Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord – Proverbs 6:14
“Wilbur, don’t go over there!” Donny yelled after his dog. “Son, don’t worry, Wilbur will be alright,” Carl assured. “But that’s a bigger dog. He might hurt Wilbur because he’s small like me.” “Hey, is something going on with you at school?” “Just a new student trying to make a name for himself by picking on me and several of my friends. But I’m handling it as you’ve always told me; I shake it off,” Donny said. “Good. But always remember, if the teasing turns into bullying, I want to know so we can talk about the right way to handle it,” Carl said, patting Donny’s shoulders.
I fully expect a similar conversation will occur between my son and grandson to forewarn of an existing issue that may be encountered: being teased. He’ll likely explain the right way to handle those occasions if my grandson is the target of another student’s jokes. Most importantly, my son will highlight the difference between verbal jostling—back-and-forth teasing between students—and bullying, which targets a child to intimidate and harass for the purpose of asserting power and control.
Having been the target of taunts at an early age, I know how demeaning it can feel. However, bullying and behaviors along those lines don’t cease once you reach a certain age or leave environments such as schools. Oftentimes, these bullies may be the ones you least expect and the ones willing to do you the worst harm.