The Bully Cure?

“Serpents and bullies are comparable. The serpent gains advantage of its prey by using venom and a bully gains his strength by destroying your self-esteem.” excerpt from the book (The days are wicked by Nakary Williams)

Most of us have encountered a bully (bullies) at some point in our life and it makes us wonder, how can someone be so cruel? Especially when you haven't done them anything.
There are many underlying reasons why some people bully others. (Some reasons you might not be aware of.)

Here are three reasons:
1. Some kids grew up in a home where domestic violence or abuse is common, so they view hitting or speaking abusively to others as normal.
2. We live in a debase society where some individuals enjoy hurting others for fun.
3. Many bullies were bullied themselves, so they vent their frustration at others by doing the same.

Three ways to deal with bullies:

1. Be realistic. Everyone is not going to like you or say positive things about you, so ignoring them is sometimes the best solution. This has personally worked for me. When they realize you aren't paying them any attention, they often get bored and leave you alone. This doesn't always work, but give it a try.
2. Let people know. You've heard this a million times before. Tell your parents and teachers or the police (in serious cases). If you keep silent, the bully would think he can do you anything and get away with it.
3. Try avoiding places where you know your bully would be. If you can't, then go with friends. Bullies are less likely to harass you when you have others around. (There would only be one of them against you and a group of friends.)

Well-said, if not well-thought out. If bullying happened among adults, often it'd result in criminal prosecution. Among children bullying is often physical and the best way is to respond in kind. Someone hits you or otherwise gets physical, either suck it up all your life, or take a swing at them. Bullies are looking for weak, easy prey. Showthem you're not prey and they'll look elsewhere. Might get you butt kicked, but at least the message gets sent - you're not a punk.

May sound neanderthal, but too often victims of bullies who go postal are the ones who took it for a prolonged amount of time until they couldn't any more. We need to resume teaching our children that answering fire with fire is not only acceptable, but i's a very good thing. If we continue to teach and perpetuate this "hitting's wrong" mentality, what do we say when kids grow up and look at the real world where that doesn't hold true and only put them at a disadvantage and made them grow up into a weak person?

What are all the action movies but stories ala the Greeks of heroes vs monsters where eventually the hero has tot ake up arms and slay some beast? Little different in schoolyard confrontations, but the sentiment is the same. But we don't teach that any more and the bullying problem has exploded. Like what comes if you outlaw hunting. What got hunted's populations rise upsetting the balance previously seen.

Though a pacifist myself, it's up to the point you get in my face and challenge my right to live in peace. I can't be pacifist if I'm dead. Better to be a live hypocrite, than a dead pacifist.

- "There's a peace to be found only on the other side of war. If that battle must come, I will fight it!" King Arthur, "First Knight"