Bullying Hurts
We all know how school bullying can have tremendous negative effects on children. Though bullying is an age old issue, it does not mean that it should be ignored and taken for granted. As times change, so do means of bullying. As parents, we should be aware of these changes and we should be able to help our children cope with the changing situations.
Take Marvin Nash, a.k.a. Starvin’ Marvin. He sees the impact that bullying can make on children and has gone one step further. More than merely acknowledging that bullying exists and should be dealt with, he has created a program that can actually help children.
Starvin’ Marvin is a rodeo clown from Texas and has always loved comedy. He has taken his skills to another level in order to promote a worthy cause – making children aware of what bullying really is and how it affects LIVES. He has been making the headlines with this project and The Associate Press actually had a write up on him:
Hoping to prevent the kind of violence that has erupted on school campuses in recent years, Nash has developed his “Bullying Hurts” program that emphasizes youth mentoring and nonviolence. The program has been taught in some 300 schools in 37 states.
“So many people think that bullying is just a rite of passage,” Nash said. “Kids have feelings too. And so that’s what we try to do is help them channel and be able to discuss and find a solution that works for them.”
The goal is to help kids learn to handle bullying at a young age, so they are less likely to explode into violent retaliation later. In addition, young bullies might come to realize their antics are hurtful and stop before they become too destructive.
“That’s the key to the whole thing, that violence is never the answer,” Nash said.
I was really impressed when I read the article as I do believe what Nash is promoting – that violence is NOT the answer. Too many children these days think that being tough and rough is cool. They think that if they can handle their own, they can gain more respect. They think that if they walk away from a fight, they will be dubbed “sissies” and other worse names.
The sad thing is that this kind of mentality is carried on through adulthood. Children who think this way just might continue their bullying behavior when they grow up. As such, changing their perspective early in life is something that is priceless.
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Posted on August 4th, 2008 by Deborah J Thomas
Filed under: Bullying, High School, K-6, News, People Involved, School Grade Level, School Safety Issues, Students
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