I’ve been thinking a lot about bullying in the last 24 hours. Between working at a high school, having my own boys tell stories from school, friends who share their experiences, and all the news of school shootings… it’s hard not to think about it.

I wonder why it seems so prominent in today’s society. Has it really increased? Or is it just a matter of us hearing about it more because of social media?

I definitely think it’s a subject we all need to address with our kids. All sides of it. Our kids need to understand what a bully is, so they can be sure that they aren’t one. We also need to teach them what it means to be bullied and how to be brave and use their voice to speak about the truth that they see or happens to them personally.

Today I read a story a long time friend of mine wrote detailing being raped just a few months ago. An ultimate act of bullying. This reinforced for me, the importance of speaking up for yourself and standing up for others if you witness a bullying situation.

I know I’ve heard it said that some people are too sensitive and they need to not make a big deal out of someone simply calling them a name or jokingly punching them, etc. The fact is, these things can deeply affect people on both sides.

The bully becomes empowered as they continually mistreat others and are not held accountable. Their behaviors can escalate and become more severe and damaging, like in the case of a rapist.

The bullied becomes disheartened and their spirit can be broken as they repeatedly endure abuse whether it’s verbal, psychological, or physical.

I hope that as parents we will have these discussions with our kids about the proper way to treat others. We don’t have to like every person we meet, but we can still choose to be respectful to everyone we come into contact with.

The whole “love thy neighbor” and “do unto others” are important principals to live by and teach our kids.

Don’t bury your head in the sand and pretend that your own child will never be the bully or the bullied. Have those discussions and be sure that they understand the impact for both good and bad they can have on others around them.

Every person matters and deserves to be treated with kindness and respect.