Originally Posted by Austin
Most bullies can be countered by being their friend. That should be his eventual goal, assuming the bully is not a sociopath.


But a common mistake that many kids make is by trying to be friends with the central figure in the group right off the bat. I think that's what ebeth's son is doing wrong. This approach rarely works. It gives the bully too much power and opens a kid up for ridicule.

Better to aim for befriending the peripheral kids in the group, the ones with less power and the ones more likely to be open to friendship. The more marginal the kids, the more open they are likely to be to friendship. Then, with luck and a little confidence, these friendships can open a door to friendship--or at least peaceful co-existence--with the group leader.

Kriston