How do you stop bullying? Jodee Blanco, author of the best-selling book, Please Stop Laughing at us… One Survivor’s Quest to Prevent School Bullying, has a number of insights that should be of particular interest to Jewish readers.
In her campaign to combat bullying by better understanding it, Ms. Blanco has coined a number of phrases to illuminate the social dynamics that divide children – and sometimes adults – into predators and prey.
Elite Tormentors are those who exploit their popularity as a weapon for inflicting pain upon their victims. They often use aggressive exclusion, which is characterized by the calculated omission of attention through ignoring and isolating, tactics more subtle than physical or verbal violence but no less cruel. Once a bully chooses his target, onlookers will quickly distance themselves from the victim rather than risk becoming targeted themselves.
Even more subtle, and somewhat more mysterious, is arbitrary exclusion, whereby a friend or group of friends will suddenly turn upon one of its own, often for no identifiable reason. In an instant, without cause or explanation, the victim goes from insider to outcast.
The typical bullying victim is an "ancient child," an individual possessing a more developed sense of empathy than his peers.
Based upon countless interviews and observations, Ms. Blanco has arrived at an intriguing hypothesis explaining why social groups separate themselves into bullies and bullied. She describes the typical bullying victim as an ancient child, an individual possessing a more developed sense of empathy than his peers. By consciously or unconsciously flexing his “compassion muscle,” this little adult sets himself apart from his less sensitive peers who may come to feel inferior in the presence of greater emotional maturity and threatened by a response mechanism that they cannot understand. Once a tormentor targets his victim, others will readily fall into line behind him.
Conversely, the most likely candidate to become a bully is the individual afflicted by empathy deficit disorder, one who possesses such an underdeveloped level of sensitivity that he seems incapable of feeling any compassion whatsoever. The tragic irony is that the victim, unable to conceal his own hyper-developed sense of empathy, becomes despised for his atypical maturity by the individual who stands to benefit most by learning from his example. Nevertheless, human beings detest change by our very nature, and we cling at all costs to a psychological and emotional inertia as real and inviolable as the physical inertia that inclines all material objects toward a state of rest.
A Bullied Nation
On a deeper level, Ms. Blanco’s thesis suggests an application far more universal than the school yard or occasional adult pathology. Consider the question of the sages, when they asked why the site of the revelation and the giving of the Torah is called Sinai? Because, answers the Talmud, it spawned sinah – hatred in Hebrew – among the nations of the earth. Ironically, the same Torah that enables us to become a “light to the nations” is itself the source of anti-Semitism.
The same Torah that enables us to become a “light to the nations” is itself the source of anti-Semitism.
What is the effect upon the Jewish people of having received the Torah? As a guide to spiritual refinement, the Torah teaches us how to control and channel our emotions and impulses, thereby accelerating our moral and empathic maturity. If all the nations of the earth are God’s children, the Torah has made the Jews His most “ancient” child.
And how has the world responded? Nations have ostracized us, have gone to war against us, have perpetrated genocide against us in a mad passion to destroy us, even if that meant destroying themselves in the process. The Babylonians and the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans, the Canaanites and the Amolekites, the Crusaders and the Inquisition, the Nazis and the Stalinists – every great nation and movement across the span of human history has become a tormentor of the Jewish people, despising us for the ancient child within us.
Not only have we suffered the “aggressive exclusion” of violent national ostracism among the community of nations, but also the more insidious “arbitrary exclusion.” We have lived for generations among peoples whose nations, after flourishing through our social, cultural, and economic contributions, turned against us with unfathomable caprice and stripped us of our human dignity without the slightest provocation.
Facing the Bully
In her advice to victims, Ms. Blanco asserts that the most effective response to bullying is to stare down the tormentor, without emotion or fear, and command him to stop. Although this may intensify his hostility in the short-run, if repeated again and again it ultimately fosters a grudging respect. So too, in the face of a world community eager to condemn Israel and the Jewish people for insisting upon our most basic rights of survival and self-determination, the only response available to us is to stand firm, assert the truth, and continue to demonstrate our loyalty to a Higher Authority and our commitment to the highest standard of moral conduct.
Ultimately, it is we who will determine whether or not the Torah continues to bring hatred between us and the peoples of the world. When the Jewish people follow the precepts of the Torah faithfully, when we speak out for moral truth without apologetics and without embarrassment for our commitment to Divine justice, when we stand up against both the overt anti-Semitism of violent ideologues and the insidious anti-Semitism of political correctness and moral equivalence, then we will succeed in fulfilling our mission as a light to the nations.
(10) Bobby5000, November 6, 2016 5:53 AM
bullying
The Jewish people have finally and belatedly figured out that you have to strike back. From passively accepting pogroms, to providing assets and reporting to Nazis, Jews did not realize the obvious, that if there is no downside to bullying, it will continue and increase.
