Bullying. What is there to say about it that has not already been said? And still, there is so much left to be done.

When I was a kid, my little sister was getting bullied on the school bus by a big boy. She reported this to our brother, who was in high school. Back then, we problem solved this stuff in our own way. My brother took matters into his own hands and greeted the bully off the school bus one day after school. Those were also the days when dog owners didn’t clean up after their pets and, as luck would have it, there was a giant pile of dog poop right beside the bus stop. My brother held the bully’s face within an inch of the disgusting, steaming pile and suggested he apologize to my sister and promise that his bullying would stop.

Did my brother deal with the situation the best way possible? Probably not, but he reached hero status among a bus load of kids and my sister never had an issue again. It seemed to be a simple and effective method of resolution. Sadly, we know that some situations feel impossible to deal with and cause an incredible amount of long-lasting damage – emotionally and physically.

What is your bullying story? Did you ever get bullied? Are you dealing with a situation with one of your kids? Has your child ever been a heroic bystander who stood up for a child being bullied?