Tag Archives: bullying

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Bully Pulpit

Over my career I have interviewed presidents, celebrities, and some of our world’s greatest thinkers. But I can tell you, none of those interviews were any more powerful than the one I had this week with Kirk Smalley.

Mr. Smalley is the father of Ty Smalley, the 11-year-old Perkins, Oklahoma boy who committed suicide in response to repeated bullyings at school. One can only imagine how devastating such a tragedy could be, but rather than retreat into the pain and remorse of his son’s death Kirk Smalley started an anti-bullying effort that is growing worldwide.

I can’t imagine a more effective spokesperson on bullying…because he is what he is… a good ole’ country boy from rural Oklahoma, who had his life turned upside down. His story is a tough one to watch, but one I believe every child, parent, grandparent, and teacher should.

~Rob McClendon

(Part 1 of 2)

(Part 2 of 2)

Editor’s note:  I appreciate Oklahoma Horizon TV and their focus on bullying this week.  I was a victim of senseless bullying as a high school student in the 80s.  It started with me simply being the target of small pranks, but worked up to shoving me against lockers and verbal threats in the halls within close proximity to teachers and administrators who, from my perspective, chose to look the other way. Several times I would be driving to school only to have my car cut off by the bully and her friend group pulling out of a side road in front of my car, slowing down then flipping me off and screaming threats from their car. There were some days, just when I thought I was to school safely, they would pull out from behind a building and ride my bumper.  My car? A 1963 MGB.  Her car? A full sized sedan, always filled with three of her friends.

The one time I tried to report the issues to a high school counselor/advisor, she asked what I had been doing to become the target.  To this day, I still don’t know why the bullying started but as an adult, I know how to handle it now.  But I AM an adult now. At the time, if it weren’t for my best friend stepping in at one point – basically throwing down the gauntlet to say, “put up or shut up,” I’m not sure how the process would have ended. 

Bullying is never okay.  And if you ever find yourself in a situation where someone has reported it to you, I hope you listen. Thanks,

[kelly]

Relationships, Woman2Woman

Best Friends and Bullies Make Strange Bedfellows

4 Comments

“Bullying” has always been a buzzword to me, not entirely unlike “life skills” or “at risk.”  The similarity lies in the fact that I know the definitions of these words and I even use them occasionally, but they seem more like fodder for grant proposals or annual reports than concepts which exist in real life….or at least in MY life.

However, this year I’ve learned more than I want to know about real life bullying.  I can say in earnest that my quick education on the subject has been different and more painful than I expected because it involves my child.  I never thought I’d use the words “my 6 year old” and “bully” in the same sentence, but the reality is that these very sentences have consumed much of our recent dinner conversation as we’ve attempted to help our daughter solve some very real problems.

My child has a bully.  An interesting and complicating factor is that her bully is also her best friend.

As background, like many kids her age, Bailey tends to form friendships of convenience. She has played with her current BFF more than others in her classroom because they have a similar after-school situation.  This is not to say that the girls don’t have a good deal in common or share mutual affection, but being readily accessible is just as important to little developing minds.

At first, I was pleased to see Bailey buddied up with another strong personality.  The moment I discovered my child’s stubborn nature during the toddler years I developed a fear that she would choose friends based on ease of ability to control or manipulate.  I certainly don’t want my child to be the dictator in the room and have been relieved that this hasn’t been the case with most of her friendships thus far.  She and this little girl seemed to be a good match and played together well initially despite some run-of-the-mill little girl arguments.

Then, we started hearing stories about the friend’s antics at school. Continue reading Best Friends and Bullies Make Strange Bedfellows →

Oklahoma culture, Relationships

We’re All Human Beans; Let’s Find Common Grounds

4 Comments

Sometimes I think a blogger has to be vulnerable with their community in order for important messages to resonate.  That’s why today’s “Relationships” post includes a personal story.  Two of them.

When I was bullied

I grew up in a fairly rural community surrounded by independent and small farms.  I can always recall the year of any grade level during my youth because I was in kindergarten (grade “zero”) in 1970.  Life was fairly stable and slow-paced during my early childhood.  The definitions of the community I knew as a youngster were changed, however, when the social breezes turned into troubled storms.

Desegregation busing was in full swing by 1974 and my hometown was close enough to Oklahoma’s largest metropolitan school districts to become a haven for what has become known over the years as white flight. I can’t blame any family or individual for how they reacted to change.  People are scared of what they don’t know.  I can say, however, that I was affected by the change in our own community.  There was an influx of “city kids” into our country town, and with that change in our landscape came some challenges for both populations.

I experienced new emotions, unfamiliar to me until that time period in my life.  I was met with students who were socialized differently, whose wardrobes were by and large purchased from department stores, and whose houses were larger with more amenities than the previous norm.  I’m sure the incoming students were met with challenges as well.  They had moved into a new town with new rules; it must have been difficult for them.  I know it was for me.

I frequently became the recipient of comments about my hand-me-downs, about my hair cut, and about the way I talked.  New “street smart” lingo was wielded like weaponry in the halls and my wounds got deeper as the weeks passed.  In hind sight, I can now see that much of the behavior I encountered was a form of bullying.  Unfortunately, my response to this was to become a bully.  I’ll never forget one day on our playground in either the sixth or seventh grade.  I had worked hard to gain the acceptance of some of the newer kids and seemed to finally be making some headway.

When I became a bully

Standing with the group, their attention turned toward a weaker individual in our class.  She was socially less skilled and struggled with grades.  The group began taunting her and I joined in.  I was now the bully, not the one being bullied.  At some point she began shouting back, and in an attempt to protect my new status as a cooler kid, I stepped toward her and pushed her backwards.  I must have pushed pretty hard because she fell to the ground.  What’s worse, she tried to get up once and I pushed her backwards again.  She stayed put the second time.  Those who I stood with began to laugh at her and call her names.  My face flushed…this girl was a “country kid” and I had just hurt one of my own.

Over twenty years later I tracked her down and apologized for that day.  The guilt from my physical aggression weighed heavily on me and I needed to make amends.  Interestingly, she didn’t even remember that day or what happened.  So, the act of reconciliation was basically for my own healing I suppose.  I’m sharing this illustration with you because “bullying” seems to be in the air on the national news, we continue to have bullying problems and Safe Schools programming challenges here in Oklahoma, and bullying is a social problem that happens across races, cultures, social classes…and even within our family trees.

As I watched a few of the “It Gets Better” videos this past week, I was reminded that human beings respond to their own pain many times by taking it out on others.  The thing is, though, those they take it out on are human beings too.  They were born, they have some form of a family most of the time, and…they have feelings and hopes and dreams.  Just like you.  Just like me.

So today my message for you is this:  Whether you are being bullied or are the bully, try to step back, take a fresh look, and find common ground if possible.  If you can’t stop hurting people, there is help.  We’ll help you find some at the RDC if you don’t know where to look.  If you are scared and hurting because people can’t stop hurting you – same thing.  Everyone is valuable and you’re no exception.

We’re “human beans”…so let’s find some “common grounds.”

I’m going to get a cup of coffee now…Ciao.