In the wake of a mother who shared a heartbreaking video of her 9-year-old child who is constantly bullied at his school, awareness is being raised around the world about the incessant problem of school bullies who need a good butt-whooping. While so many people from many walks of life and all points on the ideological spectrum have tried many things to end the bullying. But nothing seems to work.

“I wish I could stab myself in my heart,” Quaden, says through tears. “I want someone to kill me.” While some are perpetuating the lie that this kid is an 18-year-old fraudster, it is clear that the child is a victim of exploitation — both by other kids and by his mother who exploits him as an entertainer.

While this video is extremely disturbing to any sane person, what the world lacks is God-fearing understanding on how to deal with this kind of crap. The world has lost the art of discipline and parents — often forced by the government or in fear of social services intervention — have largely abandoned the practice of spanking.

Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Proverbs 13:24

The Depravity of Man

The way these children are treated and the epidemic of school bullying may be a relatively new phenomenon in the way it is manifested, but the hearts of today’s children are no more wicked than they have ever been. Because of the fall, all men are born into enmity with God and are wicked. The heart of man is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt according to Jeremiah 17:9.

The way these child bullies view their peers is through the lens of their own heart. It’s born out of self-idolatry. This idolatry begins at a very young age. Children do not have to be taught how to be idolaters — the Scriptures teach that we are idolaters by nature. These bullies have a desire to be seen by their peers as superior and by eliminating the weak, they feel they can themselves become stronger.

It’s also born out of hatred — a hatred of other people but more importantly, a hatred of God. God says in Proverbs 8:36, “all who hate me love death.” Jesus said, “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” The fact is, these children who do this are murderers at heart. This point needs to be understood.

Biblical Discipline

As stated previously, those who spare the rod destroy their own children. Bullies need to be dealt with harshly — both by parents and by others. Again, children don’t act this way because they are any more depraved than in history — they act this way because, today, they can. They can get away with it. They face no real punishment for their actions.

I’ll say this as clear as possible: Any child who bullies another child in this manner needs to be dealt with swiftly with a harsh, exceedingly painful punishment. Parents of bullies and parents of children who are bullied both need to rise up against this. I can tell you right now that I would likely go to jail in dealing with another child who did this to one of my children.

The Bible speaks of discipline and punishment in ways that are both effective in restoration and punitive in displaying the wrath of God. While Jesus himself speaks of Christians being able to “turn the other cheek” when wronged, he also speaks of pursuing justice in a manner that fits the crime — ane eye for an eye. Turning the cheek is a discipline for Christians who understand the grace of God to be able to rise above retribution and display the grace of God. But the fact remains that the wrath of God remains on those who are apart from Christ.

A young, bullied child is not only incapable of turning the other cheek due to a lack of understanding of the gospel, but it is also not the duty of the civil government and parental discipline to do so. These bullies need a taste of their own medicine.

The Gospel

These children need the gospel. Not only does the gospel change the hearts and minds of wicked people and turn them toward Christ — but it gives hope to the lowly, to the weak, to the ones who feel hopeless and no way out. The gospel isn’t just for the perpetrators, but for the victims too.

Let’s be clear, in this fallen world, all are lost and all are in need of salvation. It isn’t just those who commit the crime, but those who are the victims of the crime too. The bullied are just as lost and depraved as the bullies and are in just as much need of saving grace.

The gospel is that all men, both the weak and the strong, both the victims and the victimizers are lost apart from God because of sin. But God, in His infinite mercy, sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross, taking the punishment that we deserve, bearing the full wrath of God in our place, defeating sin. Who was then buried and then three days later, God raised Him from the dead defeating death. And He now sits at the right hand of God the Father forever making intercession for those who would repent of their sin and trust in Him alone for salvation.