Reach out and punch someone

www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov

   Let's face it, the sight of young girls viciously fighting in the USA is a disturbing trend.
   While there is greater emphasis on our young women learning how to compete both in the classroom and on the playing field it is natural that there will be some conflict, hurt feelings and bodily injury.
   It comes with the territory and if we are going to take our girls more seriously it's also time to minimize the princess factor and stress the Xena persona — smart, fit and fearless.
   So I was torn a bit recently when the cable channels start showing us video of two girls fighting and you can hear the voice of one soccer mom cheering her daughter on during the fisticuffs.
   Shocking, I know. But what is thrown in at the end of the reports that I saw was that the girl in question had been the target of cyber bullying and the fight was in response to that incident.
   It's a tough call, but certainly our daughter will be taking self-defense training as well as dance classes as she grows up.
   To me, cyber bullying is the worst of the worst: it is done privately, anonymously and carried out by absolute cowards who deserve the full prosecution of the law.
   One group, Common Sense Media, is leading the charge to eradicate cyber bullying [good luck with that], offering tips and strategies to help your kids fight this seemingly prevalent form of intimidation.