(9) Ilene, January 30, 2011 4:44 AM
Why do you call the Torah the 'source of anti-semitism:
I have to admit I was pretty intrigued, then baffled, while reading the Bullying/AntiSemitism article, specifically the part that says:The same Torah that enables us to become a “light to the nations” is itself the source of anti-Semitism." Can someone perhaps explain what was meant? Todah.
(8) Raisy, August 25, 2010 12:29 AM
right on
I agree with the contention that by training and possibly by nature ('rachmanim, bei'shanim...) Jewish people are more sensitive and empathic. this may cause them to be bullied by more aggressive, less sensitive nations. I certainlly believe it is true with children--I was that sensitive and persecuted child. Fifth grade is a year that will stand our for me as the year the class ganged up on me. To my shame, however, the following year another girl became the object of the class tormentors and not only did I not stop them but at times engaged in the bullying behavior as well. I am not excusing myself, but it is true that I had no support, guidance--nay no real relationship with my parents---both very damaged Holocaust survivors licking their own wounds. I think sensitivity must be taught, and children with 'empathy defficiency' especially stand to gain from empathy training. I believe it can be done.
(7) Anonymous, August 24, 2010 6:03 AM
Bullying and antisemitism in 2010
Bullying in children is unaceptable! When it is done as a masking for antisemitism it is a declaration that the person is not a citizen but 3/5 of a person! Let us not forget that there is financial element in this - the bully wants what is yours! It worked before - let's try it again. This bullying exists for Black Jews in some areas.
(6) Suzanne, August 23, 2010 11:43 PM
"Every Great Nation"
"The comment about every great nation or movement throughout history has become a tormentor of the Jews." Bothers me because it is true, and I currently live in America, will she follow all the other Nations and one day be our tormentor. I fear she will and I fear that it will be sooner rather than latter.
(5) JERRY PARLADE, August 23, 2010 7:13 PM
HEARTBEAT for the JEWS
we cannot stop ANTI-SEMITISM..."hating-a-jew syndrome!" but we can show to the world...the GOODNESS (Tikkun Olam) of the JEWS ! i hope there is someone who could possibly HELP us to promote a HEARTBEAT for the JEWS...Eretz Yisrael...Jewish YERUSHALAYIM ...here in the Philippines...as we are committed to promote the TIMELESS BEAUTY of the JEWISH culture and arts. TODA RAVA...
(4) Moshe, August 22, 2010 11:23 PM
were you a bully ???
...I was ???
(3) Andy, August 22, 2010 9:56 PM
option 2 will I hope buy time
I do agree that the way to stop bullying is to let him/them know you won't take it even if involves taking a beating. In most cases the bully will search for weaker prey. On a national level "stand firm, assert the truth, and continue to demonstrate our loyalty to a Higher Authority and our commitment to the highest standard of moral conduct." seems far off so a strong army helps as we grow.
(2) Anonymous, August 22, 2010 7:21 PM
no mistakes in the creation
We had moved into a previously"restricted" housing neighborhood in 1947. It meant no blacks, browns or jews . I was physically and verbally assaulted on a daily basis for 7 years......(we were the 2nd Jewish family to move to that housing development) for 7 years and being Jewish was my crime....... My parents dismissed it as just"kids" stuff.It left me feeling unsupported by family ,peers and school system. Parents were too busy making money to listen to my pre ulcer pleas. ..With no peer group for support I never played sports ,. Growing into my teens Physical fights at the school bus stop and playing fields...., school, the bus,local playgrounds....always, ( ,me alone, of course) broke out often;I always fought back, lost, got chased home right to my front door. At last in the 10th grade, running from physical assault beating one day I lashed out with: "at least I have a mother and father to come home to" They didnt. and they never bothered me again. It was a diplomatic coup. I had observed that the enemy had no nuclear family and were raised(?) by grandparents. The two brothers became marine corps drill sergeants(that' fits,yes?) And I later found a peer group and much more. Kids need interested parents for support! The contradiction for me was obvious to me then as now, I didnt have supportive parents either,but the words to end this cycle were given to me to at least have it all stop.
(1) Anonymous, August 22, 2010 6:28 PM
our true responsibility
while I agree that our people has been "bullied" throughout the centuries, I think it is a stretch to say that such bullying is a result of our "empathetic development". We thrived financially and socially virtually everywhere we lived, throughout our history, and in tough times, this angered those who lived around us. I'm also not sure what we have to gain by portraying ourselves as the victim in a world full of bullies. Granted, we do need to stand up to anti-Semitism wherever it may be, and as a result we can be a light unto the nations. But it is somewhat narrow-minded to view our situation in this way. Israel, while she is very important to me and I support her fully, has made many mistakes, committed unacceptable acts and is guilty of political corruption and waste. To truly gain peace and integration into the global community, I strongly believe that Israel must become a partner for peace not just in speech, but in its actions. We must recognize the complexity of the situation and work to truly understand and address the criticisms leveled against us, rather than staunchly dismissing all of them as "anti-Semitic." I believe that our ability as Jews to reason, to acknowledge and analyze all sides of complex problems, and to accept criticism will determine whether or not we will truly be a light unto nations.