My friends and I were recently reminiscing about some past school experiences, and inevitably,… My friends and I were recently reminiscing about some past school experiences, and inevitably, the topic of bullying came up. We each had stories to tell — both about being bullied ourselves and about others who were picked on in school.

Some examples, such as one about a group of boys who were bullied to the point of plotting against other students, were more dramatic than others, but the fact remained constant — bullying, in one way or another, plays a big role in the lives of young people.

I hate the thought of bullying. It brings back memories of being teased on the elementary school playground and mean girls in the high school locker room. It’s a big problem in our society, and unfortunately, it’s a problem with which far too many people are familiar.

Most people have experience with at least one side of bullying, and some probably have experiences on both. Many of us have, for one reason or another, picked on someone else, especially in early adolescence, when it seemed that nothing was as important as fitting in with the cool crowd and rejecting those who weren’t considered cool. And if you haven’t been a bully, you’ve more than likely been the subject of bullying.

Although  some might believe that bullying is a phase that people grow out of, evidence has now arisen that it continues well into adulthood. For example, the case of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers student who was allegedly filmed during private interactions in his dormitory, has captivated the media. His subsequent suicide shows how truly devastating the effects of bullying can be.

More and more, we are beginning to see examples of this type of bullying, which can be contrasted with more traditional forms, such as teasing and mean comments in school hallways. Cyber-bullying has become a common way for people to put others down, often anonymously and in public forums. It seems that now more than ever, it is important to reject the idea that bullying is a fact of life and to be proactive about preventing the problem. A current study suggests this might just be possible. A recent New York Times article describes a program that attempts to use humans’ innate tendency toward compassion to combat bullying.

The study involves a Canada-based program known as Roots of Empathy, in which a mother and baby make several visits to elementary and middle school classrooms and interact with the students, attempting to get them to understand the feelings of the baby.

According to its website, Roots of Empathy works to decrease “levels of aggression among schoolchildren by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy.” Their intention is to nip bullying in the bud at a young age in order to promote a more civil society.

Though we can’t know the long-term effects of this program on children’s tendencies toward bullying, it seems that the presence of the mother and baby have precipitated positive changes within the classroom.

Personally, I’ve always been a strong believer in baby therapy. I really have no trouble believing that this program is bringing about better school environments.

The question, however, is whether or not the positive changes seen in school children will continue throughout life. Clearly, the conditions that lead a person to bully cannot be completely addressed simply by the presence of a baby. The more we understand why people bully, the closer we can get to putting an end to it.

Though bullying can stem from everything from jealousy to plain old dislike, it’s primarily a power struggle. Putting others down unfortunately causes bullies to feel powerful. The interesting thing is that if you think about it, the people who are most often bullied — those who have some sort of eccentricity and just aren’t quite like other people — actually end up being some of the most interesting and successful people in the long run.

Unfortunately, bullying is often taken too far and can result in shattered confidence, or something even worse. Programs such as Roots of Empathy, however, are a step in the right direction toward ending a problem that has gone on for far too long.

E-mail Katie at [email protected].