The Southwest Voice

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Hey Dad,
My son came home from school today and told me he is being picked on and was punched by another boy in his class. I have always taught my kids that violence is not the answer, but I am loosing my patience with this bully. I have talked with the teacher, but she says she can’t watch them every second of the day. I don’t want my son hurt anymore, but what else can I do?
Protective Mom

Dear Protective,
You are correct that violence is not the answer, but sometimes it is the only option left. You need to teach your son to stand up for himself. This is what I suggest you do: contact the parents of the boy that is bothering your son, and ask them to talk to their son and try to get him to stop bothering your son. If that fails to bring peace, go to the principal and tell him or her about the problem. Advise the principal of your talk with the parents and that if the violence against your son doesn’t stop, you will give your son the right to defend himself. When I was a boy there were two neighbor boys who wanted to beat me up for no reason. My mom stepped in and said, “All right, if you want to fight, then you will do it right here in my front yard so I can make sure it is a fair fight.” I had just gotten over being sick with rheumatic fever and was not strong enough to fight, so my little brother stepped up and cleaned their clocks! We all became friends after that and I never had a problem with them again. In fact, when I confronted other bullies in my lifetime, the result was always the same. They all ended up respecting me and we became friends. I hope you get the same results.

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— “Hey, Dad” is written by contributing columnist Dwayne Ardis.