Thank you for posting an article that goes beyond "outing" a Bully and provides practical and heartfelt steps as well as speaks to Social Emotional Learning which has been truly effective. I believe we need to have Compassion for both sides; nearly no one is born a Bully; everyone has a Story and when we learn the Story behind the behavior we can help both sides.
I was bullied from age 5 to 13, when I discovered a talent for theatre and was able to in some ways "save myself" from the bullies. I also had a conversation with the worst offender and when I learned her Story (parents going through a horrendous divorce) I had empathy for Why she was doing what she was doing.
I've used that experience to serve others through Storytelling programs that also address this issue. When we have Compassion for both sides and reach beyond and through the incident to the human beings beneath by creating the sort of space you've described much more can be done to prevent bullying in the first place.
On Oct 26, 2014 Kristin Pedemonti wrote:
Thank you for posting an article that goes beyond "outing" a Bully and provides practical and heartfelt steps as well as speaks to Social Emotional Learning which has been truly effective. I believe we need to have Compassion for both sides; nearly no one is born a Bully; everyone has a Story and when we learn the Story behind the behavior we can help both sides.
I was bullied from age 5 to 13, when I discovered a talent for theatre and was able to in some ways "save myself" from the bullies. I also had a conversation with the worst offender and when I learned her Story (parents going through a horrendous divorce) I had empathy for Why she was doing what she was doing.
I've used that experience to serve others through Storytelling programs that also address this issue. When we have Compassion for both sides and reach beyond and through the incident to the human beings beneath by creating the sort of space you've described much more can be done to prevent bullying in the first place.