Protecting The Young
Sadly, we are hearing more and more stories of bullying every day. While as adults, we are often aware that bullies (yes, there are adult bullies too!) often behave in such a way in order to exercise control over others who are weaker than them in order to make up for their own shortcomings or insecurities, but sadly, children who experience bullying are often less well-equipped to deal with such torment. This father decided to do something quite unexpected in order to scare off his son’s bullies, a secret weapon under his coat.
Tormented
Little Joey Mason found peace at the park after school. He was able to play with his ball without attracting the attention of the ruffians at his school who tormented him daily. He could wander through the beautiful pathways alone, enjoying the fresh and clean air without a care in the world. But some menace was about to come into his path. Unfortunately, his peace was soon to be shattered even in the place he felt most comfortable in.
Tormented
Joey’s Happy Place
As is common with many people, this little boy did not know how to deal with the unwanted attention he got from some school bullies. They were loud and cruel while he was kind and sweet. When he was at the park, he did not expect to cross paths with the rascals who made his school day so awful. So when a group of these annoying boys showed up that afternoon, he knew something would have to be done.
Joeys Happy Place
Fun Became Horror
Young Joey lived in Toronto, Canada, and had been having run-ins with bullies at school since he was four years old. No human being should have to be attacked by the meaner folks in their environment, let alone from such a young age. As a result, he preferred his own company and that of his pets, to other boys. He had learned that people were best avoided. This got even worse when he moved school.
Fun Became Horror
Oppressors
It was just a normal day. After school was finished for the day, Joey headed off to the park as he normally did. Little did he know that a gang of ruffians had had the same idea that day. Joey considered the playground a place where he could be left in peace to run around, playing ball with his dog, and not be tormented by groups of older boys that had mayhem on their minds.
Oppressors
Being Antagonized
Although he was a relatively happy soul, Joey needed a way to express how the intimidation was affecting him. Thankfully, there is a place where anyone can safely and anonymously express themselves. As an avid user of forums on the internet, he had described to others how the bullying had made him sad, afraid, and lowered his self-esteem. He admitted that he did not know how to handle the situation he was in and begged his antagonizers to stop their persecution of him.
Being Antagonized
Drawing Attention To Himself
His posts on social media about the intimidation he was experiencing garnered a lot of views. Regretfully, it seemed as if everyone except his tormentors read his posts. Although so many people had learned about what this boy was going through, the most important person had failed to come across the post. Joey’s dad was completely in the dark at this stage. He did not know about the bullying or the fact that his son was posting his thoughts on the net.
Drawing Attention To Himself
Parental Angst
Joey and his dad were close, and Joey’s dad had a feeling that all was not well with his son and worried about his child not being happy. Any parent can tell when their baby is not having a good time, especially when they are being hurt or victimized. He had noticed some withdrawal from social life when it came to Joey mixing with other kids at school, he felt uneasy but did not know why.
Parental Angst
Communication
Again, like any other concerned parent, Joey’s dad tried to pry the truth out of him. Joey was so ashamed that he could not handle the situation himself, that he refused to talk about it to anyone, the internet forums were his one solace, a place where he could express himself without shame or fear. He felt like such a failure. As time went by, he became more and more withdrawn but would not talk about it.
Communication
Feeling Anguished
The young boy had recently changed school districts and his dad noted that it was at that time that he became withdrawn, quieter and sad. As Joey had always been a bubbly, cheerful child, he knew that the change in behavior must have something to do with the school transfer, perhaps trouble with a teacher or another student was to blame. The worst part is that Joey’s father could not tell who was to blame for his son’s sad state of affairs.
Feeling Anguished
A Clue
As a dad, Joey’s father was determined to find out what was going on. After all, his child was coming home from school in tears most days and that was not normal. He still did not know the specifics of what was troubling his boy but knew that he needed to get to the bottom of this asap. That was when Joey’s dad decided that it was time to do some detective work. Even if it meant crossing some lines.
A Clue
Digging For The Truth
As it turned out, Joey’s dad was shocked when he found out the extent of the torment his son was experiencing. To resolve the situation required drastic measures and he did not care if those methods were extreme or not. Someone was hurting his boy and he needed to deal with it. Many parents across the world have resorted to incredible measures to protect their children from harm. But what did Joey’s dad have in mind?
