Damon: Bullying is unacceptable, stop it now!
A video of another bullying incident at a school is doing the rounds on social media. This time a girl is hitting a boy and Damon would like to know what you would want this boy to do if he was your son?
Let's talk about bullying.
It's become a massive problem and now it's not even a case of the popular bigger boy in school picking on and giving the smaller timid boy a few smacks.
With the accessibility of cellphones and mobile devices, there's now cyber-bullying too, maybe something less easy to identify, but something that could be even more harmful.
Emotional abuse. No physical scars - but internal torment...
From people I've met who are parents of children who have been bullied, it seems children, especially, become quiet, they withdraw, and get depressed.
So when I think of bullying, my mind automatically thinks about kids at school. The quiet boy who gets picked on by the older buff boy who wants to look good in front of his mates. The popular girl who gangs up with her friends to laugh and taunt the unpopular girl who ends up sitting alone at lunch.
But the reality is bullying happens every day, in many forms, and it's not just kids who are affected.
People bully because there's a power imbalance and that's why it goes beyond the classroom. It extends into the working environment too, where employees are bullied by bosses and even fellow employees.
From what I've read, bullies attack their victims in various ways...
1. Verbally - by spreading rumor and saying cruel things.
2. Sexually - by making sexual comments or gestures.
3. Physically - by hitting the other person.
4. Emotionally - by exclusion, humiliation and even threats.
5. Electronically - by cellphone, text-messaging or emails.
I dislike bullying in every sense of the word.
I'll say it again. Bullying is unacceptable in whatever form it rears its ugly head - and I loathe it.
Cowards who feel the need to prove their strength, when in all honesty, real strength comes from within.
When I saw this video on Monday, it made me really think.
Here's someone bullying another person that we wouldn't ordinarily think fits within the norm.
So let me ask you this question once you've watched the video: What would you want THIS BOY to do if he was YOUR child?
Not what you would do as a parent or as a headmaster. If this was YOUR child, how would you want them to react to this situation.
Warning: This video footage contains strong language.