I think it would be safe to assume that all parents agree that bullying is a serious issue that should never be tolerated.
However, I have stumbled upon an article that made me think about this from a different angle: What if my kid was to witness someone else being bullied? The parents in the article advocate teaching children to speak up when they see other's being bullied, instead of silently standing by.
http://goodmenproject.com/good-feed-blog/kirk-smalley-found-a-mission-after-the-suicide-of-his-son/comment-page-1/#comment-463842[/URL]
Now, my first reaction is to support them. Not only would it possibly make a huge difference to victims of bullies, but I would also want my daughter to be the kind of person who stands up for those who, for whatever reason, cannot stand up for themselves. Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it?
But then it occurred to me that, should be daughter stand up and confront a bully, chances are that she will be turning herself into a target too. Would I want my daughter to expose herself by attracting the attention of the bully?
What is worse - allowing her to become another member of the silent masses who stand by and watch others suffer while shaking her head and thinking how sad it is, or potentially becoming a bully-victim herself?
I know the second option is kinda cowardly and selfish and that I would be extremely proud if she fought for and helped someone else, but as a parent my first priority is to protect my daughter, especially as she gets older and bullies become actually dangerous...
What do you think? Please help me make up my mind!
However, I have stumbled upon an article that made me think about this from a different angle: What if my kid was to witness someone else being bullied? The parents in the article advocate teaching children to speak up when they see other's being bullied, instead of silently standing by.
http://goodmenproject.com/good-feed-blog/kirk-smalley-found-a-mission-after-the-suicide-of-his-son/comment-page-1/#comment-463842[/URL]
Now, my first reaction is to support them. Not only would it possibly make a huge difference to victims of bullies, but I would also want my daughter to be the kind of person who stands up for those who, for whatever reason, cannot stand up for themselves. Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it?
But then it occurred to me that, should be daughter stand up and confront a bully, chances are that she will be turning herself into a target too. Would I want my daughter to expose herself by attracting the attention of the bully?
What is worse - allowing her to become another member of the silent masses who stand by and watch others suffer while shaking her head and thinking how sad it is, or potentially becoming a bully-victim herself?
I know the second option is kinda cowardly and selfish and that I would be extremely proud if she fought for and helped someone else, but as a parent my first priority is to protect my daughter, especially as she gets older and bullies become actually dangerous...
What do you think? Please help me make up my mind!