Experts to Melania Trump: You Are Not the ‘Most Bullied Person in the World’
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
On her recent swing through Africa, between visits with dignitaries and photo-ops in front of the Great Sphinx, First Lady Melania Trump declared that she could be “the most bullied person in the world.”
To experts who study bullying and work to prevent it, the suggestion was absurd.
“It’s really crazy to say that she is being bullied,” said Fred Rivara, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and expert on child bullying. For an interaction to meet the threshold of bullying, he explained, it must involve an imbalance of power.
“The big thing here with Melania Trump is she’s the one in power,” Rivara said. “Her husband is The president of the United States. So how can she say that she’s bullied?”
Trump made the comments in an interview with ABC News aired Thursday, in which she promoted her anti-bullying initiative, Be Best. Her focus on the issue has raised eyebrows in light of her husband’s penchant for doling out insults and abuse.
Dressed in colonial-settler chic for her tour through Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt last week, Trump told ABC’s Tom Llamas that she started the initiative in part because of “what people are saying about me.”
“I could say I’m the most bullied person in the world,” she added, not explaining further what she meant by the comment.
Parry Aftab, the founder of the StopCyberbullying program, acknowledged that Trump has been the target of harsh criticism online. But she argued that this kind of scrutiny should be expected by those in the public eye.
“When you're involved in politics and public life, you need to recognize that you are a target for everybody,” Aftab told The Daily Beast. “People may not like your hair, people may not like your politics, they may not like who you’re married to … But if you enter public life, that’s part of the cost that you pay for that.”
Aftab also worried that the First Lady’s comments would divert attention from those who are the most vulnerable to bullying: children. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 30 percent of U.S. students in grades 6-12 have experienced bullying, and more than 70 percent have witnessed it.
LGBTQ youth and children with disabilites are especially vulnerable to bullying, particularly online. A third of all lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are bullied at school, and LGB kids are twice as likely to be cyberbullied as their straight peers, according to the Trevor Project.
“I think it belittles kids who are afraid to go to school, who are afraid to turn on Instagram because of [cyberbullying],” Atab said of the First Lady’s comments.
“It’s a misuse of a term that shouldn’t be used by someone in power,” she added. “And the First Lady, like it or not, is someone with a lot of power.”
Tags
Who is online
411 visitors
I don't know what happened to the previously seeded article about this, but it has disappeared.
Let's face it - Melania is a total idiot. All anyone needs to do is google 'nude Melania pics" and you can see photos of the President's wife fully naked in bed with another naked woman. Lots of them. And she thinks she is being bullied? It's sickening to think that her husband is the leader of the party that is known for slut shaming women just for wearing revealing clothing. Apparently Melania really is Einstein to them.
Melania Trump To Survivors Of Sexual Assault: Don't Report Unless You Have Evidence
Even though eyewitness testimony has been used to convict minorities for centuries, you better have DNA evidence and a sex tape to prove it if you're going to accuse a white Republican male of any wrongdoing. Sure, we've even put some black Americans to death based on single eyewitness testimony, but when you accuse a white male, especially if they're a religious conservative, you'd better have an airtight case, a woman picking you out of a lineup and making an accusation of rape only ever works against poor minorities who many white people can't tell apart.
Anything is possible in the broad expanse of centuries past. Here in the 21st century, we require some evidence, and that isn't exclusive to sexual assault. It applies to all crime.
If you went to the cops and told them I stole your lawnmower, they'd expect you to be able to prove 1) you even own a lawnmower, 2) it's gone, 3) I actually took it. And even if you can do all that, if I can produce even feeble evidence that I might have had your permission, you'll lose.
Sexual assault, where no penetration took place, and no punches were thrown, can be very hard to prove. That's just a sad reality of that type of crime. So it helps if you have a corroborating witness for your story. It really hurts if you name three witnesses and none of them can verify your story, especially with some even declaring that you're wrong.
But being continuously blind to reality eventually you have to be guilty of being complicit.
"Judging from exoneration, a black prisoner serving time for sexual assault is three and-a-half
times more likely to be innocent than a white sexual assault convict. The major
cause for this huge racial disparity appears to be the high danger of mistaken eyewitness
identification by white victims in violent crimes with black assailants."
