Get Schooled

By Lisa B.

November 11, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this

Try rehabilitating the bullies, then if that doesn’t work, kick them out until their parents teach them appropriate behavior. Teachers need to teach, and students don’t deserve to fear school.

By Becky

November 11, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this

I never had to worry about bullies because I had older brothers & sisters that would of beat the crap out of anyone that bullied me..Of course when you come from a family of 10, not many people can bully you any worse than what your family already had..I also learned as a small kid, if someone is being a bully, just haul off & knock the crap out of them & they will usually leave you alone..

Back on topic, I agree with Lisa, kick them out until they can be taught to respect others..

By Erkel

November 11, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this

Go by the laws on the books! There are rules on the books now. Yet many principals try to push many violent incidents under the rug so as not to be identified/earmarked as a “violent school” or whatever they call it. Simply put, bring discipline back by punishing by the rules. Rehab is an extension of proper and immediate punishment of the offenders. Also, point out the offender. This stuff of talking to both kids in a fight as if they both started it is wrong. Once yu point out the real bully/offender, then punish by your existing laws and don’t make principals afraid to report incidents. Remove the stigma they fear . I assume it is salary related if you have an undisciplined record at your school. This will definitely be a roadblock for them.

By Dan

November 11, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this

It sounds good to enforce rules and laws around bullying, the problem lies in the definition, kind of like corporal punishment, to some a lite swat on the butt is abuse to others it is a necessary part of discipline. Enacting strict laws and rules to abolish bullying, has the potential to slide into not being able to say or do anything negative at all in many instances it’s like that now, then what happens when kids get into the real world and someone calls them a doo-doo head (probably because they are one) and there is no principle to run too?

By Ann

November 11, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this

I agree with Erkel. Schools are so worried (with good reason) of being labeled as violent that they do not appropriately discipline. There is also the attendance issue if students are suspended from school. That damages the attendance stats for No Child Left Behind. I know of situations where one student was beaten by others and all received ISS.

I another situation a child who was grabbed by the throat and choked was told he was at fault because he did not back down when the bully (assailant) told him to move from a seat.

Violence is becoming more prevalent, not less as bullies know little will happen to them.

By Tigerfan_in_GA

November 11, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this

Kick them out plain and simple.

KKK, that’s funny!

By Steve Urkel

November 11, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this

Use your head and be smarter than the bullies. They will then leave you alone. That’s what my Uncle Virgil Urkel used to say!

By BaracktheVote

November 11, 2008 4:02 PM | Link to this

911, Katrina, and Bullies, its all Bushes Fault!!!

By anita

November 11, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this

There is a lot of verbal/emotional abuse going on, too, but it’s harder to pinpoint -I was a helper one day in my child’s kindergarten class, and when the main teacher was out of the room, I heard the “para” talk to a little boy (that needed talking to, btw), in such a rude, harsh way that she wouldn’t have dared spoken to an adult like that. And guess what - the whole class’s mood and energy immediately fell to almost depressive. This was kindergarten class, and until teachers are taught respect and honor in handling our young ones, the young ones are just learning that it’s okay as long as your the bigger-in-size person. How ridiculous is that?!

Yes, parents are horribly deficient these days in the lives of “trouble” kids at home, but lots of times, it’s handled by rude offensive nimwits at school in the form of “teacher” or “principal.”

I say kick them all out, and not tolerate abuse on ANY level (loud-mouthed coaches, especially).

By jim d

November 11, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this

Here’s the problem.

At best it would be impossible to rid our schools of all the bullies since bullies are who operate them.

It is a never ending cycle of parents bullying adminstrators, administrators bullying teachers, teachers bullying students and students bullying other students.

Actually I suppose that is the one thing that our schools teach well.

