I've always had mixed feelings on Bullying. I come from a pretty good neighborhood, so there are obvious holes in my logic that don't apply to communities of different social context.
Physical bullying for race or religion is obviously a big problem. However, most of the bullying you see on TV or in movies is on the extreme ends of things. Bullying in school is more kids picking on you, calling you names, etc etc. Now, people taking it too far is obviously bad, but I do believe some responsibility relies on this person who is being "bullied".
If you are a Middle school to college aged person, and are well-adjusted to culture in your area, you'll probably know that conversations among friends are rarely G-Rated. I'm not too sure what girls talk about at lunch tables, other than me but at a lot of guys' tables, you're hearing a lot of the more R-Rated stuff. Friends will also insult, and annoy eachother.
It's important to recognize that, and so if something happens at school and someone says "Wow, you're so fudging stupid", you shouldnt take it personally and go cry. Ive noticed many kids who claim they're bullied take everything personally. Now, there are always people of low self-asteem. I understand that these people may be more sensitive to such things, but the responsibility then falls on the parents.
If you've ever seen a video about bullying in elementary school, it was probably really cheesy and stupid. They teach you tips to stop bullying, and the methods are pathetic. "Tell a responsible adult" ~ Yeah, that'll get the kid in time out in elementary school. Then he'll beat you up later. No one else is going to care. "Use cheesy sayings to try to sound intimidating" ~ These are dumb too. Telling him that "I'm a person, and I don't have to listen to you. I am standing up for myself, so you have to stop bullying me" will get you laughed at.
People pick on others more times than not for just a joke, or for entertainment. Most of us in middle school to college pick on or tease with friends as a joke, as it's common culture. While not fair, failure to adjust to this culture will result in much more pain and "bullying" than necessary.
Now, this does not mean that you have to jump onto the dirtmouth bandwagon to avoid being in a vulnerable position. All you have to do is have the humility to laugh at yourself once in a while, and not take insults to heart. Just go with the flow, you are who you are.
So what to take from this? Simple, don't try to stop bullying. Don't tell your peers and children how to avoid bullying. Instead, teach each other how to slide through tough situations, and how to interpret them in attempt to avoid further aggressive behavior.
kudos to the bigger kid for standing up for himself. Apparently Casey (the bigger kid being bullied) has been suspended and there is talk of the police pressing charges?
