Bullies In School

A 5th Grader came out to her school board and plead with the committee to help her combat bullies.

Sorry, kid, here's the reality...

Bullies will be around forever. It isn't always a person punching you or threatening you with physical violence. Out here in Hollywood, the bullying is awful. It's high school and people don't realize it. It's a popularity contest that doesn't even pay. Most have a chip on their shoulder, because of...being good looking or rich and now have a public platform to use it. Some came from very poor families and abuse. Others left to pursue (or tamp down) their own emotional pain. The stories are endless about agents who scream at minions, directors who scream at actors, stars who scream at everyone. These are the bullies. They threaten to end your career. Some have ended people's lives. I doubt this is any different than a stock broker's life. The adrenaline rush met with the disastrous crash. The depression, the lack of self-worth and self-esteem. I under the child most likely will not understand this, but this will strengthen her. If she can learn to handle difficult people. Because, in this day and age everyone is on something and they're all difficult.
Can you stop physical violence? Yes. But emotionally, your parents need to find ways to teach you how to deal with these situations where other kids are pushing you around. In my day, it was fighting back. At least you went the civil route first. Now, you need to show the bully that you mean to draw lines they cannot cross.

When I was in school, the bullies were rich kids who mocked you and your clothes (yes, preppy fucking suburbia). They embarrassed you because you didn't have the right clothes or skin color. I learn to deal, and understand that I've run into people like this later in life. Imagine if kids were sheltered to a point of not knowing? I find this disastrous.

I'm not advocating bullying. It's just a small part of one's life that helps you deal with awful things later. The older generation was much tougher than us. They shrug that shit off. Because they've seen how bad things could get. Survival in the schoolyard 101.