Trying to explain to a child, or even at times an adult, the reason “whys” or “why not’s” related to certain behaviors can at times can be frustrating (and with our own children can be frightening.). “Don’t drink and drive,” “don’t smoke,” “watch who you pick as a friend,” or “who you date” are all things that teachers and parents communicate to their students and their children. In school kids are always asking “Why do we have to do” something, or learn certain academic skills. Bullying behavior can have a lasting effect on those who experience social, emotional, or physical abuse at the hands of a bully. Why don’t kids and bullies in particular heed the warning of adults and just listen and stop saying and doing things that are just downright cruel? The reason: many of our children today were never taught to obey, so they don’t have a vision in terms of the long-range consequences for what they do and often what they say, and many times, they just don’t care. Consequences, I might add, that could affect them as an adult. Remember all we are looking for is a kid to do what he/she is told, when he/ she is told to do it. Three military men were walking across the huge flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Suddenly, a commanding officer yelled out to them, “drop!” Two of the men immediately fell on the deck. The third man turned around to see what was happening and was instantly killed by an incoming airplane. All three men heard the same word; however, only two of them understood what they heard and obeyed the command. Recognizing and immediately obeying the voice of the commanding officer proved to be a matter of life and death for these men. Help your students understand that there does not have to be a reason right now why they have to do what they are told. Hopefully the bully will change before his life is affected, or worse yet, the life of someone else.

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