All I'm saying is the hypocrisy of religious conservatives stinks to high heaven. They have for centuries relied on single witness, even one white woman testimonies, as proof an event took place if the accused couldn't prove they weren't there.
Now they're crying crocodile tears at the "possibility" of being wrongfully accused like it's the tragedy of the century that a white Christian male could be accused of sexual assault or attempted rape by a woman with no other evidence than her own testimony. Karma's a bitch as they say.
Injustice today is not the proper response to injustice of the past - justice is.
One thing that helps convict someone of sexual assault (or any crime for that matter) is some evidence that the crime actually occurred (bruises, e.g.). We didn't even have that much with Ford.
Most people (yes, even white males) want to punish sexual predators. You seem to be suggesting that white men are ok with sexual assault if the perpetrator is white, but not if he's black. That's kind of silly. This is one case.
It's kind of hard when you have literally hundreds of women saying the man is a gentleman to punish him on the complaint of a single woman with a 35 year old allegation she can't substantiate (even a little).
There's been a lot of racial hysteria on the Left with the Ford/Kavanaugh case, which is pretty ridiculous given the parties.
Me either Hal. I posted one and when I went to look for it, it was gone. I don't know who deleted it or why.
Something really wonky is going on on Newstalkers right now. A lot of my seeds are gone. You can't vote someone up.
I think it is Russia
Damn that Putin and his Russian bots .....
There is nothing wrong with your transmission, We are controlling your machine ! LOL
lol...
removed for context
I can't vote up either. It is gone for me.
I can't vote up comments, either.
Same here... I let SP know, he will let TiG and PH know.
I noticed this morning I was unable to view some of my posts from yesterday, like the article was gone. And no, I cannot vote on posts either, so yea, something is wrong.
I'd up-vote your comment if I could...
I even lost my down vote option,
wtf
I just checked in after a week and am glad to know its not just me.
Hummmmmmm...
Good one, I love it!
Which means what Vic?
Oh I think the Left has stolen that title for itself. If you want to see some rampant slut-shaming, look for comments (including on this website) about Melania when Trump was running and after he won the election. I have never seen anyone slut-shamed to that degree.
Arguably, you even bringing up the photos is a kind of slut-shaming. Basically, you're saying she brought this on herself. She deserves the comments. It's what she gets for being naked on camera or with another woman. Victim-blaming. Slut-shaming. It's all the same.
I'm glad I saved a copy
Hang on a minute there Hal. How does Melania's porn career prove that she has not been bullied? Or that she's an idiot? In fact, I would say that many women who resorted to porn, HAVE been bullied. Perhaps directly bullied into engaging in it, or choosing it to escape bullying, build their own wealth. I have no idea what Melania has gone through in her life, and will not stand in judgement of her. She may have even been bullied into making her recent, awful statement. Her abusive, scumbag husband is the most powerful man in the world
Please don't make her out to be a victim. She's made specific choices throughout her life which have brought her to where she is today. We all make life choices, some good, some bad. Everyone has to deal with the consequences.
We are all victims of our environment Pat, and everybody does not have the same opportunities. I'm not trying to make her out to be anything, just saying I'm not in a position to judge her and neither is Hal. Do you think her porn career proves she has never been bullied and is an idiot?
Re-read my post, I didn't say anything like that.
I don't think she was 'bullied" into having a porn career. Or into marrying trump.
Idiot ? Meh, maybe just not the sharpest tool in the shed.
I didn't ask if she was forced into a porn career. I asked if having a porn career proved that she has not been bullied, as Hal suggests. I also did not ask how smart you thought she was, I asked if you thought her having a porn career proved that she was stupid, as Hal also suggested. Do you want to try again?
just saying I'm not in a position to judge her and neither is Hal
A Ukrainian woman (or whatever the fuck she is) poses for soft core fully nude lesbian porn, then receives the extremely rare and coveted Einstein Visa for no reason, marries a scumbag billionaire who tricks rubes into electing him President* via a party of religious nut jobs that slut-shames women for wearing miniskirts, then fights tooth and nail to keep all people like her out of the country except for her parents - and I can’t judge her? Yes, I can, and I do. This woman is worthy of ridicule on a myriad of levels, because of choices she made. She begs for it, like by wearing whore heals and a coat that says ‘I don’t care’ to visit disaster victims. Fuck that worthless bitch.
