SoapZone Community Message Board

I'm sorry for my topic heading...I'm not quite sure how to put this.

But the story with the news anchor who received a letter telling her that her weight gain made her a poor example for younger viewer really got me thinking.

The anchor referred to the incident as Bullying and she's done some national media discussing this.

Then there's the case where a WWF wrestler ripped up a boy's sign (which was cheering for the other wrestler in the match) on TV as part of the whole act. The mother of that boy is outraged, said the wrestler mader her son cry and that her son was a victim of Bullying.

Which also got me thinking...are we starting to lump any mean/idiot behavior into Bullying?

I don't feel as though the news anchor was bullied. The guy was rude and disrespectful, sure. Did it hurt her feelings? Of course.

But for it to be Bullying there has to be that lack of power. The victim feels powerless, scared, overwhelmed, etc. HELPLESS. Kids literally kill themselves because they sense no way out or no one to help them.

To lump her experiences in with those of people who really have been bullied is really diluting the water. There are people at work who are bullied (I think of a SZers I really like and some of this person's experiences at work...and this person had no recourse. Just had to take the incessant bullying he/she was a victim of). That in NO WAY compares to this newscaster who had the full support of coworkers, station managers and friends/family. *She* had the power and the means to handle an unpleasant situation.

Just because someone is mean to you doesn't make it bullying.

I think the same holds true for the little boy at the wresting match. The offending wrestler was playing a part in a televised match. He's the "bad guy" and is supposed to interact with fans, etc. He took the boy's sign and ripped it up as a way to make the crowd react. The boy (8 years old) started to cry.

Was it a dick move on the part of the wrestler? Well, he probably shouldn't have taken a kid's sign, LOL. But was that kid really bullied? Of course not! He was with his Mom at a live event where these wrestlers are putting on a show.

I just find it frustrating that Bullying is becoming the new catch-all. If someone treats you poorly then it's bullying. And Bullying is a hot national topic right now so some people are hopping on the bandwagon when they really don't belong there.

My oldest son was bullied in Middle School. It was truly and sincerely one of the worst experiences of our lives (and our entire family was affected). Thankfully we switched schools and he's doing so well now...we are so lucky.

But bullying is such a serious and devestating thing to be a victim of; it's not something that should be tossed around lightly. If every bad behavior gets put under the Bullying umbrella, people will become desensitized to the reality of what victims of true bullying face every day.

Kath