Bullying

When I was still in primary school, I knew firsthand what it was like to be bullied, and just what some young children were capable of. In fact, bullies can be cunning, ruthless, deceitful, brazen and, even worse, very charming and two-faced. Now that I am in my later middle years, it is easy for me to understand that, unlike most normal adults, some children and teenagers seem to have a form of revenge that knows no limits, precisely because they do not have a fully developed thinking brain and a conscience that enable them to control volatile emotions, accurately assess the consequences of their actions, and maintain a satisfactory standard of behaviour in the community. Furthermore, whether a bully grew up in an abusive family environment or, to the other extreme, was pampered from an early age, is not a valid excuse for violating the safety of another fellow human being. After all, every bully is really a coward; otherwise, why would he or she target someone who is more vulnerable or defenceless? Likewise, every school teacher has the fundamental responsibility to make sure that every student feels safe; otherwise, that particular teacher would be sending the wrong message that "survival of the fittest" is the only "rule" that one has to live by. For God's sake, this is the twenty-first century!