Do you know, my dear readers,
that October is National Bullying Prevention Month?
I didn’t know that too until just
recently.
You know how it goes: something
bad happened and you think/wish/pray that it will not happen to you & your
loved ones.
But it did.
About a week back, I was laying
in bed awake thinking of a dear loved one who was bullied in school.
Is it me or is school now no
longer a happy, safe and cheerful environment for our children to grow up and
learn the basics that will help mould them into fine human beings?
Is it me or are there just more
and more YOUNGER kids being exposed to weapons and drugs?
Back in my school days (in
Singapore), the problems our teachers had to deal with were minor - a pack of
cigarette, a tiny compact powder, truancy.
Nowadays, even teachers fear for
their lives or get gunned down just trying to protect their ward.
As if “real life” bullying ain’t
problematic enough, bullying extends its ugly fingers into cyberspace as well –
cyberbullying.
I hate to point it out but
statistics have shown that 75% of school shootings have been linked to
harassment and bullying against the shooter*.
That’s such a frightening figure,
isn’t it?
Just last week, Americans were
shocked, yet again, by another unfortunate and tragic shooting in a Marysville
high school in Washington State. This time round, the student targeted his circle
of friends, 2 of whom are his own cousins.
The fatal count: 3, including the
gunman.
After the Sandy Hook Elementary
School shooting, there was quite the debate for gun control in the Unites
States. Sandy Hook went into the history books as the deadliest primary/school
shooting with 20 children (all under the age of 8!) and 6 staff members dead.
The perpetrator had also gunned
down his own mother before making his way to school. He later turned the gun
onto himself.
Somewhere, somehow, there has got
to be something that can be done to make schools a safer place for our
children.
Be it stricter laws on gun
control and a universal background check or educating our children about
bullying and its effects, I strongly believe that it should all start at home.
My darling hubby and I have
already started teaching our boys, Tommy and Aidan, not to fight with one
another. They still squabble over their toy trucks and who gets to hug Elmo at
night but we taught them to love and hug the other brother when they’ve wrongly
hurt each other.
We love watching them play and get into mischief together ...
… but equally important is the act of saying "I'm sorry, bro!".
Kiss & make up, that's the best way to go after a squabble.
Besides, who doesn’t love to be
hugged?
Its sad and such a shame that the
(young) generation lately has no respect for teachers and the learning
institution. Or life for that matter.
There are lots for me to read
still on this bullying issue (I've included some links below). For now, I pray and hope that God Almighty keep our
loved ones safe and sound, no matter what their occupation may be.
And my dear blog-loving friends, wherever you
may be, if you don't mind helping me with this one tiny favor: please help
SPREAD THE LOVE. Let us all be more loving toward one another. Stop Bullying.
Thank
you.
* Source: nobullying.com/bullying-statistics-2014/
#StopBullying365
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