Bullies Need to Step Back or Tap Out!

There’s nothing I hate more than a bully.  When I hear horror stories from kids, it just breaks my heart.  I just wish I could do something to make it all better but the truth of the matter is, I can’t.  Kids have to learn how to deal with many things and sometimes parents don’t even know that their kids are being bullied but dealing with a bully is harder than we think.  It’s a sad fact but true.  Some kids have even committed suicide because they fell into a depression and could not take another day with bullies bothering them.  This has got to stop!

This reminds me of when my kids (particularly my son) were in summer camp.  I thought everything was going great because he seemed to be happy, but it wasn’t.  One day he came home upset and he was not himself. I asked him what was wrong.  He said nothing is wrong but I knew he was lying because he wasn’t “himself”.  As a parent, I know when my kids are not themselves.

So I asked him again the next day because he still had this odd expression on his face. He came out and said that this older kid is bothering him and he keeps on pushing him and teasing him by calling him four eyes (he wears glasses).

I was livid!

I couldn’t believe this was happening to my son.  I’ve always told me kids not to disrespect other kids or hit anyone BUT if someone hits you; you better defend yourself if the teacher doesn’t do anything.  I can’t help but raise my kids the same way I was raised – to defend yourself when no one else will.

I guess it stems from when I was a child.  I was bullied by a boy who was older than me and much taller than me. Although I didn’t tell my parents, I did tell my teacher but she did nothing.  So I decided to stand up for myself.  The next time he pushed me, I turned around and pushed him back with all my might and he fell to the ground. All the kids started laughing at him and after that, he never bothered me again.

When my husband found out that our son was being bullied, he immediately told him that that the next time he bullies him, punch him in the face.  That is exactly what he did when the bully decided it would be funny to push him and slap his glasses off his face.  After that, he never touched my son again.

Bullies need to know that they can’t continue bullying other kids. it’s not right!

I’m not into violence or anything like that.  I’m sure it sounds that way but I’ve always told my kids if someone was to ever hit or punch them, to tell a teacher first and let them handle it.  But if it happens a second time, defend yourself.   If you don’t, that kid will always think that you’re a punching bag and will keep bothering you until you do something about it.

To make things clear, I did go to the camp and spoke to one of the supervisors there but she said she was supposedly unaware of the situation.  After we spoke, they made sure they were not next to each other to make matters better.   We were cool with it.  I definitely didn’t want to hear anymore stories like this.  Summer camp is supposed to be full of fun and games, not bullies.  Toward the end of summer camp, both the bully & my son “became” friends.  At least the bully learned his lesson.

Anyway, one day, as I was flipping through channels,  I came across this show on MTV.  It’s called Bully Beatdown. I never heard of it before so I was very eager to find out what it was all about.  After the first 5 minutes, I was hooked.  Basically, this show is about bullies getting a taste of their own medicine.

Below you will find what it’s all about from MTV.com:

Ever wanted help getting a bully to back off? When it’s time to even the odds, it’s time for Bully Beatdown.

We’re bringing together bullies and their victims for the ultimate showdown. Bullies can pick on the small and the weak, but can they handle a trained, professional fighter? When they enter the ring — fighting for pride and for cash — will these bullies have what it takes? Or will they get a taste of their own medicine?

In each episode of executive producer Mark Burnett’s Bully Beatdown, victims reach out to our host, professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller, to enlist his help. After learning why this guy needs a beatdown, Mayhem will “ambush” the bully. Calling him out in front of others, Mayhem will give him a choice: accept the challenge of fighting a MMA fighter or look like a coward.

With the fight set, Mayhem makes sure the victims and the bullies get what they deserve. The bull gets the real experience of what it’s like to fight someone who is more than capable of fighting back, along with the nervous fear that comes from waiting for the big fight. For the victims, it’s the satisfaction of seeing their bully face someone who can make him suffer for his past actions.

Fight rules are simple: There are two rounds of fighting with up to $10,000 at stake for each three-minute round. Round 1 involves grappling and submissions; The Bully starts the round with $5,000, but will lose $1,000 every time he “taps out.” If at any time the bully manages to submit the MMA fighter, the bully wins an additional $5,000 bonus. Round 2 is all about kickboxing; the bully will win another $5,000 if he can survive three minutes of kickboxing with the MMA fighter without getting knocked out. If the bully gets knocked out, quits or the referee stops the fight before the end of the round, he gets nothing. If the bully manages to knock out the MMA fighter, he gets a $5,000 bonus. Any money deducted from the bully in either Round 1 or Round 2 will go to the victims.

At the end of show, Mayhem calculates the winnings and tells the bully how much he has lost and how much is going to his victims. After the fight is over, one would hope that the bully will have learned a valuable lesson and will stop picking on people smaller and weaker than him. Will he change his ways? Or, someday in the future, will he need another Bully Beatdown?

Here’s a clip from Youtube:

Check out this video where Mayhem talks about a fight between him and his Dad. It’s funny.

Check out Bully Beatdown on Facebook and friend Mayhem!

What do you think about bullies? Want to share a story? Have you seen this show? What do you think about it?

I would LOVE to hear about your opinions!

Photo & video credits provided by MTV.com