Solution To Bullying

[HopefulBride]

There is a difference between being teased and being bullied. I've had both happen to me and let me tell you, standing up for yourself works either by hiting the person back (disclaimer, I don't condone hitting but do believe in self defense) or involving a parent I remember going through it for like 5 months with this kid on my bus and I never said a thing. Finally, on the bus ride home one day, I moved the girl next to her sat down real close to her and flat out told her "try me ONE more time and you'll regret it" Never got it from her again.

Now the kids who teased me, of course I knew it was all in good fun (being called bones or sticks wasn't that horrific to me) being demeaning towards me - that I had a problem with. That phenomenon I think is growing. More and more kids are graduating from simple teasing to flat out bullying and relentless attackas, to make it worse these kids don't care that they are truly hurting another student. (sorry flashbacks for a second )

***typos of course***

Edited October 19, 2010 by HopefulBride

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='MichaelFilo' timestamp='1287501907' post='2180687']
The first time I experienced bullying after middle school was in a seminary.
[/quote]

Michael, you just nullified my theory that seminary boys are the kindest towards each other

[MichaelFilo]

[quote name='HopefulBride' timestamp='1287510255' post='2180735']
Michael, you just nullified my theory that seminary boys are the kindest towards each other
[/quote]


Oh they can be, but that doesn't mean they are the nicest. They will bend over backwards for you, but it doesn't mean you don't get made fun of regularly for your race (if I hear one more terrorist joke..) or how slow I was. But it maybe because it is a bunch of guys.

[Norseman82]

Count me among the "let people defend themselves" crowd.

[quote name='MichaelFilo' timestamp='1287511177' post='2180740']
Oh they can be, but that doesn't mean they are the nicest. They will bend over backwards for you, but it doesn't mean you don't get made fun of regularly for your race (if I hear one more terrorist joke..) or how slow I was. But it maybe because it is a bunch of guys.
[/quote]

Well, seminaries are one of the few all-male bastions left today, and there is a kind of "machismo" that develops (I'm speaking from a HS seminary viewpoint).

[MichaelFilo]

You are so right! And if you didn't have a brother growing up it takes a little getting used to. But yes, you are right. Nothing wrong with it, but the guys who have been there the longest never do it, so maybe there is something wrong. It does come with the all-boy crowd though.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1287415248' post='2180360']
Zero tolerance I guess. There are still some people who believe it is part of growing up. My husband was bullied so badly he had to drop out of highschool. He's got 2 Masters and a Doctorate, but no highschool diploma.
[/quote]
My problem with zero tolerance is that too often the wrong person gets in trouble for it. In high school, one of my friends was something of a misfit. The only reason he actually talked to me and we became friends is that our older brothers were friends, and so he knew that I knew that if I was mean to him, his brother would squish me like a bug. Anyway, the things people did to him were horrible, but so much of it was pyschological that none of the teachers really believed him, and when he would hit his breaking point and react violently, HE would be the one who would get it, rather than any of the other kids. And the other kids would act all innoccent and claim he was making everything up.

[Winchester]

My problem with zero tolerance is that it is lazy and stupid. If a school can't rule on a case by case basis, then the disciplinarians are inept.