Bullying

I think bullying is a part of human nature. This Does Not Justify it and I am Not Condoning it!

When people are afraid they strike out. When they are insecure or not confident themselves, some try to get self-confidence at the expense of others. When people are beaten up some learn that this is the only road to power.

I think it amazing just How Much Bullying goes on under the noses of those responsible for the care of children and goes unpunished and ignored. Parents of kids who are bullies don't usually believe that Their son or daughter is bullying others.

It's not something an adult who was bullied severely wants to discuss. But when I got the E-mail below from our deaf-blind listserv I couldn't help but relate. I attended a school for the blind where the primary bullies were partially sighted boys. This young man attends or attended a school at least including deaf students. His bullies were those who were deaf and Sighted. Many common experiences.

One of the reasons I dislike Facebook is that so Many people use it to publicly humiliate or harrass one another. One would Think they Wouldn't Want to put their Worst foot forward. Then there are innumerable situations where person A says something via social media intended for person C. But person B or D or E, thinks it is intended for Them and gets hurt, scared, offended, strikes back. What a way Not to communicate.

Sometimes I think we humans who have lots o technology have used it so we can Avoid discussing Anything unpleasant face to face. This seems to lead to an ignorance of tactfully Trying to discuss anything face to face. It Is possible to say what's bothering you without grinding the other person into the dirt!

And where should the line be drawn between obnoxious "communication" and bullying?

I think deliberate attempts to cause physical or emotional pain or humiliation are bullying behaviors. When I was a teenager I hung around with a partially sighted guy because he could defend me from others, even though he hit me sometimes. There Was no alternative! So I played it like a game. I would set him up for public insults, he would hit me, but sometimes I still felt like I won. He would publicly humiliate me, I would bide my time for the next verbal volly. Part of it was just being a tough kid in a tough situation, which was the only kind I knew. By the time I was seven, (or younger) I must have had "victim" written in ink visible to bullies all over me.

Evidently it has Finally washed off, as I''m Not in those kinds of situations now. The principal and teachers watched and sometimes laughed as we kids hurt one another. And it still goes on.

All I can say to anyone considering suicide over constant misery inflicted by others is that neither school nor home will last, you Will get free! And No other person's opinion, no matter Who they are, is as valuable as your life can Become!

Hi all,
I just saw this video of a young man with Usher 1. He shares his feeling about being
bullied because of his vision loss. It's powerful. There are two versions. This
first link is just signed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA7NX6A9HQU
This second link has written subtitles.
http://deafyouvideo.blogspot.com/2012/03/stop-bullying-deaf-blind.html
I cannot find one with audio link but maybe your JAWS or other programs will provide
that for you. Beth

A friend read subtitles to me.

P.S. Blogger is throwing stuff into my "Labels" from Past posts, I do not know why, sorry.