An Arizona seventh grader, Parker Brockman, was attacked by two bullying brothers as he rode the bus home from school. He did nothing to provoke the two brothers. They simply saw him as an easy target and decided that it might be fun to taunt him and tag-team jump him on the school bus.
What the hell is wrong with these kids? This is one reason that I am glad that my girls don’t ride a bus. Apparently, it's pretty common for kids to be bullied and beaten on their rides to and from school. It seems every day there is a new kid who’s gotten his ass beaten for minding his own business on the ride home.
Unluckily for these bullies, they picked on a kid whose mom happens to be a local personality. She took the story to the news and now it is getting national media attention. Perhaps this will serve to shame these bullies into submission. Lesson learned. Maybe?
Personally, I would have been so pissed after seeing the video of some bullies double jumping my sweet baby that I would probably have rode the bus the next day ... with a crowbar and a bad attitude. I don’t take too kindly to people putting their hands on my kids, especially for doing absolutely nothing. If it’s a fair fight and my kid is a willing participant or instigator, then by all means, they deserve to get what they give, but never would I tolerate my child haphazardly picking on another child.
I’m not a turn the cheek kind of person. I may try to reason with insanity once, but after that, if people continue to violate my child’s personal space, terrorize them by putting their hands on my child, make my child feel inferior, or just old-school bully my kid, I have no problem stepping in and contacting parents, calling principals, the authorities, or maybe even paying a bigger sister to kick a little mean kid's ass. Probably not the most politically correct option, but when it comes to my children, I’m doing what’s best for them. To hell with what’s the most politically correct and appeasing to the general public. I’m sorry if I offend you with my mama bear antics, but you offend me with your lax parenting of a clearly mean child.
How do you deal with your child’s bully?
Image via kb35/Flickr
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Comments 9
Oh my goodness. I *never* expected this kind of stance from a Stir writer! The only thing that I'd add to your "mama bear" approach is a step at the beginning... equip your child with the ability to defend herself.
I'm a horrible debater, so I never did well with verbal abuse hurled at me. By I had big brothers who, bless their hearts, "abused" me regularly. They taught me how to simply ignore taunts and other verbal lashes that came at me. It didn't stop the assaults (and granted, mine was "garden-variety" bullying that came at me - snarky girls getting into stupid fights), but it allowed them to bounce off of me, because I didn't believe a word they said.
Those same brothers also taught me that if ANYONE laid a hand on me, I had the right and the responsibility to beat the living crap out of that person. I had my own personal physical bully as a kid. I was in fifth grade, he was in eighth. He jumped my friend and me on our way home from school. We turned around and battered him - she with her drumsticks, me with my flute case. That guy never messed wtih me again.
Kids need to learn how to defend themselves, and our schools need to defend the kids who defend themselves. Sometimes violence IS the answer.
After months of a bully terrorizing my son last year (and other kids too), I finally told him that the next time the kid started, just to punch him hard in the nose. We don't condone violence, but sometimes there is no other way. Fortunately, the school finally did something about the brat before it got to that point
Wow, ponychaser, I agree completely. When I was in school my parents told me that if anyone ever physically harmed me I was allowed to fight back. Hell, I was encouraged to defend myself. Then, regardless of the schools punishment, I would not get in trouble at home for standing up for myself. (As long I did not start it or instigate it)
My 5 year old punched a fifth grader. This kid had been a terror on the bus for years, multiple suspensions type terror. He decided to hit my kid, bad idea. She punched him back as hard as she could.
But I feel for this kids mom, he's off the bus until the lawsuit is settled. Four parents are suing the school and her over her kids actions on the bus and school.
I will never punish my child for standing up for himself! The rule will be (he's only five right now) that he try to ignore any teasing or verbal bullying....but if it ever got physical, he will have the right to fight back!
I always tell my kids that if they are ever bullied or someone starts a fight with them they have every right to fight back and if they get in trouble with the school they won't get in trouble at home. My daughter has been recently dealing with a bully and I guess she was bullying more kids than just my daughter and one kid snapped and beat her ass. Hopefully that will teach her a lesson that even though she's a bully the kids she's bullying may be tougher than her and people won't continuously take it. It's sad to see kids being bullied; but it's so much worse and heartbreaking to have your own child go through it
We told our kids that they had better never start a physical fight, but they were certainly allowed to end it by any means necessary.