husband helped her son to handle a bully at summer camp:
“He tried handling things on Tuesday and Wednesday, with little or no success. He did make a special friend (we’ll call him Dave), but this boy was equally targeted by Chuck and his gang. Wednesday night, Adam came home so discouraged that he just didn’t feel like he could go back.
We didn’t blame him. We told him we were proud of how he had stood up for himself, and that since he had done everything we asked, he didn’t have to go back. We would explain to the camp staff what had been going on.
But, Hubs reminded him, bullies do their thing as a means to gain power. If Adam didn’t continue to stand his ground, would the bullies, in fact, be winning?”
Read the whole story.
I love how the parents’ approach in this story is a combination of teaching a child to fight his own battles while reassuring him that his parents love and protect him too.
What do you think?
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