Teasing part 2: Famous nicknames

Name calling is one of the many faces of bullying. These words can emotionally scar worse than a physical scar. But I remembered there was a famous baseball player called “Schnozz.” Now I wonder if this nickname was started by some bully when he was a kid. I mean, I could see where kids could be bothered by being called “Gimpy”, “Fatty”, “Stinky.” Yet, each of these are nicknames for famous ball players. When did this name-calling turn into a famous nickname? Were they ever bothered by these names? Check out these famous nicknames. Would you consider any of them mean?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_basketball_nicknames

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_baseball_nicknames

Have we learned that certain nicknames are inappropriate and hurtful? Or have some of us made our kids too sensitive? How and where do we draw the line?

Taryn Grimes-Herbert

Taryn Grimes-Herbert has written several interesting articles on bullying, how they were personally affected and survived.

There's no such thing as a bully

Defense against name calling

Verbal bullying can be so hard to defend against. In a physical situation there is physical evidence; but in verbal situations it’s “your word against his.” And words—positive and negative—can stick with you for years. I really like the advice from Kidpower.org on how to defend against verbal bullying, both in the short-term and long-term.

Teach Kids the Protective Power of Words
Kids tell us that trying to just ignore it when someone says something mean to them doesn't really work. Stop serious name-calling with the same commitment you use when stopping serious hitting. Teach kids to protect themselves from hurtful wordhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs by imagining throwing them into a trashcan instead of taking them inside their hearts or their heads.
Teach kids not to let insults, rude behavior, or guilt trips trigger them into feeling intimidated or emotionally coerced by a bully. Kids need to learn how not to let what others say or do control their choices. They also need to learn how not to behave in emotionally damaging ways towards others. Teach kids how to set clear strong verbal boundaries in a respectful assertive way with people they know.

Protecting Your Feelings From Name-Calling
Schools, youth groups, and families should create harassment-free zones just as workplaces should. However, you can teach children how to protect themselves from insults. Tell your child that saying something mean back makes the problem bigger, not better.
One way to take the power out of hurting words by is saying them out loud and imagining throwing them away. Doing this physically and out loud at home will help a child to do this in his or her imagination at school.
Help your child practice throwing the mean things that other people are saying into a trash can. Have your child then say something positive out loud to himself or herself to take in. For example, if someone says, "I don't like you, " you can throw those words away and say, "I like myself." If someone says, "You are stupid" you can throw those words away and say, "I'm smart." If someone says, "I don't want to play with you" then you can throw those words away and say, "I will find another friend."