This will be my last article on bullying. Thank you to those who have encouraged me and shared their own experiences and insights into this far-reaching topic.
These have been difficult articles to write for a number of reasons: 1) Everyone seems to have an emotional investment in the subject so I felt the need to write sensitively, 2) It’s an expansive topic that has so many angles, many of which I’ve barely scratched the surface, and 3) Since I’m not a perfect parent and love is often the last thing I feel when I see a bully at work, I’ve sometimes felt hypocritical while writing.
But I have learned a lot, and awareness and education was my goal. As a result of this focus, at family mealtime we now ask each other: “What did you do today to be nice to someone?”
I’m happy to know that local high school students have been working on anti-bullying presentations to be offered to younger students. Awareness and education are key. I believe the girls who bullied my daughter were nice girls who didn’t realize they were actually being bullies when they gossiped and excluded.
One of my readers sent a link to a program I think sounds fantastic: http://www.rachelschallenge.org/. The goal of this program is “…to inspire…and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their school, business and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion.” (from the Rachel’s Challenge mission statement)
Instead of focusing on the negative (bullying), the idea is to focus on the positive (kindness). If one person has the courage to reach out in kindness and compassion to someone each day, imagine the difference that person could make. I can do that! So can you.
And if you and I can make a difference, just think what a whole community could do. The question is, are we up to the challenge?
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