(EMAILWIRE.COM, September 22, 2010 ) Any parent whose child has been tormented by a bully can sympathize with the father who stormed onto his daughter's school bus to confront the bullies.
But while he's become a folk hero of sorts, this Central Florida father made a number of tactical errors that could have solved the problem and kept him out of the spotlight, said Dr. George Thompson, founder and president of the Verbal Judo Institute.
"This man has been all over the news, he's had to issue a public apology on national television and his daughter is hospitalized due to stress. He wanted to make the bullying stop, but he got more than he bargained for," Thompson said.
For some 27 years, Thompson and his legion of trainers have been teaching public safety personnel the tactics necessary to de-escalate potentially violent situations and deflect harassment. Recently, they have applied their methodology to address the bullying problem for families.
There are five strategies that James Jones could have used for a more favorable outcome, Thompson said.
First and most fundamental, Jones should never have acted without a plan.
"Clearly he was desperate to make the bullying stop," said Thompson, "yet he boarded the bus in a fit of rage and threatened to kill minors.
"Protecting his daughter is the best of intentions, but his irrational actions were deplorable."
Identifying the goal is the most basic step in addressing situations of bullying. While it is obvious that parents ultimately want to make the harassment stop, the key is in finding the best way to persuade others to end the abuse and help keep the children safe.
"Begin with the end in mind, that's one of Steven Covey's 'Seven Habits,' and it's also a technique that must be applied particularly when advocating for one's child," Thompson said.
Tomorrow, Thompson will provide the second tip that could have helped Jones end his child's bullying situation.
The program, Manage Bullying: Answers for Parents, is an online package of videos and learning materials with specific strategies for addressing the problems of bullying, victimization and harassment, both with the child and with persons of authority.