By catlady

November 11, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this

Anti-bullying is still not enforced, but the main reason why isn’t NCLB and the fear of being on “the list”. It is because the parents of the bullier come in and bully their way to a “no action” by the principal. Our principal one time fled the school (after school hours) for fear of a bullying parent! The principal knows what needs to be done but either distrusts the staff too much or does not have the backing of the supt. and school board. You see, almost NONE of the bulliers ever DID ANYTHING. It is always THE BULLIED CHILD’S FAULT. After some bad incidents, mostly in Athens, I told my kids to holler loud and keep on hollering until an adult noticed. I also told the principal that she might as well call the police before I got there, because I would be calling them after I got there. You see, assault is assault.

Now, we also have kids who have to learn a little tolerance for annoying people. There are a lot of them out there. For example, if another kid makes a face at you, ignore them. If they say they aren’t going to be your friend, show them your back. Bullies get reinforced and escalate their behavior when it works. But a child should NEVER have to endure bullying of a physical or sexual nature. Parents have to go to the school board to DEMAND protection from bullies, call the cops, call the equal oppportunity people, go to the paper, and keep on doing it till someone listens.

When we were in Athens one of the bullying kids had been allowed to amass a folder of disciplinary referrals over an inch thick. My question to the supt was: Why, in God’s name, had this been allowed to continue?

Many of the children who bully come from homes where they are bullied by siblings or other family members. I think bullies’ families need to be counseled and investigated by DFACS.

By Erin

November 11, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this

Actually, JimD is right … it’s impossible to eliminate ALL bullying. As sad as that is to say, it’s true.

Part of the problem is definitely teachers/admins looking the other way or not dealing with situations decisively when it’s so blatant they can’t ignore it.

BUT, like others have said, there are a lot of types of bullying, not just physical. There’s the stupid physical stuff like shoving, then there’s the way kids will form clubs just to exclude certain people.

Of course, it’s not just in school, either. It’s also to and from school, it’s over the weekends and breaks, it’s about who is or is not invited to parties and sleepovers and worst of all, it’s also about the Internet, with chat rooms and MySpace.

Are the schools supposed to be involved in eliminating ALL bullying, in all of these situations? They can really only realistically work on truly eliminating bullying on campus … and not just putting up signs declaring the campus a bully-free zone.

I really don’t know what the answer is to do that equitably and fairly, but giving in to parents who insist little Johnny or Susie is a “good kid” and it must be the other kid’s fault, won’t make things any better. Slaps on the wrist of the bullies won’t help, either.

Really, it’s much easier to say what WON’T help than what will. I doubt there’s really any totally foolproof way to stop it.

Kids really need to be able to stand up for themselves in a variety of ways (not just physically) or it’ll be open season on that kid. That’s one way to start.

By lwwmm7

November 11, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this

Back in the dark ages when discipline was a reality in school, bullies could be handled by a good punch in the nose. The teachers and admin. already knew the bullies, and would usually take the side of the kid who stood up for themselves. Since any form of discipline is frowned upon these days, the bullies and their parent(s) have free rein. At one time, the biggest problem teachers faced was a student who chewed gum in class. Now they are cursed at and assulted by students, and parents don’t act any better.

By Tony

November 11, 2008 6:40 PM | Link to this

People twist and subvert the definition of “bully” in order to justify their own ill-will to others. Kids copy their parents more than anyone else. Have you seen how parents act at the ball field?

One of the subversions is when a bully gets caught and the kid (and his/her parents) claims he/she was bullied. Since our main purpose is to run a school, we try to quickly hear both sides, gather evidence and apply appropriate consequences. The law states that three incidents of bullying will land the student in an alternative setting - and I have used that measure on the one occasion where it was warranted.

Some kids make up tales of being bullied, tell their parents and convince them. The parents usually do not believe the AP when told their child made up the story. Some parents want kids arrested!

By Ray

November 11, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this

Kick them out. Society berates the public schools for ‘failing,’ but at the same time they don’t let them get rid of the CRAP that gets in the way.

By Dr. Craig Spinks/Augusta

November 11, 2008 7:44 PM | Link to this

Schools staffed by attentive. resolute and assertive adults who have won the support of a significant number of their respective schools’ parents can do much to inhibit bullying. Schools staffed by adults who ignore misbehavior, who are effete, who are passive or who do not recruit parent-supporters will experience unchecked bullying.

