Bullying is an epidemic that permeates through society despite the general disgust with the behavior. It is often thought that parents are the driving force behind the creation of a bully in their own children, and passing down the negativity from generation to generation has led to some of the most noteworthy episodes of bullying ever witnessed. With the modern age of technology upon the world, it is nearly impossible to escape the truth of the situation. Social media is constantly bombarded with victims seeking some form of comfort or restitution for their victimization.
One 7-year-old girl by the name of Ashley Wastakiewicz has learned about bullying firsthand. The young girl is in the first grade, and she clearly has a sweet disposition and an affinity for animals as evidenced by her two playful pets. Ashley is, unfortunately, the chronic victim of an 11-year-old male bully who has focused his negative attention on her for over a year. She is so terrified of her bully that she even refuses to go outside and play in her own yard.
Ashley has spent the majority of her summer inside, cut off from the rest of the world that she feels has ignored her. During one encounter with the bully when Ashley was trying to push her bike home, the boy pushed her to the ground hard, kicked her and punched her in the face. The bully was charged with assault by local police, yet the bullying continued. Unsurprisingly, the bully’s mother denies that her son has done any of the things of which he has been accused.
Christine, who is Ashley’s mother, decided to take matters into her own hands. She created a Facebook page dedicated to anti-bullying, and she named the page ‘Justice For Ashley’. While she thought they might receive sporadic support from the community, she had no idea what was going to happen next.
When Christine first made the Facebook page for Ashley, she recorded her daughter speaking a bit about bullying and how it has affected her. The video caught the eye of an unexpected group, and they sprang into action to help Ashley in whatever way they could. Several dozen members of the local motorcycle club decided to support Ashley in her quest to defeat her bully by offering their moral support and a touch of biker intimidation. Their goal was not only to send a message to Ashley’s bully, but to bullies everywhere.
The bikers arrived at Ashley’s house in droves, and while they might seem intimidating to her bully, they were perfect gentleman toward the young girl and her family. While their goal was to spread the word about bullying, they also wanted to show their love and support of the little girl who needed to be reminded that she was cared for. Their show of force was also a show of compassion and respect.
There were so many bikers present at her home during the visit that many had to park their bikes in the nearby public park. They even convinced Ashley to take a stroll down to the home of the bully so they could have a brief chat with the boy. Ashley happily accompanied her new friends on her scooter, and it was clear her fear had vanished.
Members of the motorcycle club said they would continue to keep in touch with Ashley to make sure she is staying safe and that her bully is keeping his distance. The bikers want to spread the word that violence and other destructive actions are not tolerated simply because the parents of a bully also happen to be bullies themselves.