Finding the hero within

Everyone knows that children and teens can be bullies. It’s the first hint of man’s latent dark side and shows up again later in life when whole groups or nations seek to prey upon those who are weak. It’s why we have war.

Those who accept child bullies in their midst write the behavior off as an early manifestation of social Darwinism, or survival of the fittest, but it is not. There is nothing acceptable whatsoever about one child dominating or berating another.

Bullies are just downright cruel. If you have even a hint that your child might be a bully to others, take action now.

According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, almost 30 percent of teens in the United States, almost six million, are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both. According to front page articles last week and this week by Acorn reporter Stephanie Bertholdo, the inappropriate behavior begins in elementary school and by middle school it has become sexualized.

The topic is important because last year at Agoura High School there was a teenage boy who had become the target of another young male, a bully in every sense of the word. There was control and even sexual abuse. (The victim was a special education student, which made the action even worse.) Later, there were charges that the situation on campus was being overlooked. Luckily, the accused got arrested and was found guilty in court. A lawsuit related to the case is now underway.

But the victims of bullying, certainly molestation, can be scarred for life. Bullying and teen-on-teen violence are widespread in today’s society and we need to make sure that our children know exactly what to do if they are ever a victim of bullying. Teach them not to get physical with the instigator, to hold their anger and to walk away, and to talk about the incident with an adult as soon as possible.

Bullies don’t break into our lives unless we allow them.

Help your children to build their own personal esteem and encourage them to find the hero within.