by Kellie Webster

Created on: January 14, 2009

It was the end of a long week and Kate was glad to pick up her eldest child, Lizzie from school.
There was a storm brewing and her aim was to be home before the rain started to fall.

"Are you ready to go?" Kate asked Lizzie as her daughter dragged herself into the backseat slamming the door behind her.

"Yes," Lizzie replied without obvious emotion in her tone.

Ben her son was playing happily by himself in the car seat. He paused momentarily to greet his big sister. Lizzie scowled at him ignoring his happy greeting.

"How was school?" Kate asked as she pulled the car out of the parking space onto the road toward home.

"Okay," Lizzie replied looking out the window ignoring her mother's eyes in the rear vision mirror.

"Just okay?" Kate probed.
She knew Lizzie had been dealing with a bully in her grade over the past month. His name was Bailey Stephens. Not just Bailey, but Bailey Stephens.

It all started when Lizzie's friend Georgia had claimed Bailey Stephens was her boyfriend. Then they broke up, no fight caused it, Georgia just bragged to everyone she'd dumped Bailey. Problem was, that she forgot to tell Bailey first, hurting his feelings.

Kate wondered how real dating was between 6 year old children. She recalled their conversations on the subject.

"Do they hold hands?" Kate had asked when Lizzie told her they were dating.

"No, eeeewww," Lizzie replied screwing her nose up.

"Do they sit next to each other?"

"No, but Georgia says he's her boyfriend."

"Do they play at breaks?"

"No, but Georgia says Bailey likes her."

"Do they go out places together?"

"No," Lizzie had answered insisting they were dating.

It was after their young love dissolved that the bullying commenced. First Bailey Stephens targeted Georgia, obviously because she broke his heart.
He began throwing things at her in class, teasing her in the school yard, and even tried to get others to dislike Georgia as much as he said he did. Lizzie of course had stuck up for her friend. This is when Bailey started picking on Lizzie.

First it was just name calling, but then he stole her stationery items, and pushed her books off her desk. He even blocked her path on several occasions. Eventually his intimidating tactics wore thin on Lizzie who came home upset and withdrawn.

Kate's first course of action was to suggest Lizzie ignore him, but of course this did nothing.
Then she suggested Lizzie tell him to go away. Again no change in behaviour was seen. The next step was to speak to the Teacher. Now Mrs Sandow had observed some of

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