Sticks and Stones....

Phoenix Coverley

What makes a Bully bully? Clearly, there is an element to bullying that seems to be innate. It’s happened for generations and despite our seeming advancements in education and civilization, it continues to haunt both children and the parents who care for them. Is this just a part of nature, to weed out the weak? Or is it a test that is designed to make you more resilient, to give you that feeling that you faced something truly horrible and survived?

Is it a perpetual cycle where all the kids who are bullies have been picked on themselves and this makes them feel that picking on others is somehow justified or offers a sense of satisfaction?

Is bullying a biological trait? Are bullies bad seeds, inherently mean and anti-social who lash out without provocation? If allowed to continue unchecked, do they eventually grow into malformed adults with dangerously violent physical and mental behaviors?

I think maybe they are just addicted to negative attention. Perhaps they, like many kids, feel painfully inadequate or unable to garner positive attention through a child's regular channels of recognition. Maybe bullying is the only thing they think they are good at? Being a kid today is highly competitive. Parents and schools can be nurturing and giving, but they may also put so much pressure on children to succeed that it pushes some kids over the edge. Others may just give up without even trying because they feel like if they’re never gonna be the best, what’s the point?

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