Bullying is...

what you make of it. There's bullies raised by bullies. There's people who say mean things because that's what they hear at home. There's bullies who hit people because that's what they see at home.

There have been bullies since the beginning of time. What needs to change is how the victims of bullying deal with being bullied. Obviously, we can't expect our schools (in the case of children) or workplaces (yes, there are adult bullies too) to take care of them. Zero tolerance policies in schools are laughable, and quite frankly, adults should be able to handle themselves.

My son often comes home complaining of kids making fun of his last name. I always cheerfully explain to him he has a last name that can be funny and people will tease and joke about it the rest of his life. It's just a name, no big deal. He also has "friends" that say things to him that are mean spirited and when we talk about it, I always ask him, "Are you those things?"

His answer is usually no. Then we talk about how if somebody is trying to hurt you by saying things about you that you're not, you need to learn to just let it go. You know the truth and that's all there is to it.

So when someone says something about you, ask yourself, "Am I those things?" If the answer is no, then why do you care? If the answer is yes, then it's time for some introspection.

Most of all, (especially in the case of children) they need to talk about it. They need to talk to someone that they trust and someone who won't go nuts with the "I'm gonna beat someone" attitude.

Be proactive, not reactive. Learn how to deal with negativity, teach those around you how to deal with negativity. TALK TO EACH OTHER.

We're losing that in our society. No one wants to talk to each other, they'd rather talk AT each other. Learn how to listen.

There's something to "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

~Kim