What Makes A Bully?

I cry every day before and after school because I have been a victim of bullying for most of my life. I had the misconception that once I reached middle school that I would be free from being [a] victim. Wow! Was I wrong [!] I am now a 7th grader and the torture continues. I suffered in silence until I met Ms. Smart; I feel some level of comfort because she let us know that she does not tolerate bullying in her classroom. Like many others I tried to commit suicide by jumping out of a window of a three-story building. I am also a cutter. I want to live but how? –Seventh-grade student

Unfortunately, stories like that of this middle school student are all too common. The social pressures of bullying can lead to intolerable unpleasantness for some students. Bullying in schools is a growing concern in the United States. Bullying causes many problems, not only for the victim, but also for the bully. Students desire a safe haven at home and school; however, problems with bullies lead to insecurity in the victim and make home and school feel more like a prison than the safe haven they are supposed to be.

Bullying via the Internet or cyberbullying is steadily increasing. A bully can harass someone via text, email or hurtful comments on a social network site. This has led to a whole new breed of bullying. A bully no longer has to be face to face. He/she can now say harmful things about a person through the Internet for others to read and comment.

No matter how it is looked at, bullying is wrong. It’s never okay. It’s never cool. It never makes one person look better than another because they are bullying someone. This book offer strategies as to what to do if one should find themselves as a victim of bullying behavior as well as if you happen to be the bully. Also covered are tips for parents, teachers and community members.

-- Jacqueline Yvonne Smart, Ed.D.