We were sitting at a high school football game a few weeks ago when Kedron stood up and walked over to the fence behind the bleachers. He yelled at a group of middle school boys, “BREAK IT UP!! NOW!!!” The group looked at him shocked, and then looked around as if asking, “Who? Us?” Four boys had been pushing around a smaller boy. Kedron returned to his seat, only to get up a minute later and repeat the directive. “I SAID BREAK IT UP! This is NOT how we behave!” This time the boys, wide-eyed, scattered instantly. I was proud of Kedron. In a sea of adults, he was the only one who noticed and stood up to let the kids know this is not how we behave in our community. It is completely unacceptable.
Kedron comes by it honestly. A little while back my father-in-law pulled behind a school bus dropping off a group of high school kids. As soon as the bus took off a group of boys started a fight. He pulled his car to the side of the road and got out and yelled, “WHAT’S GOING ON??!!” The group instantly scattered.
Kids need to know they are being watched, and being held accountable for their actions. They need boundaries, even as teens, to know what is acceptable and what is not, especially when it comes to bullying.
I urge you when you see bullying in action, to be the adult who speaks up. Someone recently shared with me a story from childhood, where in a very public place, for over an hour, adults walked by one after the other, with no one saying a word, only casting glances as if wondering what these kids had done to deserve such harsh treatment.
A friend of ours recently introduced us to a new organization launching this week, called Gloves-On:
“Gloves-On, one of the first charitable apparel brands to fight bullying while supporting anti-bullying organizations and programs across the USA! Your Gloves-On apparel signals that you will defend the people and principles you hold dear. It says you know your Strengths. It says you will confront bullies with action, words, and deeds. Your gloves-on apparel says that you will stand up for yourself and will be a Cornerman for any underdog in the ring of life.”
Great post, Amelia. And I’m really proud of Ked for sticking up for the kid who was being bullied. We are our brother’s keeper. That means that we are responsible to put a stop to injustice when we see it.
I’ve been bullied, I’ve seen others bullied, and I’ve experienced the pain of knowing it happened to my son. I do not tolerate it and am proud of ked for speaking up.
Way to go Ked! LU