By ateacherthatknows

November 11, 2008 8:31 PM | Link to this

It all starts AT HOME!!! As a teacher, I see parents…yes, parents bullying teachers and administrators.

By laidback and lucky

November 11, 2008 10:23 PM | Link to this

When I was in school a hundred years ago. We had “open season day” on bullies. We would gang up on the bully of our choice and just flail the chicken feed of them. That usually stopped it.

By Lashonda Pitts

November 11, 2008 11:59 PM | Link to this

My son is in middle school in Rockdale County where bullies are a big problem. The school has nothing in place to try and trim back the problem, in fact they punish the children that try to stand up for themselves against the bullies.

By love my 4 kids

November 12, 2008 12:36 AM | Link to this

Mass bullying spills out of the schools and into the public arena:

(http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80743)

By Dr. Craig Spinks/Augusta

November 12, 2008 2:00 AM | Link to this

(A)teacherthatknows, why do some teachers and administrators tolerate parental bullying? Why do many teachers and administrators not assert their authority, personal and positional, to stop bullies?

By dixiewife44

November 12, 2008 7:04 AM | Link to this

Yes they can. I was bullyed by a few teammates on the track team. My step-sister also was on the same team and knew about it, so she couldve been a witness if the teachers would do anything. ( No one did. ) If teachers and administrators would step in and make a policy against bullying. ie. supsension and or expulsion,and ENFORCE IT I’m sure the problem would ease up, altho im not sure it would go away altogether. Oh and lastly, when my stepsister did try to intervene herself and talked to my stepmom about it, (my stepmom was a teacher there, ) all that she was told was.. Well, she mustve done something to make them mad. It’s her fault that she’s being picked on.

By Daisey

November 12, 2008 7:33 AM | Link to this

That saying kids will be kids is about the dumbest thing I ever heard. Stopping bullies begins at home. The school should not have to teach your kids right from wrong! When my Mother raised her kids she taught us right from wrong. If we treat people bad it would be a long time before we would see daylight we would be to busy doing work in the house, no tv or any other pleasures. That is the same way I raised my kids. Treat them the same way you want to be treated. If you get in trouble at school you haven’t seen trouble till you get home.

By SharonH

November 12, 2008 7:45 AM | Link to this

Back in the dark ages when I was growing up (70s and 80s) if a kid bullied you, then you had the option to stand up for yourself. Anyone remember the days when you told whoever it was you had a problem with to meet you after school and you would settle whatever the problem was? One person always got their butt kicked but if you were willing to stand up for yourself, then the bully was apt to move on to easier pickings until he or she eventually got their butt kicked; problem solved.

of course, no such resolution is allowed now. Kids fighting is treated criminally so there is no way to resolve the problem. Inattentive and dense teachers never notice one kid bullying another until the bullied kid finally cracks under the pressure and acts out in a BIG way. Then THAT kid is called the bully for reacting to being mistreated in the first place.

If kids learned to interact with each other in a natural way without each and every interaction being structured and controlled by adults, they could learn to solve their problems in a different way.

Bullying will go on, it has always been in existence but at least the victims would have a chance to stick up for themselves.

By vlscpa

November 12, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this

This too shall pass. Those bullies will be out of school any day, and they’ll bring their psychoses to the real world. They’ll provide income for the lawyers, and plenty of work for the so-called Justice System.

By Annie

November 12, 2008 8:12 AM | Link to this

My son’s middle school was a disaster when it came to bullies. He’s white, in a majority black school, and was the subject of a lot of harrassment. When he tried to stand up for himself against the bullies, he was punished.

My daughter’s high school wasn’t much better. She was an honor student and she was harrassed and bullied over a social situation, physically threatened, and eventually her car was vandalized in the school parking lot. When we asked the school to discipline the prime perpetrator, who was a truant, and to enforce the ban against his friend who was hounding her EVERYWHERE he met her(he’d been kicked out of school and was trespassing on school property), the school told us to get a restraining order so that they could get rid of the other student. That would have only made things worse because he was very popular and manipulative, and had already gotten tons of kids to join in the harrassment, so that was not an option. We ended up having to withdraw her from school, and the administration failed to provide homebound education, so we had to pay for tutors for the rest of the semester. One of the perps was eventually charged criminally for his actions, but even through some of that occurred on school property, the school police didn’t cooperate with the real police.

