Bullies

Reading stories these days about bullies at school is sad. Both the perpetrators and the victims seem to be taking things to a different level. Bullies have always been around. But I am glad to know that many school-based and non school-based programs are trying to deal with this issue.

Reading these stories shows us that the situation is sad and something needs to be done for both the bullyies and the ones taking on the brunt of the actions. There are reasons people bully. And we need to be mindful and look for warning signs, on both ends, before things get out of hand.

Bullying doesn't just happen in schools. It happens in after-school programs, parks, homes, everywhere really. But bullying doesn't happen only with kids. It can happen to and be done by everyone, anywhere. Bullying is about misusing power and fear.

We all know what it feels like to be bullied. And it's not good. Yet when it happens outside of what we think are its normal bounds--schools, etc.--we don't call for it to end. Many times, we applaud it.

It happens in politics. It happens in the workplace. It happens on highways. It happens with agencies and organizations. It happens in churches. It can happen anywhere, anytime.

We need to recognize when bullying happens. We need to recognize when it happens to us. We need to call on it to end when we see it happening. And we need to realize when we are doing it . . . and put an end to it.