The institution of violence is not new but children are catching on at a young age, as playground bullies gain control of our children.

Individual, familial, peer, school and community factors can all contribute to why a child feels the need to bully. We can argue that factors such as his or her environment, lack of discipline, parents who seemingly don’t care or are too busy, the decrease in church attendance, etc., compound the issue- but the truth is there is no real reason for the nonsense.

Bullying is a way to gain power. But in the long run it only creates a lose-lose situation. It’s a different philosophical stance to try to gain power over a person through bullying, versus negotiating or discussing a matter in order to come to an agreement.

Sad as it may be, bullying can begin as early as kindergarten. Children do it in school, in the classroom, in the restrooms, on the playground, in the cafeteria and even on the bus. And there are several different types – physical bullying, relational bullying by spreading rumors or gossiping, peer sexual harassment, stereotyping based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender, and thanks to technology, we have cyber bullying by email, instant message, text or other digital means.

Violent actions and crimes inflicted against young people, by young people are not too far from reality, even in Tyler County.

As adults, parents and school administrators, we should listen to our children’s fears and concerns; we should talk to school officials to make sure supervision and structure are in place; and we should help our children’s self-esteem by letting them know they are valued and cared for.

Don’t turn a blind eye to this violence.