The Partner's Progeny and What About Bullying?

         Shelly Arkon blogs at The Life of a Novice Writer.   She's currently looking forward to an ebook release in the near future and is sharing a first look at the cover along with a hint of what the story is all about.

          Here is a preview of Shelly Arkon's The Partner's Progeny:

Bullies rule … or do they?

For seventeen years, Victoria Sheek has been a paralegal surpervisor at the Law Offices of Pereene, Carr, and Sevino, specializing in injury law. Rumors portray her as a bully. She remains confident that her position will never cease because of close relations to one of the founding partners, Mr. Carr.

Until Mr. Pereene, the head partner, hires Monica Bowman. Smitten with her because of her resemblance to his deceases granddaughter, Melissa, and his memories of her, she can do no wrong.

Which one of the two girls will keep their position at the firm? It takes and unexpected event to decide the outcome of this rivalry.

Shelly’s Bio

Shelly Arkon is the author of Secondhand Shoes

 When Shelly isn’t doing the laundry, cleaning, cooking, chasing grandkids, listening to daughter drama (five of them), or lopping heads of hair at the salon, she’s writing beside her two fur-peeps, Sir Poops and Hair Ball, popping an occasional chocolate while her hubby is flipping through TV channels.

She lives in New Port Richey with her husband and two dogs. She’s also a member of Florida Writer’s Association and Writer’s of Mass Distraction.

What About Bullies?

      Since Shelly brought of the topic of bullying, let me continue with a matter of controversy tied to my ongoing series about violence, gun control, and related issues.  If you're interested in seeing what controversial topics have been offered so far you can go back to the beginning and follow on from there on most Monday posts.  

       In many of the recent cases of violence, follow-up studies have shown the the perpetrators of the violent acts had been loners who had experienced ostracization by their peers and had been targets of bullying.  This seems to be an attempt to find rationalization for the horrible atrocities.   Bullying is certainly a bad thing, but can we come to a sensible conclusion that it can drive someone to acts of violence?  Or is there a deeper issue at play that goes beyond the bullying?

        Bullying has been a hot topic in recent years.  Kids have committed violent acts on others, participated in criminal mischief, or even killed themselves attributing these acts as a response to having been excessively bullied.  No one deserves to be picked on maliciously and certainly not for ongoing stretches of time.   But vicious retaliatory behavior is not justified either.

       When I was young there were bullies and kids who picked on other kids.  Rarely was a big deal made of this behavior.  We were usually told to fight back or tell someone else who could take care of the situation for us.  There was no bully victim mentality.

         Now we are quick to label certain people or groups as victims.  There are many people who cower behind the victim label and use it as a crutch or an excuse.  Media, celebrities, and politicians often set bad examples by looking for scapegoats in people they don't like and sullying reputations in the process.  If this sort of behavior is acceptable in the public arena, kids might see it as the normal reaction toward schoolmates and peers.

         Have we as a society tended to elevate victimhood as a justification for a righteous anger to the excess?    Has being victimized become the excuse for antisocial behavior?   Are parents and school officials paying enough attention to make sure some kids aren't becoming victimized or other kids aren't  bullying others?
   

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