Digging For The Truth
Time for Action
For a long time, he debated with himself about what action to take. All manner of methods cycled through his mind, from slightly unreasonable to completely unacceptable. He could not bear to see his son becoming more and more depressed each passing day. The time for action had come as he could no longer stand seeing his son in this state. After discarding many ideas, he came up with one that he thought would work.
Time for Action
Why Joey?
Whilst making his plans, Joey’s dad realized that the people or person making his son’s life so miserable could be a teacher or other student as Joey was different at home, on weekends, and during vacations when he became his usual happy self. He had to form a different strategy for the possible different kinds of people possibly involved. Certainly, no one in his inner circle of family and trusted friends could be causing Joey such distress.
Why Joey
Spying On His Child
Before he came up with a definitive plan, dad was feeling such anxiety about the situation and stressed about how he could help his son. Before deciding what final action he could take, he thought it may be a good idea to follow Joey to school and to the park to see what happened in a day in his son’s life. He was not the sneakiest person, but if Joey’s dad was about to crack the case, he would need to learn how to follow his son without being noticed. Finally, he would find out what was going on.
Spying On His Child
Discovering The Truth
Joey’s happy place, the park, was about to become an extension of the school grounds where he was targeted by his tormentors. On this day, Joey was peacefully playing with his ball when several older boys approached him and not because they wanted to make friends. Joey had a good sense for what people wanted out of him, and their malicious expressions were dead giveaways. Luckily, his dad was watching closely from behind a nearby tree.
Discovering The Truth
The Bullies Mark
For some unknown reason, Joey had been targeted by this group of ruffians to be hectored that day. Unbeknown to his father, this was not the first time they had picked on Joey in the park. They followed him around and tormented him before and after school no matter where he went. It seemed like Joey could not escape the bullies in public, no matter where he went. All his safe spaces had been discovered.
The Bullies Mark
Tough And Courageous
Joey may not have thought that he could deal with the antagonizers but by ignoring their initial taunts, he was doing exactly the right thing. The group of boys continued to harass him and when they did not get the reaction they wanted, they got meaner. Unfortunately, teachers and parents will often encourage kids to simply ignore bullies. But while this tactic may work in some cases, bullies will stop at nothing to harass their victims until they get the reaction that they want.
Tough And Courageous
A Boy In Need
Joey’s personality was benign and he did not like to involve other people in his troubles. He was of the opinion that this was his situation alone, and that he could not involve other people. The insolent boys knew this and perhaps that is why they targeted Joey in the first place as they knew he would not run for help easily. Witnesses to the daily torment thought these browbeaters were his friends and he did not outwardly show fear.
A Boy In Need
The Observer
Joey was not completely alone in this scary situation, but the people that were ‘on his side’ were able to do anything. Joey’s real friends at school were also intimidated by the boys and could not help him at school. Fear for their own safety meant that none of them told the teachers about the hassle that was getting worse every day. If any of them had noticed anything, they may have thought that the boys were playing a bit rough but would not have realized how serious it was.
The Observer
The Witness
On this particular day, the silent watcher behind the tree saw how the ruffians forced Joey into a part of the park with no escape. It was a good thing that he was there to witness this behavior as he seemed to be the only person that could help Joey out of this predicament. If anyone had seen what was being done to Joey, which they probably had, they did not have the strength or courage to help him.
The Witness
The Situation Takes A Turn For The Worst
At the same time, however, the bullies were wickedly crafty enough to create a situation that seemed completely innocent. At first glance, the group of hoodlums appeared to be playing ball with Joey and no one at the park thought to take a closer look. The situation started getting dire as the ruffians stole Joey’s ball and goaded him to fight them for it. Anyone watching could easily have seen that this situation was not so innocent…
The Situation Takes A Turn For The Worst
Deciding On A Course Of Action
As the bullies became more violent, it became apparent that this poor little boy was about to become a victim yet again. Their actions might have still been construed as playful to anyone watching them from afar but in reality, they had evil intentions towards Joey. An innocent child playing in a park should not have to find himself in this situation. If there we any concerned bystanders watching on, they were not about to get involved.
