Hannah Velte's open forum letter Wednesday about bullying provides another new reason why kids might bully and who might be bullied. I want to challenge our community to focus on a solution to bullying. The Parent Engagement Network's annual lunch this past Monday featured Colorado resident Barbara Coloroso, an international speaker and author about parenting issues, bullying and genocide.
We know bullying happens daily, in our own minds, in our homes, in our schools and workplaces and on our roads. I really like Coloroso's main explanation of bullying, people who bully feel contempt for the other person. As a community, we need to not allow this behavior, give appropriate consequences and then get curious about why this is happening for the bully and get that person help.
Coloroso challenges parents to take a good look at what we are modeling for our children. How do we respond in the car when a driver or biker does something unsafe? For myself, what are my own thoughts about myself or others, can I change them, acknowledge them, get help? Reading Coloroso's book, “The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander,” is giving me hope that we can make circles of caring and create a welcoming community for all people in Boulder.Kim Decker