Bullying and Dads

Here's a notable article about a father's fight to address bullying.  This instance involves cyberbullying.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/07/taking-liberties-vermont-fathers-mission-end-cyberbullying/?test=faces

Here's wondering what the statistical numbers are for media articles that cover bullying brought up by a mother, a father, or by both.  Lately, it seems that the media has picked up stories that have involved instances where the father has stepped in to address the issue.  This is not to say that mothers have not been there to be the protectors for their children.  It's just that the media seems to be taking on articles where the father has been the subject of the news.

This trend seems counter intuitive to what a traditional father's demeanor is.  In my day, fathers were rough, gruff and were all about the 'man-up' attitude while mothers were the nurturing persona who coached their child to 'talk it out' with the bully. My theory about today's media focus on fathers is that we have a lower tolerance for dealing with a bully's behavior.  Now, this very common and quiet problem has more national attention and wider awareness and is no longer quiet! 

I know that I have a much lower tolerance for those who bully children (and especially MY children).  I still have somewhat of a rough attitude about it though.  I believe that when  my children grow up, the world will still be harsh and unforgiving and that my children need to be thick-skinned enough to handle minor problems with a clear, level, and emotionally balanced head.  BUT, if presented with a challenging problem that they're also not afraid of tackling that problem head-on. All in all, I'm happy to see that fathers are taking a proactive roll when it comes to being involved as a nurturing parent with their children's development.  I think that role of fatherhood as it was defined in the 40's-50's-early 60's had it's place and it wasn't necessarily 'bad'...it's just much better than it was.