The Bully
- Christy Bass Adams
- Nov 10, 2025
- 3 min read
Day 1
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:18 (ESV)
Shane was a bully, plain and simple. I tried pairing him up and grouping him, hoping peer pressure would improve his behavior, but he only picked fights and hurt people’s feelings. He had gotten so many referrals for fighting, he was no longer allowed to attend recess with the other classes. This kid was a handful.
One Monday morning while I was on hallway duty, Shane entered our building on crutches. I’ll be honest, I was elated. No more chasing, kicking, fighting, pushing—at least not for six to eight weeks while his leg was in a cast.
At this point in the year, Shane’s desk was in the back of my classroom, away from everyone else. I gave him the job of being my door opener when anyone knocked since his desk was close to the door.
I helped Shane into his seat and told him not to worry about opening the door anymore, that I could get someone else. Without a word, he reached out his crutch, pushed the handle down, opened the door, and grinned at me. Apparently, he could still be my door opener after all.
It would be my great pleasure at this point in the story to share that his broken leg humbled him and he became a star student, but that’s not what happened. Shane was called to the principal’s office and didn’t come back to class. After school, I stopped by the front office to see what happened.
The principal asked me to have a seat and pulled up a video on the computer. Between the bus ramp and classroom, Shane was hitting kids with his crutches. I watched one video where he rammed the end of his crutch into another boy’s back, throwing him to the ground. Shane was suspended for three days.
I never found a way to help Shane change. I tried, boy did I try. When it comes to bullies, we may never know what makes them act that way or how to help change the behavior.
According to Healthline, “Bullies often deal with issues like low self-esteem, jealousy, insecurity, and even anxiety. When they’re not able to express and process these emotions in healthy ways, they might turn to bullying others.” Along with these issues bullies are often bullied themselves. They either have parents or older figures in their life who have modeled this behavior. No matter the reason, bullies make teaching hard.
As teachers, we must remember that every kid, even the bullies, needs love. As a matter of fact, they might need it even more than the rest. And they especially need that Jesus kind of love.
Do the Heart Work
1. Who are the bullies in your classroom?
2. Are you already so fed up with them that you subconsciously make assumptions about them?
3. Have you ever had dealings with a bully? Or have you ever been the bully? Think about those instances.
Digging Deeper
Read Genesis 37:26-31 (NIV)
Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”
Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.
Joseph’s brothers did not like him. They originally planned to kill him, but instead sold him as a slave. They took his coat and dipped it in blood as if he had been marred by a wild beast, and took it to their father.
These brothers bullied from a place of jealousy and envy. Joseph was favored by their father and they were tired of him. What might be the reasons the bullies in your class treat others wrongly?
If You Get Spare Time
Write a specific prayer for the bullies in your class and commit to pray for them all week. In that prayer ask God to show you a glimpse into who they really are and why they choose to treat others wrongly.
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