Bullies

The other day I read an article in a magazine at a doctor's office about how to keep from being a victim of bullies. The article was in the September edition of Wondertime and can be found at their website, http://wondertime.go.com. It refers to a book called Bullies to Buddies by Izzy Kalman.

Basically the information says bullying is a game that's won by getting the target person upset, and the best way to avoid being bullied is by not getting angry or scared. 

I know the method works because of some personal experiences, including one in my childhood. I was the class victim and a total coward, but one day I did something brave. A neighborhood bully had knocked me down on the sidewalk and was sitting on my chest, ready to punch me in the face. Nobody else was around, so I had no hope, but for some reason I calmly explained that she was unpopular because she was a bully and kids would like her better if she stopped hurting them. She got up, left me alone, and never bothered me again. She moved away soon afterwards so I don't know if she ever took my advice.

I suggest that anyone who works with kids, has kids, or is victimized by bullies check out the article mentioned above or go to Kalman's website, www.bullies2buddies.com.

Turning the other cheek really does work.