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As someone who used to be somewhat of a bully, I think this is the best advice. Bullies pick on smaller kids because they're insecure about themselves and bully
by cb33 16y ago
As someone who used to be somewhat of a bully, I think this is the best advice. Bullies pick on smaller kids because they're insecure about themselves and bullying a smaller kid is... well, easy. If a smaller kid makes it difficult for bullies to pick on them (by fighting back), the bully will most likely stop (and move on to another victim).
- portman 16y agoYou make a good point (and it takes guts to admit being a bully): the anti-bullying strategy is to make the bully pick a different target. You don't have to be "un-bullyable", you just have to be less bullyable than the next guy. However, I still believe it's possible to fight back in a non-physical manner. My experience has always been that wit is sharper than fists, so I plan to teach my kids to fight back with language, not punches.
- cb33 16y agoBelieve me, that will make most bullies even more angry. They'll feel more insecure because now they're inferior to the "shrimp" in a way. It's just adding fuel to the fire.
- portman 16y agoIt worked for me growing up. I attended 8 schools between ages 12 and 18 (yes, more than one per year) and was bullied throughout. And that's why comparing parenting strategies is almost never fruitful -- nearly every decision a parent makes is deeply personal, made with very few data points. ( By the way, if any parents here have NOT read Nurture Shock, buy it right now. Pretty much the only data-driven book on parenting there is. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0446504122 http://www.amazon.com/dp/0446504122 )