A Texas mom took a unique approach to teaching her son a lesson after discovering he had been bullying other students at his school. The school administrators had approached her about his behavior, saying he was calling his peers “idiots” and “stupid,” which led the mom to decide on an unconventional punishment.
The mom, named Star, chose to make her son wear a T-shirt that read “I am a B-U-L-L-Y” to school. She wanted to make sure that everyone, from students to parents, knew about his bullying behavior. She even posted a picture of her son in the shirt on Facebook, hoping to reach out to the families of children he had bullied, so they could receive an apology directly from him.
While some people thought Star’s punishment was too harsh, she defended her actions. According to her, when she asked her son what he had learned, he said, “I learned that I didn’t like the way that felt, and I don’t want anybody else to feel that way because of me.” This, Star believed, was the lesson she wanted him to take away from the experience.
Child development professionals, however, were critical of the approach. A psychiatrist from Baylor College of Medicine warned that embarrassing a child in this way could lead to a negative self-image, and suggested that Star seek professional guidance for better strategies. Despite the backlash, Star claimed that the school district, Splendora ISD, supported her decision, noting that parents have the right to make choices for their children.
What are your thoughts on this mom’s method of dealing with her son’s bullying behavior?