Bottom line: the schools cannot deal with bullies, and their policy of punishing the bully AND the bullied kid, is teaching our kids that there is no justice. Put your kids in private schools! They do not tolerate that kind of behavior. Period.

By jim d

November 12, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this

what I find rather fascinating about this topic is that school employees that consistantly blame parents for all wrong doing are the very same people that will cry in loco parentis when it suits their need.

Folks in order to curtail bullying incidents all of us are required to do our part. It does not fall entirely on any one person or group of people.

By DB

November 12, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this

There was an infamous bully at my children’s (private) school — every year, he’d pick someone to take out his anger and frustration on, and one year in middle school, it was my son’s turn. Son was dealing with it pretty well up until the bully’s frustration boiled over one day and my son ended up with a concussion. At that point, I asked what the school was going to do about the bully. They hmmed and hawed about it, and said that “discipline issues were private”, and I sweetly took out my cell phone and said, “They are going to be VERY public the moment I call 911 and have the little b******* arrested for assault and battery … which is it?” (Private school, bully’s parents were donors, etc.) They mentioned “detention”, and I followed up with “not good enough unless we’re talking juvenile detention!” I was pleasant, but they knew I meant business. Apparently, the family got wind of a severe punishment coming down the road, and that evening, at a school function, the bully declared very publically that he was “going to commit suicide!” which caused a great deal of hysteria with well-meaning kids. (God, that kid could play an audience). Big scene, and he was finally withdrawn from school for emergency therapy/whatever, and then ended up at school for kids with ED issues. The family never apologized or offered to pick up our medical bills for the concussion — and never spoke to me again (they had other children who remained at the school.) I felt bad for them, because their kid was obviously a head case, but my sympathy stopped short of allowing my child to be used as a punching bag. I have to admit, I’m glad it was a private school that had the option of saying, “Nope, you aren’t welcome here anymore.”

By jim d

November 12, 2008 8:42 AM | Link to this

And how about Teachers Who Bully?

By jim d

November 12, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this

Interesting video.Anti Bullying - How Do They Do It In Norway?

By bearcasey

November 12, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this

I hate bullying but it’s hard to stop. I was the Dean of Discipline at Chattahoochie high school for four years back in the 90’s. The usual drill in those days was to give 3 days out-of-school suspension to the phhysical agressor and one day in-school suspension to the other student involved. Not a perfect solution. However, it wasn’t always that simple. Many modern “bullied” kids have not been taught to shut their fat mouths. Many verbally provoke other children. Not an excuse for violence of course but hardly an “innocent victim” either. Just saying.

By Mom to 4

November 12, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this

We had a bully at my children’s private school last year and the year before. The teachers hands were tied because when they sent him to the vice principal’s office to be disciplined, the vp would shoot the breeze with him then send him back to class (the vp and parent of bully were good friends). The vp admitted this to me when my husband and I confronted him about lack of discipline in the school but the vp called it counseling. The bully’s mother would actually tell other mothers that the vp knew it was the teacher’s fault that her little darling was always receiving infractions. When other moms confronted her about kicking and fighting, this bully’s mom would respond “oh, that’s just how he is.” Seriously! This bully left bruises on other children and she laughed it off. He is gone now (thankfully) and the vp is now working for Forsyth County schools.

By Meme

November 13, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this

Check out your child’s Facebook or My Space page. Bullying goes on over the internet too. I know that schools can’t do anything about that unless it happens at school. Parents, please be more aware of what your child is doing on the computer. Colleges and employers are checking out these pages too.

By Emma

November 23, 2008 6:47 PM | Link to this

what is being done to stop bullying around Australia? because i think Australia is the most beautiful country in the world and it is getting wreaked by bullying!