Recently, my son's fourth grade class had been learning about bullying. They've had several continuing lessons on the subject and I think it's a great thing. There are kid-drawn posters all over the school describing exactly what bullying is such as name calling, trying to make another kid feel bad, ganging up on one kid, and being intimidating. It's good for the kids to get specific examples so they know when they're being bullied and also so they know if they are being a bully themselves. I know that my son has fallen on both sides of the spectrum. He used to go to an after-school program where one kid in particular bullied him mercilessly. On the other hand, I've seen him interact with kids on sports teams and at the park and he can be a bit of a bully himself by being bossy and demanding -- but he doesn't realize it until I point it out so he can learn. I think that's the case for most kids when they're young. Sometimes they're bullied and sometimes they become the bully themselves. It's a natural part of learning how to behave socially. And it's up to teachers and parents to help kids learn and to make sure things don't get out of control. But sometimes, like in the case of Billy Wolfe, they do get out of control.

Bethany recently wrote about the case on ParentDish. Billy is a 16-year-old that's been dealing with extreme bullying since he was 12. He's been beaten up (they even have video of it), he's received mean phone calls, and there's even a Facebook site titled "Everyone that hates Billy Wolfe." His parents are finally fed up with the situation and they're suing one of the kids that has been bullying him and they may decide to sue the school district as well.As a parent, I understand that a certain degree of bullying takes place. I encourage my son to stand up for himself (with words, not with violence). But I also recognize that my son isn't innocent of bullying behavior and I don't tolerate that from him. I don't think parents should overreact to bullying, but we should take each opportunity to teach our kids proper social interaction. But in the case of Billy Wolfe, things seemed to have spiraled into an out-of-control and potentially dangerous area. Bullying is obviously affecting Billy Wolfe's emotional health. Witnessing that behavior can make other kids feel unsafe. And, even the "bullies" in question aren't doing themselves any favors -- people who behave that way will have a difficult time succeeding socially as adults.