Izzy's School Writings

Behind the Bully

Behimd the Bully

By: Izzy Sneed (Credit me if using!!)

Bullying is everywhere, and has more to do with than just the victim. I come from the point of view of a witness, having never been bullied myself. Yet being surrounded by friends that were always harassed -inside and outside of school- I very well know the effect of bullying on the victim. We always have television shows, assemblies, and studies on the victim, but never on the core of the problem. The bully.

I ask myself on a regular basis, “What would drive a person so far as to put somebody else down?” There always the stereotypical answers about having a rough time at home or wanting popularity. It must go deeper than just that; it has to.

I had gotten curious on the matter one day and questioned my father on his opinion on why bullies do what they do. He then openly admitted to me that he had once been quite the bully in during his high school years due to his status as a star athlete. “We would pick on the [nerds] of the team and ask them why they were even trying to play… We didn’t think about how they were just trying to get somewhere by being smart. We only thought about how we were better than them.”

I was surprised, yet not surprised at all, that people actually believe that they are physically worth more than another person, and attack them because of that. My father said, “I had no boundaries. I got away with nearly everything I did. Why not do it?”

Having grown up in the 80’s, my dad never had the resources we have now: bullying assemblies, discipline, etc. It is apparent that there is still bullying today even with them. I find that a simple detention and a firm warning won’t stop them. What does it really take to stop a bully?

My dad says that the only way he ever would have stopped was if he had been prohibited from sports. So if we actually take our time to look at the bully and figure out what it is that is provoking their behavior and find a way fix the problem or disciplines that give them a real reality check.