Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/112126
The ball goes up and it comes down. Up. Down. Up. Down. It���s being tossed by a 10-year-old Madison boy, who peers up through wirerimmed glasses that have slid down his petite, freckled nose. He snatches it out of the air and finally says: ���We acted out scenes from the Revolutionary War in school today. We even had cardboard muskets.��� Intently, he tosses the ball again. Up. Down. Up. Down. When it finally comes to rest, he says in a quiet whisper, ���I suppose you want to hear about the bullying������ Over the next hour, he shares his story, which both shocks and disturbs with the realization that his tormenters were just 10 years old. Since entering school Matthew* has endured death threats, name-calling; pushing, tripping and bruises; even bumps on the head and broken glasses after his tormenters repeatedly chucked balls at him on the playground. 50 BRAVA Magazine March 2013 But with hard-earned wisdom that belies his innocent eyes, he ends his story with: ���It���s better now this year. They don���t bully me anymore.��� Schoolyard bullies have been an unwanted staple of childhood for generations. And surviving one? For some it���s a rite of passage and all part of growing up. But as we���ve seen many times, for others it���s a life-altering experience that can end with tragic results. ���Statistics show that one out of every 10 students is engaging in bullying; one out of every 10 students is a target of that bullying; and the other 80 percent are watching it happen and don���t feel empowered to act,��� says Bridget Clementi, director of Community Health at Children���s Hospital of Wisconsin, which launched the antibullying campaign, Act Now!, found in 19 Madison schools. These numbers refer to the prevalence of the classic, most dangerous kind of bullying���repeated, aggressive behavior