I recently watched a documentary entitled “Bully: It’s Time To Take A Stand.” It brought back memories of my own childhood in the 1960s. I was “picked on” and “bumped” around in the corridors of school. I was smaller than most and WAS called “beaver” because I had buck teeth. Mom would say, “It’s just a phase” and Dad, a petite but tough military man said, “Just fight back.” He then showed me some boxing moves. Well, I eventually fought back (thanks, Dad) and for defending myself one day, I was the one suspended from school. Go figure. But, hey, the bullying stopped.

In my day, the only way a bully could hurt you was to be present. Today’s bullies still use that, but social media has allowed them a wider avenue of inflicting enormous cruelty.

This documentary is extremely powerful and while it focuses on the victims, we also need to ask what makes the bully a bully? Why are they so angry? Why are the parents not aware? Are they bullies, too? There are lots of “whys?” We’ll only get answers if we talk.

Bullying is in the best of schools and starts at any grade level. It’s important we talk with (not to) our children about bullying. Please watch this PG-13 documentary and decide if it’s appropriate for your child. Don’t let bullying happen. Innocent children should not be committing suicide due to bullying.

Let’s make this the last generation of bullying.

Penny Arsenault

Milford

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