Bullying: Name Calling
Remember the old rhyme from childhood: “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me?” Bunk!
Names do hurt. That inspirational rhyme is flat out wrong. Loving parents and dutiful school folk told us this in an attempt to help us cope with and ignore name calling from fellow students. It didn’t work. Did it?
So what does work?
- Lack of tolerance for Bullying and Name Calling of any kind on any level.
- Parent involvement.
- School involvement.
- Good Role Modeling.
Speaking of Role Modeling, consider some of the following: As parents and school personnel do you…
- Make fun of others, neighbors, etc in front of children?
- Use the “N” word or other racial or ethnic slurs in home or school?
- Derogatory words for women (the “B” word)?
- Use Hetero-sexist, Homophobic or derogatory words for gay people such as the “F” word, “Homo,” etc? Do you tolerate sayings such as “that’s so gay?”
You probably haven’t thought of theses things as fueling Bullying and Name Calling. But they do.
Names can cause a life time of harm. They are just as bad or worse as physical Bullying. Be an agent for change in your home and school. Stop the violence.
Dr John
Leave a Comment