I am a big sister to a 13 year old girl through a volunteer organization.  A while ago she confessed to being the victim of bullying.  When questioned as to why, she responded “they just don’t like me, I don’t know why.  Fortunately, she was heard and a remedy was found.  She is now in a program that allows her to learn from home via computer.  Hopefully  this will prove to be a good choice for her.  Many of our kids are not as fortunate and fall victim to bullying with dire consequences. It is tough to be teased.  No one wants to be the target of mean jokes.  As humans we all have a need to be accepted and seen as a part of the whole.  Bullying is different than fun and playful joking.  It is spiteful and hurtful.  Often schools and parents turn a blind eye and see it as harmless banter and childhood pranks.  This morning I read accounts of children that had resorted to suicide because of bullying.  One was a 7 year old child.  How does a 7 year old child even know of suicide?  We have all read accounts of school shooting sprees by young loners seeking revenge for past misdeeds.  How does a young person make a decision to walk into a school and wreak havoc and mayhem with a mass shooting?  How is it possible that a child can make a molotov cocktail and store a cache of semi automatic weapons in the bedroom and a parent not know?  It is our responsibility as parents, teachers and concerned citizens to pay attention to our children.  There are signs that all is not right with their world.