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Image: Public Domain, Pixabay
In The Good Witch a young boy, Brandon, asks Cassie to turn a school bully into a frog or goat. Cassie, in her infinite wisdom, gives Brandon a crystal to hold, and a “spell” to change the bully. She says that Brandon must always carry the stone, spend five minutes on the bully’s property, introduce the bully to Brandon’s father (The police chief) and then have the bully touch the stone to complete the spell.
Brandon is terrified of completing the task, but he’s more scared of the bully, who has been harassing him every day. When he takes the step of spending five minutes on the bully’s property, he sees that the boy, Kyle, is bullied and abused by his father. When Kyle catches him on the property, Brandon does some quick thinking and invites Kyle over to hang out. Kyle is impressed by Brandon’s guts and agrees. Brandon does introduce Kyle to his father, and over the course of the story, Kyle is removed to live with other family and is finally made safe from the abuse. Kyle and Brandon become friends.
It’s a sad truth that most bullies are bullied and abused themselves. They act out in a desire to have power and respect, and because they don’t know any other way to be. Befriending a bully or showing them that people care can be a way to turn them around. Showing them that they have value and are important and that there are other ways to behave can set them straight. Not all bullies can be saved, but many can.
I know that I earned respect from one bully by standing up to her, and from another by refusing to rat her out, in exchange for her not bothering me. I wish I’d had the knowledge back then to even consider trying to become friends with them, or that there had been any adults I could tell to get them help. What these kids need more than anything is love and good leadership. There has to be an end to the cycle of violence.
Most people think that bullies are just a problem and they need to be treated like criminals. Often people forget that they’re likely being abused or neglected at home. They need to be shown love, kindness, and be given the ability to become better people. With proper guidance, most young bullies could be turned into good people. someone just needs to care enough to give them love and a chance at a better future.
