It's important, claims David Coleman, that the victim who is being "pushed, poked or tripped in the schoolyard" learns to assert themselves. And I wholly agree - yet there are ways to assert yourself that don't involve throwing punches.
I used to read stories about kids being bullied and shake my head. Why is it so hard to stop, I wondered. You find out what's going on then you dole out the consequences. Simple. At least that's what I thought until it happened to my son.
Like the myriad curve balls parenting throws at you, bullying comes in shades that aren't black and white.
Telling a parent not to worry is a lot like telling a swimmer not to hold his breath underwater. You could be the most easygoing person in the world up until the precise moment you become a parent. Suddenly a giant sinkhole of awful possibilities appears out of nowhere. One day you need only concern yourself with the roof over your head and the food in your belly. The next, you are charged with meeting the physical and emotional needs of a defenseless HUMAN BEING. And you can't afford to screw it up. Yeah, no pressure...
Bullying has always been a problem. But for the cyber generation, with so much going on behind screens, bullying is THE problem. The facelessness of social media has become a breeding ground for bullies.
And kids with special needs make easy targets. Those with autism are especially vulnerable—four times as likely to be bullied as those without the disorder—because of the challenges they experience with social communication.
As parents, it's the conundrum of our generation. Technology: the double-edged sword. It's the future, and our kids need to be fluent in its dialect as early as possible. Yet, on the flip side, how much exposure to 'gadgetry' is acceptable?
Like most moms, I'm fairly conflicted. The new iPad mini is the perfect size for my junior kindergartener. However, does a JK really warrant owning a computer? I tend to think not.
