My ‘two cents’ probably isn’t worth much …

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This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but it is an opinion, so I shall charge full-steam ahead.

Recently, a high-school student in Hopkins brought a gun to school. There is still a lot that hasn’t been uncovered as to why, exactly, he brought the gun to school, but the fact that he felt he needed to bring a gun to school speaks volumes to me.

And the fact that Hopkins is a mere 20 minutes away from where my child attends school, that worries me.

I’ve seen a lot of posts on social media to the effect that bullying played a factor in this situation and that the school administrators and staff did nothing to stop it, and that is what led the boy to bring a weapon to school.

Now, I’m not a fly on the walls of that school, so I can’t comment on that. But as someone who lived through high school and hated nearly every minute of it, I can comment on bullying.

Bullying has become epidemic in our schools. It really has. And while I recognize that it’s probably one of those things that will never really be remedied, and that we can protect our kids from everything in life, I do believe there are things that can be done to make it better. Bullying is something that involves everyone; the bullies, the bullied, parents, teachers, everyone.

That being said, I have some theories on how to reduce bullying in schools.

Brace yourselves.

Parents, teach your kids not to be jerks.

It’s a fairly simple plan, and I know it sounds radical, but I feel good about it.

If we, as parents, teach our children to behave with compassion and understanding, that will solve a lot of problems. At the very least, we can teach our kids that if they don’t like someone, they can just leave that kid alone and go about their day.

There’s no need to make someone miserable on purpose. Because really, that’s just rude.

Parents, secondly, just as an extreme precaution, let’s keep all of our potentially deadly weapons locked away from our kids. Preferably in a safe that the kids cannot access.

Parents, thirdly, if your kid is getting bullied, it is your job to help.

Don’t ignore the problem. Don’t say, “Well that’s just what happens in school.” Go to the administration, go to the bully’s parents, do what you have to do to keep your child safe.

If that doesn’t work, explore other options: counseling, homeschooling, whatever you need to do. There is no price too high to save your child’s mental health and self-esteem.

Teachers and administrators, if you receive a report about someone being bullied, do something about it. Don’t blow it off.

Actually do something about it. Hand out a consequence that will make the bully think twice before doing it again.

Bullies, don’t be bullies.

If that weird kid in the corner isn’t bothering you, leave him alone. There is never a reason to go out of your way to cause pain, be it mental, emotional, or physical, to someone who has done nothing to you. Never.

Bystanders who see bullying, report it. Step in. Say something.

By doing nothing, you are giving the bully silent approval that his or her actions are okay, and you are giving the bullied kid the silent confirmation that he or she deserved it.

To the bullied kids, it will get better. I promise you. High school doesn’t last forever.

But, if you are having troubles, reach out for help. Don’t stop reporting incidents of bullying until you get help.

If you feel you need counseling, or a change of scenery, or whatever, do what you need to do to keep yourself healthy, mentally and emotionally. And in the immortal words of one of my favorite people, Latrice Royale, “Jesus is a biscuit. Let him sop you up.”

So that’s it.

That’s my plan. It’s simple, but I feel like it’s a common sense plan that can be effective.

Dr. Phil watch out, I could get my own show soon.