What Happened to the Sweetheart Bullies? (and a Children’s Book Giveaway)

by Sally Matheny

Bullies Are No Longer Sweethearts

What happened to the sweetheart bullies? No, they’re not a famous gang of outlaws from the wild, Wild West. Nor are they a rock band from the sixties.

While doing research about bullies, I ran across the origin and history of the word, bully.

Apparently, bully originated in the early 1500’s and was another term for sweetheart. Wow. Either pickings were slim back in the 1500’s or the meaning of the word depreciated.

Indeed, the word bully has traveled the rendition roller coaster from positive to negative on several occasions.

In the year 2015, Dictionary.com defines a bully as a "blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people."

According to the National Education Association:
90% of 4th - 8th graders report being victims of bullying.
1 in 7 students in grades K -12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people worked together to bring about a change of heart in those bullies?

Ministry-to-Children.com offers three great posts dealing with this topic from a Christian worldview:

Awareness http://ministry-to-children.com/bullying-awareness/

Intervention http://ministry-to-children.com/practical-intervention-bullying/

and Ten Ways Your [Children’s] Ministry Can Help

http://ministry-to-children.com/bullying-ministry-opportunities/

Lists of children’s books addressing bullying is located at http://childrensbooksguide.com/bullying 
and at

http://www.best-childrens-books.com/childrens-books-about-bullying.html

Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully
by Chris Pedersen

One book that should be added to these lists is the recently published book, Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully, by Chris Pedersen. It is a charming book, written

with a Christian worldview. 


A young boy struggles through dilemmas with a bully at school. Throughout the story, opportunities arise for Ethan’s growth in wisdom, courage, and faith.

The author, Chris Pedersen, has kindly donated a book to give away to one of my blog readers. Enter the giveaway (begins 1/13/15) and Rafflecopter will randomly choose a winner next week.

Or you can find Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully at www.purplecarrotbooks.com and on Amazon.

Bully may never mean "sweetheart" again. 
But you can be a sweetheart by helping stop bullying.

a Rafflecopter giveaway