In this "retro" episode from 2022, Tom & Scott look at a tough topic as school starts...bullying. How do you know if your child is a victim? How do you if your child IS a bully? We talk through it.

Scripture

We should treat others the way we would like to be treated (Luke 6:31).

Definition: Bullying occurs between two students who have different degrees of power.

Researchers who study bullying cite three common characteristics of what makes an act bullying:

· Bullying is intentional and tries to cause harm or distress to the victim.

· Bullying occurs between two students who have different degrees of power.

· Bullying happens repeatedly over a period of time.

Bullying According to the American Medical Association, states by the time students finish school, nearly half of students have been bullied at one point or another.

Cybersmile.com

· This is a list of resources for victims of bullies, suicide prevention, depression and more

According to the American Medical Association, by the time students finish school, nearly half of students have been bullied at one point or another.

What to do?

1. If you see something, say something.

Reporting bullying to the proper authorities is one of the most important strategies we can use to prevent further bullying. Twenty-eight percent of students grades 6-12 say that have been bullied at school.

2. Understand who you are in Christ.

Meditate on passages like Psalm 139:13-18, which tells us that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and that God’s thoughts toward you are too numerous to count.

3. Even if you are wronged, respond in a Christ-like manner.

When we are in the midst of a painful situation, it can be very easy to forget who we are in Christ and how he has called us to act. Thus, if you ever find yourself being bullied, there are a couple of principles that you need to keep in mind.

· First, we should never try and get back at a bully or seek revenge.

· Second, it’s okay to stick up for yourself if you are bullied. Christians can often be confused by passages such as Matthew 5:39 and Luke 6:29 which tell us to “turn the other cheek.

· Third, Reach out to those being bullies Lastly, we need to reach out to those being bullied. One of the best ways we can do this is to befriend them and invite them to hang out with us. Not only will this make them feel loved, accepted, and less alone, it also acts as a deterrent to bullying. Bullies are much less likely to pick on someone if they are in a group of friends than if they are alone