Bullies have been around from the beginning of time. There were bullies when I was a kid, when my mom was a child and I am sure my great grandma could name some bullies she knew as a child. As an adult I worked with a bully. Our society has been focusing on bullies and it is now a new politically correct cause.
I do not support bullying in any way, but I do have a problem with the way our society is choosing to handle this problem. Being bullied is the newest victim craze. If some child says something mean to another child they are being bullied. I don't agree with children saying mean things, but it is what kids do, and for that matter it is what adults do too.
I read an email in which suggested that a teacher take a fresh clean white paper, crumple it up, step on it and then straighten it out. After the teacher straightens out the paper he or she should tell the paper 'sorry'. The point being when you say mean things and bully children it does damage that can't be repaired no matter what you do you can not make the paper white, smooth and clean like it was before. It is a good visual for teaching what you say hurts, and can help make a point to a bully, but I don't think it goes far enough.
I think after crumpling the paper lesson; a teacher should take a teflon pan and try to crumple it and throw it on the wall, step on it etc.. The pan won't break or even need to be told 'sorry'. That is how the child who is being bullied should become. If a child is being teased or bullied because they are fat then the parent should talk to the child and be honest. The child can choose to be fat or lose weight, but it does not make them any less or more in God's eyes or their parents eyes. Children need to be taught how to accept themselves the way they are and not worry so much about what others say about them. Having teflon kids will stop bullying a lot sooner than any other politically correct solutions out there.
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Proverbs 26:4
