Letter: How to deal with bullying — it’s a choice

Excuses are often made for bullying behaviors; however, each decision is a choice. Bystanders have choices as well. You can laugh, join in, watch it happen, or do nothing about it. Or, you can stand up for others, talk to someone or get someone else involved who can help.

If bullying is happening to you, it is not as easy of a choice, but you still have options. First off, don’t give up! Know that you did nothing to deserve this and talk to someone, so you don’t have to keep it all trapped inside.

Parents, school staff, adults and others have choices as well. How do you talk to your children about bullying? Are you helping or hurting the situation? One way to help is to not place labels such as “bully” and “victim” on children. It sends the message that the behavior cannot be changed and it doesn’t consider the different roles children take in bullying situations. For example: In place of “bully,” use “a child who bullied,” and in place of “victim,” use “a child who was a victim of bullying.”

Choose to help, stand up and empower each child to do the right thing.

This story was originally published October 23, 2016 at 3:03 AM with the headline "Letter: How to deal with bullying — it’s a choice."