When my children were growing up, they trained in tae kwon do and learned how to control their reactions to others.
They dealt with their fair share of bullies - and even had conversations with the school resource officer about other students who were handsy. They did everything according to school requirements and the bullies didn’t stop.
At that point, even our Grand Master in TKD agreed with us, if someone puts hands on you and will not back off, block any attacker to the ground. Luckily, they never needed to defend themselves in school after those conversations.
If my daughter was in a girls bathroom and a bunch of boys rushed the bathroom and would let the girls out, my daughter had my full support to use any means necessary to get away from that threat.
A protest in the girls’ bathroom? A group of boys blocking the exit to the girls’ bathroom trapping girls inside the room? Of course, the girls are going to feel threatened. I would expect the girls to defend themselves - and I’d hope my daughter would, too.
I doubt I’m the only one who’s annoyed by the school’s reaction - what are your thoughts?
All my children are adults now but my youngest daughter had a rough time early in school (She was one that developed very early in life). When she came home crying one day all that changed.
I taught her some very basic and painful (to the receiver) moves and told her she had my full support if she needed to use them. The condition was, she was never allowed to start a fight but if she had to defend herself do what was necessary to finish it.
She only had to use what I taught her once, while waiting for the school bus one morning. A boy came up from behind and grabbed her with both hands. It was the last time anyone tried to touch her, word spread fast that she was not someone to mess with.
Granted this was over 10 years ago, today the police would most likely get involved. She would still have my full support and I would still have taught her the same “dirty” moves.
I taught my son how to fight. I told him he had better never start a fight, and to walk away from one when possible, but if that wasn’t possible, to absolutely stand his ground and fight back. He’s a bigger boy, he’s not quite 1p, and already 5 feet tall and 105. I don’t like to wrestle with him anymore, because he can hurt me, lol. He’s only been bullied twice. Once in pre-K and once in the 2nd grade. Both times, after the bully wouldn’t quit, ended in my son giving one a black eye and the other a black eye, and busted lip. They didn’t come back for more.
I wish someone had taught me that, my childhood might have looked quite different.
On the article. Not enough info to know if the girl was the aggressor or not. If they were blocking her in the bathroom, and she used force to get out, I’m with her on it.
My oldest is gonna be 4 this summer. On his 5th birthday hes getting signed up for Grandmaster Han’s Martial Arts & Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, we have a zero tolerance for bullying of any kind. He has a younger brother and are teaching him the difference between wrestling around and just walking up and taking stuff.
I teach my children to first give the person who is annoying them 2 verbal warnings, then if an adult is available, make the adult aware of the bullying, involve a conflict manager, if the bully continues, then avoid them, if the bully then seeks you out, maybe then put them in check?