Anger, fear, and bullying ended

One night a number of years ago, while tucking our then thirteen-year-old son into bed, I found out that for some time he had been bullied by a bigger kid in school. This misbehavior had occurred several times and been somewhat violent. I got as much information as I could from our son while reassuring him that he was loved and safe and that the bullying would definitely not happen again.

I felt extremely uneasy as I went to bed that night. I discussed the situation with my wife, and we decided that I should meet with the school principal the next day. 

Early the next morning, my whirling emotions went from deep sadness that our child had been the victim of this mistreatment to intense anger and a desire for accountability from both the offending student and the adults at school. Feeling helpless, I wished that I could have protected our son.