Understanding Bullying.

My co-host Mike & I both feel very strongly about the issue of bullying. We've both known people who were severely bullied and we've seen how much it can hurt someone to feel as though they don't belong. It seems that with as much awareness as there is about bullying, the situation would be getting better, but every day there's something in the news about kids being bullied. I've read multiple articles about kids who were bullied so badly that they eventually took their own lives. Clearly, something needs to be done.
Whenever we prepare for a new episode, we do a lot of research on the topic. While many of our topics are fun and lighthearted, occasionally we have the opportunity to address an issue of greater importance that we hope can have an impact and make a difference. How unfortunate that everyday children in this country go home from school in tears because they are bullied. How unfortunate that people sit by and watch as kids are bullied, and they don't do anything about it. Parents, teachers, other students...why don't they speak up? As we go through the next week & a half, learning all we can about bullying, we hope to understand a little more about why it happens, what can be done to stop it, and how it affects those involved.
I was never bullied. I also never bullied anyone. But there were times when I saw it going on and did nothing to stop it. Luckily, to the best of my knowledge, those kids that I saw bullied made it through school without committing suicide or turning to other acts of violence. However, I've often wondered about how they are now. With so many bad memories of their years in school, are they unhappy? Did it injure their self-esteem in the long run? What would they say to those who bullied them if they had the chance to confront them now. And on the flip side, how about some of those people who bullied others and who grew and changed...what would they say to their victims if they had a chance to make amends?
There is much to think about, but here is an article to get us started. In order to solve the issue of bullying, we need to start by understanding it.
http://www.empoweringparents.com/The-Truth-About-Bullies.php#