I have to admit, I've remained a bit synical with regard to the rise of anti-bullying campaigns infiltrating every media outlet, school and social circle you run into these days. I can't help but feel like it's nothing more than a fad. Take it with a grain of salt because for every 3 kids that are finding support and help to rise up against legitimate bullying, 2 other kids are going home and getting their parents all worked up because they were supposedly bullied at school (when in reality, it was a simple misunderstanding between friends or a immature boy saying the girl's feet stink). Bullies have always been around, most of us could say at some point in our childhood we were bullied by someone. So why all the hype and attention to it now, I ask.
Then I watch videos like this of Karen H. Klein, and I am reminded how desensitized and hateful many kids have become. This may not be the way it is everywhere, and not every kid is going to run into a situation like this in their lifetime, but it is a growing problem. The bullying of today is way more raw and hate filled then the bullying that went on in years past. No one can deny this. There was a day when the worst you would be called at school was "four eyes" or "chicken legs" but now, elementary age kids are throwing expletives in with those phrases and adding things like "i'm going to slit your throat" (yes, I've heard this first hand). This is not just happening in inner-city schools or areas of the country with higher crime rates. It's also happening in small towns and private schools across the nation.
Kids have become way too callused by the exposure they are getting in the media and through video games. Parents are continually becoming more disconnected and withdrawn from their kids and way more lenient in holding them to any kind of a standard. I was shocked and horrified the other day when I watched a grandmother and her two grandsons (who looked no more than 3 and 4 years old), sit down next to us in the theater for the Avengers. It was a movie my husband and I were excited to watch, but not something I would ever think appropriate for a 4 year old! If kids are already watching violence like that at 4, it's no wonder how they can move on to video games like The Call of Duty, and not be phased by it's graphic nature at all. Why are we so shocked when stuff like that starts playing out in the way kids treat other kids their own age, or in the case of Karen, adults?
With all the traffic being directed to our site due to these Karen Klein updates, I wanted to make sure we had something positive to provide on the topic of bullying. We are obviously a Christian site (you may not have known that when you first dropped in), but everything we do and write about is based on biblical principles. I want to leave you with some basic thoughts on this from scripture and some links to further faith-based, bullying resources. Because ultimately, the campaign against bullying has to start at home. Kids need to be taught respect for one another and for authority. What are you doing now to make sure your kids do not become bullies themselves?
Some simple things you can do: teach them respect for authority, don't use vulgar language yourself, model respect for others, do not put others down or make fun of people (especially in front of your kids!), serve along side your kids at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter, model godly character and love for the outcasts and unpopular, teach your kids to stand up for what is right, teach your kids to help one another out and come to the aid of those in need, teach them to not follow the crowd when it entails having fun at someone else's expense, equip them with the knowledge of what to do when they are in trouble or see someone hurting, show them how to call for help or go to the authorities, encourage them to speak up.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is for building others up
Eph. 4:29
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone
Romans 12:18
Do to others what you would have them do to you
Matthew 17:12
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you
Luke 6:27-28
Other Faith Based Bullying Resources:
Please share if you can think of other scripture verses that relate to this topic or know of any other faith based sites that provide helpful advice on the topic of bullying!
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