After years of delays, the Legislature appears poised to crack down on bullying among schoolchildren, with hearings beginning this week on nearly a dozen bills that could force local schools to respond more aggressively to instances of cruelty among students.
Similar bills have, in the past, failed repeatedly - even as the number of states with bullying-prevention statutes has grown to 37. But now a broad group of supporters, led by the Anti-Defamation League, are giving the effort the momentum it may need to finally push a measure through to passage.
How have the states with anti-bully legislation done insofar as actually, you know, reducing bullying? I'm genuinely curious - because it would mark the first time in history we've managed to legislate human behavior successfully. I also like how they manage to trot out the tired, disproven canard of Columbine:
The harassment sometimes leads victims to lash out violently at others; some school shootings across the nation over the last decade were at the hands of students who had been allegedly bullied.Um, no, actually. Most of the school shootings were perpetrated by psychopaths and antisocials, kids that relished in being the bullies. It's quite interesting that they don't specifically mention Columbine, but the inference is clear - conveniently sidestepping reports that showed Columbine had nothing to do with bullying.
Look, getting picked on by a bully sucks. School's tough enough without having to worry about getting beaten up, ridiculed, or both on a regular basis. Passing more laws and further tying the school's hands isn't going to help, though. Kids that bully do so out of their own insecurity as a way of lashing out at those they feel need to be brought down to their level - they can't compete with little Jimmy in the classroom, so they pummel him after school to make them feel better about themselves.
If the schools do crack down on bullying, I can guarantee the outcome - it's the kids that dare to fight back who will bear the brunt of the school's wrath. You know why? They're the easy targets. They're the ones that, by and large, play by the rules and play nice with others. They're the ones that will listen to the teachers and administrators when they're told not to fight back under any circumstances. And after the nth bully gets away with it, they'll start to realize that the system is stacked in favor of those who crap on the rules and get what they want by hook or crook.
It's a great introduction to life in general (or as a gunowner...)
That is all.
3 comments:
I have issues with the way government schools handle bullying, having been tormented throughout elementary and junior high. In both schools, the administration was complicit in it, so nothing was done--to the bullies, at least. I was taken to the principal's office and threatened with suspension in sixth grade for calling a girl a bitch after she threw my book across the classroom and knocked my glasses off my face in doing so.
That said...I don't see how legislation would do anything. You can't force school administrations to give a damn, and as long as they're not in fear of their jobs (and they won't be, because no legislation is ever going to be passed that would carry the threat of that), they'll carry on as they always have.
As a parent I've been as proactive as I can. Until my divorce, the plan was to home school the kids. Having to put them in a "real" school meant I was careful to choose a charter school with good discipline--and it's well worth the trip across town. There's an online charter school that's my fall-back plan, and any future kids will be home schooled.
Once again, parenting trumps legislation.
I realized the adults won't do anything to stop bullying about the time I was being strangled on the bus - in the seat directly behind the driver, who looked me in the eyes in the mirror and never said a word. I got my legs under that kid and kicked him across the bus, and never again hesitated to fight back after that, despite the "rules".
The one time the administrators tried to punish me for defending myself, my parents called a meeting with the principal and set him straight - I didn't do one bit of detention for it.
There seems to be this mentality among school administrators that "it takes two to fight" means that both parties should always be punished. There's no acknowledgement that there's anything beyond that - "it takes two to fight, but only one to administer a beating." Every incident should be treated individually.
But, sadly, only the victims can really stop bullying - and not always.
You're right in your conclusions. I learned to fight in junior high after moving to a new school district, an urban one. You have to decide to fight, win or lose. You have to decide to fight no matter what the punishment for fighting is. Once you decide to fight, you have to learn how.
Hard lessons, but they sure prepare you for life.
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