SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

A question of bullying

Guest blog by Monika

My 11-year-old godson recently became a bully.

• He has been threatened with suspension.
• My cousin, her husband, the grandparents, and I have discussed this with him.
• We have supplied him with examples of good behavior.
• He has been told that he will be cut from the soccer rep team if he is suspended.
• I’ve given him a book for boys, with amazing male role models.
• He’s been reminded that God is watching and knows all.
• He’s been told that he is valued and loved, and we want him to grow up happy, capable, knowledgeable, etc.
• We’ve all asked if there is anything bothering him – separately.

This is not a stupid kid – he is highly intelligent and very capable in school, as well as very athletic, and has attended Atrium – Montessori style Catechism classes where everyone whispers and instills values of “love thy neighbour – even when difficult” since he was three). Here are his reasons:

• “I don’t know.”
• “My friends were being mean.”
• “It seemed like fun.”

My godson understands it’s wrong – but the desire to pin someone to the ground and feed them grass “seemed like a fun thing to do at the moment”.

And for the record, no he wouldn’t want that to be done to him.

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