I asked if having a porn career proved that she has not been bullied
No, it doesn't prove anything.
I also did not ask how smart you thought she was, I asked if you thought her having a porn career proved that she was stupid, as Hal also suggested. Do you want to try again?
Your comment: Do you think her porn career proves she has never been bullied and is an idiot?
I said "Meh, maybe not the sharpest tool in the shed".
Maybe you should try again
No, what you said was "Idiot?" THEN what you quoted yourself. I like how you left out the question "Idiot?" Asked that way is asking if she's an idiot. I think you're lying. You asked if she was an idiot then gave your opinion. That's how I read it.
... if you thought her having a porn career proved that she was stupid, as Hal also suggested.
Having a porn career, and then expecting the public to look the other way about that when she becomes the First Lady makes her stupid as fuck.
By the way, you seem to be suggesting that nobody knows if she had a rough upbringing that led her into porn, like so many other porn stars. Consider that Donald Trump just let her foreign parents into this country, while calling all Mexicans rapists.
I think we misunderstand each other and I'm letting go of it. Have a good night.
Y not state his quote ?
ive been misunderstood
most of my life.
.
its possible Lenny's point would be
we do not know her complete past,
and possibly shouldn't go judging her, until we velcrowed on a pair of her high heels
but
that's just my ignorant take
.
ive known many a young lady who has made some "questionable" decisions, that I, as a maleman, could never deliver an experienced answer asz I lacked empathy,
as my experiences, always required a PO box, cause unlike Trump,
I was pist off, not pist upon,
and remain
but WTH would I know
.
U 2 can disagree, pro bono
or anti uncle bono, just not the lunacy of sunny bono
cause just like george
watch out for that trea son
asked me for the quote when clearly someone else made the claim that Trump said it."
.
afraid it mite tick you off and bug you, as it mayfly in the face of a fly flying around my face
square into my open lockjaw filled with mesquite seasoned briquettes fresh off the grill into mine, like a canary,
tweetin about some absurd dyslexic bird flown south for the summer cause like mine, he was coal, and shakin in his bacon bitz filled stockin shelves, selfishly stocked buy Keebler elvis's thrown from plains n simply too complex, to face their complexions
also,
I thought it would bolster your correction of his inaccurate statement,
but you know me, never ever able to properly state what I think I meant
especially when addressing you
Here is the correct quote.
"They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
Wrong, the problem is that you won't own up to your statements. Having a porn career says NOTHING about a person's intelligence and it sure as hell does not prove that the person has never been bullied, suggests the opposite if anything. You can deny your intent and Hal can go off on a hate-filled rant all you guys want, it won't change this. I speak the truth.
Even a broken watch is correct twice a day.
I don't. I have a flip phone that I barely use as it is.
OK there Mr.
T EXAN
Melania told an interviewer today, or yesterday, that rumors about her husband's infidelities are "gossip".
She likes her queenly lifestyle more than she likes the truth. I pay her no attention.
Melania knew who trump was when he cheated on Moola with her. And she knew he cheated on Ivana with Moola. What a sordid nasty mess.
Yup. Does he even bother to deny it anymore? If he doesn't, I don't understand why she bothers.
But you watch interviews with her?
They showed about 30 seconds of it on a news program this morning.
What else can I straighten you out on?
What do you expect her to say when asked about it?
I've seen the disgusting comments from people right here on Newstalkers-people that speak as if they actually know her, but are advancing nothing more than a political act of vengeance on anyting and everything 'Trump'. Is it bullying? Probably not. Sick? Twisted? Disgusting? Marginal minds? Yes.
Lol! Do you remember a lady named Michelle Obama, aka Moochelle as NT conservatives liked to call her?
They never see what their own kind does.
I would not and have never called her that. I choose to refer to those people by their titles.
I see you doing this everyday, here on NV, John. Glasshouses and such?
When people posted a "photo" of Michelle Obama with a bulge in her crotch, did you complain about that?
lol.
Uncle Bruce posted a meme on his 'blog' about Michelle Obama - something like - He grabbed me by my dick.
