Thread: Bullying
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Old 01-15-2009, 01:19 PM   #18
Marie Noelle Fequiere
 
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Dojo: Atibon Aikido, Port Au Prince, Haiti
Location: Port au Prince
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 295
Haiti
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Re: Bullying

Talking about bullies, how do you get parents to realize that their beautiful child is one? Adults too often mistake bullying for intensive teasing.
We have an adorable little boy training with us. Let's call him Johnny. When Johnny started, he was not so sure about Aikido, so Sensei decided give him more bokken and jo training to get him interested, and it worked. Johnny was hooked, and is now showing interest in irimi nage and kotagaeshi as well. But he seems not to have forgotten his previous classes.
It turns out that Johnny and his little brother have a bigger cousin who loves (loved?) to bully them. One day, Johnny found Bigger Cousin tormenting his little brother one more time, and he saw red. He grabbed a stick (I don't know what it was, a broomstick or part of a toy, or something), and whacked Bigger Cousin in the stomach. Bigger Cousin ran to him mama screaming, and Johnny's mama ran to Sensei, worried that her sweet little boy was turning into something evil. Sensei assured her that since Johnny had acted in defense of his little brother, he had been very brave. What I wonder is how come Bigger Cousin's parents did not realize that their kid was being a horrifying pain in the neck of his smaller cousins. Some people say, let the victim defend themselves. But children take clues of what is right an what is wrong by observing their parent's attitude in front of a given situation. Isn't ignoring a bad behavior send the message that it is alright? I mean, these children are first cousins. I don't have kids, but I cannot imagine letting my child torment my sister's without a comment.
And, Jacqueline, I loved your post. Thank you, your kids are really lucky to have you.

Last edited by Marie Noelle Fequiere : 01-15-2009 at 01:21 PM. Reason: spelling
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