ShareThisHi, Jewel,I'm the tallest person in my Grade 7 class and I already have big breasts.The guys make fun of me, but they're all a bunch of twerps. At what age do guys actually develop a brain? I can't wait.-- TALL GIRLDear T.G.,You're beautiful. Don't let ANYONE tell you otherwise.In fact, warn these guys that you'll take action if they don't put a sock in it. Speak to your teacher if they persist. There's no reason why you should have to put up with their behavior. Make an appointment with your principal if necessary.By the same token, I want you to keep your opinions in check. I realize you're frustrated, but labeling all male youth as brainless isn't fair. Read: Every dude is an individual.There are nice guys out there. If you peer closely enough, you'll realize every dude has his own likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Don't let a few rotten apples muddy your vision of a whole handsome forest.As for maturity, we all grow up at our own pace. There's no fixed time for either gender.Right now, focus on your own development. Study. Play. Work. You may also find comfort in hanging out with likeminded people. Who knows? You may just run into a few sweet guys along the way.-- Love, JewelHi, Dave,There's this guy in my Grade 8 class who is a real bully. Others in my class are asking me to fight him, because I'm bigger than he is.I'm big, but I don't like to fight. What should I do?-- BIG GUYDear BIG GUY,If you don't like to fight, don't fight. Peer pressure shouldn't provoke you to fight, no matter the reason. Sure, teaching this bully a lesson may sound like a good idea, but there's no point risking your safety or your academic record just to teach a moron human decency. He's going to have to learn that on his own.Tell your classmates to ignore the bully. I know, easier said than done, but giving these bullies the attention they crave only fuels their fire.I suggest you let teachers know what's up about this guy, especially if he's seriously harming your friends. Of course, if this guy starts fighting you, there may come a time when you'll need to defend yourself.Good luck!(Got a hot question for our cool columnists? E-mail Jewel or Dave at submissions(at)ypp.net or check them out at www.ypp.net.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
Dealing with problem classmates
Submitted by SHNS on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 11:22
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