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From: Retz
Date: 07 Oct 2012
Time: 16:09:48 -0500
Remote Name: 108.199.222.223
Karly - You ask a great - and very real - question. What should a kid who stutters do if even after they "Get the Facts" and "Give the Facts" the bullying continues or gets worse? I totally endorse the CWS educating himself and others; as well, I agree compeltely with the suggestion to get an adult - a parent, a teacher, a coach, a guidance person, a principal, etc. - involved in helping to end the bullying. Hopefully with these tools it ends; and it has a happy ever after ending! But for those boys who stutter that continue to be the target of bullies who don't respond to reasoning or parent, teacher or adult intervention, I offer this suggestion. (This is just my view as a 58 year old male person who stutters that as a youngster between the age of 8 and 17 was bullied - you know, on occasions I recall quite vividly - punched, held down and beat by a group of boys, face-slapped into tears, major ridicule in front of peers, almost made to drink a bottle of urine by a groups of bullies at a dance [I was fast on my feet that night!] - you know, that kind of bullying) - in response to my stuttering. I know many male adults who stutter - besides myself - who endured bullies and paid the price with lives full of shame, fear, embarrassment; not only for stuttering, but also for not responding to the bully; for being afraid. I have met many male adults who stutter in the self-help groups that have known this to be true and understand this point. So here is my advice to a boy who stutters that continues to be bullied by the bully who refuses to listen to reason or respond to adult intervention: Next time the bully starts his bullying, say nothing and quietly ball up your strongest fist at your side. When that bully is within an arms reach, punch that bully square on the nose as hard as possible with your closed fist, and as he grasps his nose and sees stars after you hit him, kick the SOB where his jewels are kept and then RUN as fast as your legs can go and tell an adult what happened. You may have consequences for your actions, but I believe they will not be life-long shame, fear,and embarrassment for your stuttering or being afraid of bullies. I learned this lesson when I was 18. The bully who bullied me in a bar after I had a couple of beers took all the punishment of my 10 years of being bullied. Man, that bully was FUBAR'ed when I got finished. The police and jail were my consequences. But I didn't care. I actually felt kinda good- my spirit was returned, courage took the place of fear, embarrassment, shame and victim helplessness...and the bullying stopped. The bullying stopped. And I'm doin' alright today! Again, this is just my view.