Deciding On A Course Of Action
Joey’s Plight Worsens
The intimidation started with one of the pests physically taking Joey’s ball from him declaring that it was his from now on. They felt empowered making this little boy’s life a living nightmare. As the little boy protested, the group of kids laughed at him and teased him about his small stature and inability to reclaim his toy. Sadly, Joey did not have any power or will to stop them. Even if he had tried to retaliate, the bullies would have easily overpowered him.
Joeys Plight Worsens
No Letting Up
The older boy was not satisfied with upsetting the younger boy and kept the ball out of Joey’s reach, taunting him with the fact that he would never give it back. The watcher behind the tree saw all of this unfold before him, but he was still undecided as to how to act. What was stopping Joey’s dad from acting? This was a far more sensitive situation than it appeared, as Joey’s dad could have appeared to be attacking the boys if he acted too rashly.
No Letting Up
Help Arrives
As he watched, Joey’s dad became more and more incensed. But he could not strike yet, as he had a plan in mind. He had to catch the bullies in the act if he was to justify his actions. He let the hooligans carry on allowing them some rope that they would no doubt hang themselves on. As he watched he saw one of the bigger boys lob the ball far away from his son.
Help Arrives
Dad Steps In
He knew that it was time to put an end to this victimization. The ruffians would not know that the man behind the tree knew Joey. His presence here today was serendipitous and Joey would not be scoffed at as they would not know that this man was his dad. In this way, the bullies could not hold the fact that Joey had been rescued by his dad, something that bullies love to bully their victims even further about.
Dad Steps In
Confrontation
Appearing from behind the tree, Joey’s dad asked the hoodlums what was going on. As the boys froze, Joey ran over to where his ball lay to pick it up. The ruffians were mute with surprise and had no reply to the much larger man. Suddenly, they had realized that there was always a bigger fish in the sea. That lasted only a few seconds as they remembered their objective and tried to con the man into thinking they were innocent.
Confrontation
Nothing Going On
Appearing virtuous and guiltless, the boys told him they were just playing a game of catch. Bullies will often be able to switch between cruelty and fake sweetness quickly, to try and deceive would-be responders. They fully expected their lie to be accepted by the man and that he would leave them to it. But this time, they would not fly under the radar. Of course, Joey’s dad knew just what they had been doing and his response to them was epic.
Nothing Going On
Cross-Examination
In a very deep voice, the man demanded to know why they thought it was funny to antagonize a smaller child. He asked them if they thought their families would be proud of them at the moment. One of the flabbergasted boys stammered out that they would not. The bullies had finally been cornered, and it seemed like they had run out of schemes and clever escape strategies. The man was not finished with them yet.
Cross Examination
Didn’t End There
Before the man had confronted the bullies, he had looked over at Joey to make sure that he was not injured. His first concern was his child’s safety, and he needed to be certain that his son was alright before raising his voice at the teenagers and demanding to know if any of them felt ashamed at not having stopped the hectoring of a small child. Everyone that had seen the act was involved in some way.
Didnt End There
Recompense
The man stooped to pick up the ball and returned it to Joey. The young boy could not believe what had just happened. When it seemed like all hope had been lost, his biggest protector had appeared like his real-life guardian angel. Finally, a daily occurrence for the small child had turned in his favor. The man demanded that the ruffians exit the park and find more acceptable entertainment elsewhere where they could not hurt others.
Recompense
Reciprocation
But Joey’s dad wasn’t finished with the bullies yet. He had more designs for the little thugs. A few days later, Joey and his dad were walking together to school, seeming like a normal father and son activity. They had conspired together to get their own back on the bullies. Deliberately they took a route that passed by the hooligans hang-out. Joey’s dad wanted to make sure that these boys would learn their lesson once and for all.
Reciprocation
The Usual Behaviour
The dad and son duo put their plan into action. Joey walked ahead and made sure his path took him right by the bullies. As soon as they saw it was him, the horrible boys started yelling at him, goading him to fight. Suddenly out of the blue a deep voice boomed out asking them if they had a problem. As they swiveled around in alarm, they saw Joey’s dad opening the front zipper of his coat to reveal what was underneath.
The Usual Behaviour
Scared Off
The gang was horrified when they saw what dad’s coat had been hiding. A white uniform. As they scampered off, Joey’s dad yelled after them that he knew they would run when they saw his Judo outfit complete with a black belt. He laughed as he watched them disappear. His plan to scare them had worked. Even if these teenagers had wanted to take on the martial artist, they would have undoubtedly come off second best.
