BATTLING BULLYING: Learning the signs and forms of a common threat

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Your child could be a victim of bullying in school and you have no idea the torment they’re dealing with.

Or your child could be a bully, and you could be equally in the dark.

U.S. Department of Justice statistics from 2019 shows 22% of school-aged children between the ages of 12 and 18 were bullied, which is 22% of men and 25% of women.

Bullying comes in several forms, from name calling and physical bullying to shaming on social media. Whatever the form, bullying can be dangerous.

“It can lead a young person taking their own life or someone else’s life,” said Dr. Juanita Wilchie, health counselor at New Dawn Counseling.

“The person might say, okay, I’m not going to hurt anybody, but I’m going to take myself out of it, or I’m going to hurt as many people as I can because I’m hurting,” she said.

Wilchie said violent outbursts at schools or job sites often stem from bullying.

State Representative Antonio Parkinson, a Democrat from Nashville, said he was bullied as a child and as an adult. As a 14-year-old, Parkinson said he got his hands on a gun and was going to shoot his tormentors on the last day of school.

“That was my intention,” Parkinson said. “It was my intention to shoot them as soon as this fight started.”

Neither happened, because one of Parkinson’s classmates told the principal about Parkinson’s plans. Parkinson was arrested. He eventually joined the military, and ultimately moved to Memphis and worked for the Shelby County government, where he said he was bullied by a supervisor.

“It’s different and you’re dealing with an adult bully, who has the power to remove the food from your kids’ mouths,” Parkinson said.

That experience helped inspire him to introduce a first-of-its-kind bill to protect government employees from bullying in the workplace.

In 2014 the Healthy Workplace Act became law. 5 years later, it was amended to cover the private sector.

Dr. Wilchie said whether it’s schoolhouse or workplace bullying, it’s important for people who know the victim to be aware of warning signs, like withdrawal and sudden behavioral changes.

She also said to listen to your children carefully, because they could be trying to tell you something is wrong without actually saying the word “bully.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the most important thing a parent can do to prevent bullying is to recognize the warning signs and to talk with their child.

For more resources on preventing bullying, you can go to www.Stopbullying.Gov.