How To Help Victims of Bullies

Here’s the story:  Two young boys, who happen to be twins, were being made fun of because their shoes were old and full of holes.  The children tried to explain that their parents were poor, and didn’t have money to buy them new shoes.  However, that didn’t stop the bullies from taunting them.   A third boy tried to intervene, but his shoes were full of holes too.  He understood the twins plight, and tried to stand up for them.  Unfortunately, he became a target of the harassment too.

My heart broke as my nephew told the story.  I felt so sorry for the 3 boys, but I felt sadness for their harassers too. Are you wondering why I felt sorry for the bullies?  They obviously lack home training and most importantly empathy for those who have less than them. It all starts at home.  Obviously, they haven’t been taught to be charitable and to try to help others.  If these boy had been taught properly, they would have gone home and told their parents about their school mates being in need of new shoes rather than tease them.  At middle school age, they certainly should know better.

I taught my daughter early to reach out to others, and to give to the less fortunate. You must bless others if you want to be blessed. We bagged clothes, shoes, toys and anything else that we could find that could possibly help others in need.  To a point, she thought I could help everybody.  She brought a teen mom home and her baby one day.  She was in middle school at the time, I’ll share that story with you in another post.

Getting back to my awesome nephew, he went shopping for the shoes by himself.  While he was shopping, he sent the pictures above.  He found a reasonably priced pair of shoes for each of the children. I’m so proud of him for being a selfless young man.  He could have could have turned his back and walked away like so many do.

Fortunately, the school held an assembly to discuss bullying with the students.  Additionally, I’m hoping that they will contact the parents of those who are guilty of being a bully.  Most importantly, I hope that they have a  Zero Tolerance policy in place.

Teach your children that laughing at another’s misfortune is not acceptable.  Explain that they could possibly end up in the same position one day.  Our financial situation could change anytime.  Teach them to talk about their school mates.  Let them know that the right thing to do is to let you know about school mates in need.  You may be able to help.  If you can’t help financially, here a few tips that you can take to help victims of bullies:

1.  Contact your local church  – Many churches have clothing drives and have items readily available.
2.  Ask family and friends if they can contribute – A dollar from each adds up.
3.  Head up a local drive yourself – Most people are charitable and will be willing to donate.
4.  Ask your children if they would be willing to give up their allowance to help a schoolmate.
5.  Give up a trip to the salon or Starbucks for several weeks –  Donate your savings to your local charity.
6.   Contact your local Wal-Mart or Kmart – They may have a list of children who are in need.
7.  Check your children’s closet for donations – Determine if they have anything to spare.  If they have 5 pair of shoes will they really miss a pair?  If they have 10 pair of jeans, will they be willing to give up a pair?

We hope that you find our tips on how to help victims of bullies useful.  How do you bless others?  What’s your thoughts on this story?  You may also like  Stop Bullying.