In a moment of frustration, I told my son:
“Make him cry. Right in front of everyone. Then he’ll stop and I’ll even buy you that new video game.” I said!
The next day, Devon ran to the car after school, beaming with pride. “I did it!” he shouted. “I popped Tylor in the nose right after he tossed my stuff and then I made him clean it up!” He added "Tylor went back to his chair crying in front of everyone!"
And just like that… the bullying stopped.
But the real surprise came the following day.
Tylor asked if they could be friends.
And Devon, in his true kind-hearted way, said yes.
At first, I felt like a proud dad! Problem solved, right? But something inside me kept tugging.
Was that truly a proud moment… or was it just a temporary victory that overlooked something deeper?
You see, we often cheer when a bully “gets what’s coming.” But here’s what we don’t always see:
Many bullies are hurting, too.
In Tylor’s case, he was the oldest child in a neglected home. He acted out not because he was bad, but because he was invisible. His outbursts weren’t about power. They were about pain. And here’s the heartbreaking truth:
Children who bully others are up to 9 times more likely to die by suicide or fall into lifelong struggles with addiction, self-hate, and crime. That’s not just a statistic... it’s a warning!
At We & KamKam, we believe in digging deeper.
In helping not only the victims, but also understanding the why behind the bully.
Because the real enemy is not the child, it’s the trauma behind their behavior.
Please see the poster below for signs that a child who bullies might actually be a child in crisis. And join us in making sure no child is left behind whether they cry out in pain… or act it out in silence.