I was waiting at a stop sign probably a week ago as a young boy was crossing the street. Green and black hoodie, jeans, head down, glasses. I’ll guess he was 13. I’m not sure why, but the first thought that popped in my head was, “I wonder what life is like for this young man in school.”

This got me thinking about bullies for the past couple days.

A bully is defined as a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. So, let’s be real … there are bullies all over town.

I’ll try to focus this on young folks, schools, and aggression. I’m curious as to what the answers are, if any.

In school, I was super quiet. I could go an entire school day without uttering a single word aloud. No one really gave me a hard time. I had friends, naturally, but we didn’t have class together, so I’d just do my thing. Teachers never really ‘called on’ me, so I could literally go the entire day without speaking. That changed some in high school, but teachers left me alone for the most part. So did other students who weren’t friends with me. It was perfect. I’d associate with who I wanted, and that was that.

There was one instance that I remember that sticks out. I had to get surgery in both junior and senior year. I was on crutches for six weeks each time. I was supposed to be allowed to leave class five minutes prior to everyone else so that I wouldn’t get trampled over when everyone else was in the halls. There was one school employee who wouldn’t let me. It was the class right before lunch, and it was assumed that if I was late getting there, it wasn’t a class, so it didn’t matter.

Anyway, I was making my way to my destination and behind me I heard a certain female who will remain nameless say, “Hurry up. I’m about to trip a [expletive].”

I remember contemplating stopping, and just sticking my right arm out to trip her with my crutch. I didn’t.

That is my only memory of anyone being snarky to me in school. So I had it pretty good.

I remember fights in the cafeteria. Fights in the hallway. Fights in the classroom. Groups of folks making fun of other students because of socioeconomic status. People belittling others because of their choice of attire. Because of their name.

And you know what? I could name more than thirty aggressors and victims of said aggression right off the top of my head. But I won’t. I can remember the day of the week certain fights took place. And I can remember what was done about it.

… Nothing.

I’m sure there are people who have been very badly injured while on school property (not only physically, but also psychologically). I’m also willing to bet the aggressors are not only students.

Well, I suppose I think back to the boy who was crossing the road. He just didn’t look ... pleased. Sure, it could have been because he doesn’t like school. But I can’t help but wonder:

‘What if someone made fun of him because of his weight just minutes prior to my run-in with him?’ ‘What if someone pushed him up against the wall in the bathroom today?’ ‘What if his teacher called him dumb?’ ‘What if he’s walking home to an abusive parent and would rather stay at school?’ ‘What if he beat someone up himself?’

Lots of ‘what ifs.”

I guess what I’m curious about is how altercations or aggressive situations are handled in public school.

If it’s ‘taken care of by administration internally,’ then I think that’s bogus. Rarely does something helpful result from an internal investigation (this is applicable to just about any agency that performs internal investigations).

Let’s say a physical altercation happens in a public school. Is law enforcement called? If so, does the law enforcement employee use aggression on the student alleged to have been the perpetrator? If the answer to that is yes, then what does that teach other students about violence? That also begs the question, “Is violence okay sometimes?”

I can think of one instance this school year when school administration called law enforcement, and violence ensued. I was told by teachers how horrific of an experience it was for all involved. I hope that boy is okay.

Okay, let me back up, my thoughts are getting ahead of me. As a human, I have the innate right to defend myself if being aggressed upon.

No one is going to lay a hand on me and get away with it. If someone uses words in an attempt to threaten or harass me, I am able to diffuse the situation swiftly. But not everyone is like me.

Some people are short tempered, some people do not think they are capable of defending themselves, some folks are easily intimidated.

Everyone is different.

One blanket, ‘This is how we handle bullying,’ is not going to work.

Are aggressors in schools held accountable for their actions? Are victims made whole?

Or is, ‘You’re going to sit in this other room for two days,’ still the punishment? If that’s the case, nothing is solved.

And further, will it ever be solved? There are always going to be jerks. And there will always be those who are less likely to defend themselves for various reasons.

A friend said her child was verbally and physically accosted while on his way home from school Friday by two schoolmates. The aggressors were two females and the victim, a boy. She said the females called her son an expletive and pushed him to the ground.

What’s the recourse there? It didn’t happen on the property of the the public school, it happened on the street. Should the school be informed? Should the aggressor’s parents be informed? What happens if nothing happens and there’s a ‘next time?’

I am willing to bet there are ‘next times’ that happen daily in schools. I’m willing to bet there are victims of aggression in school that will never say a word. I’m sure there are some who do ask for help and nothing is done. I bet there are students who are bullied both at home and at school, and they’re not all that happy with life.

… I just hope the boy in that green and black hoodie is happy with life.