Bullying - does it happen?

Is your child being bullied in school?

I recall visiting my sister and her husband in Atlanta in about 1976. My nephew came home from school and complained of being bullied. I took him out into the backyard and had a little "chat" with him. My advice? The next time the bully attacked him, start swinging. Go in hard and fast and get in a few good licks before he got pounded.

Good advice? Probably not. And today? It would land you in the clink, and the bully would probably not even get taken away. Fair? No.

We can legalize kick-boxing and cage matches, but heaven help the kid who defends himself or finally gets so fed up with the bullying that he reacts, either the same day or after.

Read this week's edition of www.wrightslaw.com about bullying.

There are plenty of books, too, about bullying, including good books by Barbara Coloroso, who travels worldwide to lecture and train teachers and parents how to spot bullying and stop it. The first book written by Barbara that I read was Kids are Worth It: Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline.

Her second book was The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: from Pre-school to High School, How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle.

Each is worth reading and owning.