Bullies (From Penarth Times)

Bullies

Bullies have been allowed to get away with making the lives of their victims an absolute misery, with society excusing it, saying "kids will be kids".

I sympathise with Naomi (Penarth Times, September 23). I was picked on mercilessly - and trust me when I say it leaves scars.

These wounds cannot be seen, unless the bullying gets so intense the victims resort to desperate measures. But they are there and they last into adult life.

All the platitudes in the world, like "they do it because they are scared" or "be the bigger person" means nothing when you are facing someone who scares you to the marrow.

And what favours are we doing for the youngsters who think they can get away with this? Are they going to end up with rich and fulfilled lives? They may think so, but people with the tendency to become bullies won't stop just because they grow up. They will become those employers who have no empathy with their staff, or those employees hated and feared by their colleagues.

An MP has just called for bullying to become a criminal offence and I hope the rest of the Government follows suit.

Haven't we just been to war because a few people were bullying the many? It is on a bigger scale, but it is the same principle.

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