Scared Off
Human Rights
All around the world today, many well known public figures are speaking up against bullying. There is not one person that deserves to be tormented like this and these people knew that their fame could assist in highlighting the issue and hopefully rescue those suffering from this scourge. Joey’s situation was all too common and was similar to other cases the anti-bullying crusade wanted to eradicate. There was a lot of hard work to be done, but they were on the right track.
Human Rights
Another Boy’s Story
In 2017, netizens got to know a young man by the name of Keaton. On various platforms, he had posted videos of himself narrating his struggle with bullies. His story went viral and many thousands of people were made aware of the problem in our society. It triggered massive conversations amongst the populace together with some excellent ideas on how to stop this trend in its tracks. It had taken a lot of courage for Keaton to speak out on his issue.
Another Boys Story
Backing Up Keaton
Amongst the numerous icons that got involved with the viral conversation, was Chris Evans. Captain America as he is better known, told Keaton that he was very noble to have opened himself up like this on social media and that his actions were sure to save many other kids in the same situation. Keaton also got to go to the Avengers movie opening. While most kids can best hope that their parents or teachers will step up, Keaton had the Avengers on his side!
Backing Up Keaton
An Endorsement From A Sports Hero
Keaton loved football and was bowled over when Delanie Walker put a video up on his Instagram account giving his opinion on bullying as being deplorable. He extorted those suffering from this in their daily lives to be strong and get help. He urged kids to not suffer in silence, as they were accustomed to doing. He intended to help Keaton get the word out to help as many kids as possible. That is not all he had to offer…
An Endorsement From A Sports Hero
The Football League
His team, the Tennessee Titans joined up with Delanie in inviting Keaton to come to a very important game against the Jaguars. With this invite accepted, Keaton and his family met the team and all his most loved players. Suddenly, a kid that had been considered ‘lame’ by his bullies had more star power behind him than many celebrities do. He was not only hanging out with some phenomenal people, but bullying was finally being stood up to.
The Football League
A Pop Singer Joins In The Drive
After several weeks of his video circulating on social media, it had reached all corners of the world and had been shared millions of times. Justin Bieber saw it too. Once he had seen the content, he posted two of his favorite videos back to Keaton telling him that he was unstoppable and on a roll and never to give up. At this stage, Keaton had famous actors, athletes and now pop stars backing him.
A Pop Singer Joins In The Drive
The Man In The Street
But while the support from the stars was amazing, it is everyone’s duty to take a stand against bullies and support victims. It is not just celebrities that should take note of this drive. Everyone should be brave and compassionate enough to make a change. Can we all take up the cudgel against bullying? How can we, the average joe in the street, help those that are suffering under the yoke to stand up and defeat the evils of teasing?
The Man In The Street
Don’t Do It
You can never excuse the act of tormenting or teasing someone else. It is just not acceptable. Who should have the ability to make another human feel downtrodden? No one. People need to realize that they are, in some way, complicit when they idly stand by and watch someone have their life ruined. We all have a duty to one another to protect each other in the way that we would like to be protected.
Dont Do It
Getting The Word Out
The best place to start towards the eradication of this horrible trend is to make the antagonizer aware of his or her actions. How would they react to being given the same treatment? As soon as you get this through to the browbeater, you are one step closer to nipping this trait in the bud. It all comes down to empathy. If people can be made to feel the way that they do their best to make others suffer.
Getting The Word Out
Browbeaten Online
As fantastic as the internet is at getting us to communicate faster, it is also not free from those evil bullies. Many scholars who use the internet regularly for their study have been victims of these persecutors as well. Horrifyingly, many said they had given up on having a normal life due to the pervasiveness of the tormenting they experienced. While technology has made our lives a lot easier and more connected, it has also opened us up to more attacks.
Browbeaten Online
Be A Saviour, Make A Difference
A simple message of support to a bullied child online, many have unimaginable positive effects. You may be the cause of that person getting help or at least feeling as if they are not alone in dealing with this terrible situation. Our mantra should be ‘pay it forward’ or ‘always be kind’. If we all take a bit of time out of our days to make victims’ lives easier, we would be able to protect and support one another so much better.
Be A Saviour Make A Difference