Bullying
Five-hundred years ago, bully meant friend, family member, or sweetheart. The root of the word comes from the Dutch "boel", meaning lover or brother. Today, bully represents a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate another person. So what the heck happened?? As a child, I had to deal with bullying just like every other kid I knew, but not to the extent today's kids have to deal with it. I had two bullies to deal with - neither of which I'd like to remember (but alas, remember well!) and neither of which are active members of my inner circle now. Today, the internet and cell phone texting makes it very easy for bullies to reach the masses and cause some much more serious damage. Our ability to communicate rapidly and effectively is causing a lot of harm with today's youth. The media reports suicide and murders resulting from bullying on a fairly regular basis. It's not just media hype, either. I've witnessed the devastation as a mother o