Have you ever been Bullied? Part two of three parts

My next experience with bullying came when my niece, nephews and grandchildren started school. 

I know that one reason my sister's family moved from the general Houston, TX area to Colorado was because one or more of her three children were being bullied in school and she felt that they would be treated better and be safer in CO.  That the schools there would not put up with bullying after what had happened at Columbine.  Well, she was wrong.  Bullying in the CO schools was just as prevalent as it had been in TX schools.  She was in constant contact with teachers, counselors and school officials to no avail.  She finally took her son R out of the school he was attending.  R had hold her how unhappy he was, that he wanted to die rather than go back to that school.  Thankfully, she took him seriously.  Thankfully, he told her how he felt to begin with.  I shudder to think of what could have happened if he had not.  She found him a much better, more tolerant school.  At his new school, R bloomed and flourished!  It was amazing, the difference that school made in his life!  Every student should have that experience in school.  

My grandchildren did not have a lot of social interaction with other children before they started school.  To me, this means they started school disadvantaged.  They never really learned how to make friends easily.  I think this is the reason that both of my granddaughters have been bullied at times.  To the best of my knowledge, they have told us about the bullying, but not always when it is happening.  I know the oldest told her teacher when it happened and steps were taken to stop it.  She also told her momma.  I don't think that Granddaughter #2 told anyone until this year that it happened last year.  This worries me and I'll be talking to both of them about bullying when I see them next.  With everything in the news, I think it's extremely important that all children know to stand up against bullies. 

Teachers and other adults must stop acting as if it's a "kids are being kids" thing.  That is a bunch of crap!  It's a cop out for not doing what you need to do.  Stand up for children who are being bullied!  Are you afraid to stand up for the unpopular kid?  Do you just not like the kid yourself and you don't care what happens to him or her?  Are you afraid of the bully yourself?  If you are, then get help in your classroom and then reconsider your job choice.  Our children's lives are in your hands many hours each day.  We depend on you to take care of them as well as to educate them.  Speaking up for them is the very least you can do. 

Our Children should not be bullied or have to worry about their safety in school! It should not matter what religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation our children are. They should be safe from bullying in school! This needs to be taken seriously, always.