Every parent immediately is on the defensive when their children’s bullying is confronted. Their poor little darlings’ sensibilities cannot be upset, nor can they be allowed to feel bad about themselves.

Bullying is a family affair. I went back to school in my 40s and saw bullying right in my own class, and the school did nothing about it. It was too afraid of legal action. In 1959 I bullied someone in my neighborhood by making fun of her. Her mother dragged me all the way home, physically. All the other mothers who had witnessed my bratty behavior had called my mom, and she was standing in the yard holding a belt – and she used it. I was 5 years old.

I’m 57 now. I have never bullied anyone since. Lesson learned. My mom had the guts to be a real parent.