See my comment I've repeated for you. Where oh where did I ever mention Mrs. Obama? We are discussing Mrs. Trump - the subject of this seed.
And what does Uncle bruce's Blog have to do with a story about Mrs. Trump? If you have a problem with his blog, go comment there-though he will likely delete you pretty quickly..........
I must say, I've checked but I cannot seem to find nude lesbian pics of Michelle Obama on the internet. Who is a more appropriate first lady?
99.999% of American women do not have pictures of themselves in nude lesbian positions on the internet, but Melania does (although it's a stretch to call her an American). I guess she is just special that way.
Wait - before you say it, let me help you out …
prove it
Not really. She's been a US citizen since 2006. Unlike the many truly "illegal aliens" who are not citizens at all and never have been. You know, like the ones some on the left defend so adamantly.
They appear to hate legal citizens and love illegal aliens. A practice which is quite a vexing action.
Yes, I know - she is the female equivalent of Albert Einstein. Isn't it obvious?
If you say so.
Bill and Hillary were at her wedding to Trump so they didn't seem bothered by it.
I did comment on Uncle Bruce's pissy ass 'blog'. if he deleted it, I don't give a shit. Also I wasn't talking to you. This is Hal's seed. He or she can tell me if it's got nothing to do with this.
Conservative strategy: when you run out of excuses, just bring up Bill and Hillary.
Really, WTF do Bill and Hillary have to do with this and Melania's Einstein visa?
FFS.
Liberal strategy ..... just say shit that isn't true and hope it sticks with the useful idiots in the hive
Again, searching for photos of Mrs. Trump? You do have akind of....obsession, don't you?
Lol, you are describing the republican strategy, perfected and multiplied by Trump. You can't possibly think anybody will give credence to opinions from people who believe and promote Trump/GOP lies. Go read his latest bundle of lies about healthcare. Pretty much every line was false/lie/bs/fakenews.
Meantime, Melania perfectly fits with Trump and his ego, arrogance, narcissism and money worship. Do you not think people are judging by their words and actions? Melania's family's 'chain migration' is good. The rest of America can suck it. It's all about them. And Kanye.
Oh it was Brett Kavanaugh grabbed my dick.
Mrs. Obama is a beautiful intelligent learned eloquent classy graceful accomplished woman married to a decent classy intelligent eloquent learned accomplished man. Donald Rump and his supporters are so insanely jealously of them. Rump will never measure up to this fine family. Melania must feel the same way
"Cyberbullying" is when someone is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another" !
According to Fred Rivara…..only "Certain" people can be "Cyber-Bullied" now.
Oh, this is some obvious political BS here. The power imbalance in bullying is about the power to retaliate. Bullies torment their victims because - being cowards - they do not have a reason to fear retaliation. They abuse people because they believe there is no risk to themselves. If they thought there were such a risk, they would not dare to engage in their bullying behavior.
This is what makes cyberbullying so easy. There is no danger in abusing someone over the internet because they cannot respond by instantly punching you in the nose.
That's ridiculous. What is she going to do with that power? Have the person arrested? Defenders of the 1st Amendment would howl, and rightfully so. The truth is there's nothing she can do about it, which is why it continues.
At stopbullying.gov , cyberbullying is defined. There is no vague requirement about imbalance of power vis a vis political influence.
That said, is Melania Trump the most bullied person in the world? I'd assume that is probably impossible to measure, but I would say she is a reasonably good candidate for the #1 slot. Her Twitter account has 11 million followers, which is pretty substantial and allows for the possibility of millions of bullies attacking her. Additionally, there are likely many people on Twitter who don't follow her or people on other platforms saying obnoxious things about her. She takes a fair amount of abuse from the media, too.
So she may not be the most bullied person, but I have no problem conceding that she is more bullied than most.
“I could say I’m the most bullied person in the world,” she added, not explaining further what she meant by the comment.
LOL.. She's married to Donald Trump No further explanation needed.
Stormy Daniel's told the world about Donald Rumps smaller than average mushroom dick
Awww, poor little Melania, she gets her own Immigrant family here through "chain migration" and she is bullied??????
She thinks because people talk about her wardrobe choices negatively that she is being bullied? Did she feel that way when people did the same thing when she was a model?
Unbelievable how thin skinned the decadently wealthy happen to be.