In the 1984 film "The Karate Kid," Daniel (Ralph Macchio) gets bullied and beat up repeatedly by a group of boys at school. Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), the elderly gardener and secret karate master, steps in and helps Daniel master the martial art. At the end of the movie, Daniel and one of the bullies, Johnny (William Zabka) battle it out in a karate tournament. Guess who wins?
Bullying and other forms of childhood violence have risen to staggering rates, according to a new study by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston that's funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers looked at 4,300 children in grades five, seven and 10 from Houston, Los Angeles and Birmingham, Alabama. They found that 20 percent of fifth-graders were victims of violent injuries, and the rate increased to 30 percent by high school. Most injuries were the result of guns or knives. The rest consisted of other assault-related injuries severe enough to require medical attention.
The researchers also found that it wasn't bullying victims, like Daniel, who were the most likely to get hurt. It was the bullies who were 41 percent more likely to be violently injured than other children. Perhaps that's because as a group, they're more prone to violence.
For great info on how to spot and stop bullying, visit www.stopbullying.gov. Help your kids get involved, too, by talking about how to report and stand up to that aggression.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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