Bullying: Take a baseball bat to school?

"Take a baseball bat to school."

That was the advice of my father when I was 12 years old.  His words came out of frustration because the middle school I attended seemed powerless to stop a particular gang of bullies from their unrelenting assault on me that spanned a two year period during the mid-70’s.  I didn’t follow dad’s advice because I knew most likely, the baseball bat would have been yanked out of my hands by the lead bully, and then most likely used on my noggin and-or kneecaps.  Being spit on, punched in the gut, and having my head flicked repeatedly on the school bus and being told to walk backwards around school would have been a picnic in comparison to a beating by a bat.  

As a child, there is nothing worse than being afraid of school, knowing that no one has your back.  Every school day, you feel physically sick as soon as your alarm clock rings, because you know it’s time yet again to have to navigate the gauntlet of bullying. At a later date, after making maximum use of the 100# Everlast punching bag my dad bought for me, I showed up at the lead bully’s doorstep and invited him outside to dance.  In retrospect, although I was very proud of that moment, I now realize I spent way too much time learning to survive school instead of doing what I should have been doing:  my homework.  Being bullied is a distraction like no other.

So how are parents handling bullying these days?  Have you given your child a baseball bat or bought them a punching bag?  By the way, I do not advocate the use of a baseball bat or any other violent methods.  Have you transferred your child to another school?  Have you shown up at the doorstep of the offender(s)?  At the very least, let your child know you have their back, because it is possible no one else does.