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Reading through this thread, it saddens me that we've made so little progress on bullying in the decades since I went to school in the 1980's. Come to think of it, bullying was less of a problem back then than now, or perhaps we hear about it more now. Either way, teachers and school administrators should be hanging their head in shame for failing to provide a place where every child feels safe in school.
This is an excellent example of why I'm opposed to government-run schools in general, because they suck at what they do. I hope and pray that school choice will be the order of the day in the years and decades to come - especially in regards to the homeschooling / unschooling movements.
Mistaguy - I can't believe how unfairly you were treated throughout your school years. If there's one overriding principle I live by, it's fairness. Life may not be fair (my dad used to say that a lot), but I take it upon myself to make it fair...lol. Both students and teachers got it from me whenever I felt like I was treated unfairly. I could toss a fit like no other. Like the school bus incident - I'd raised holy cain until they backed down and accepted my side of the story - just like an attack dog that bites down and simply doesn't let go.
While I was a prime candidate for being bullied due to my hearing impairment and disengagement from popular culture, I didn't let bullies have their way with me for very long. There was this one kid who used to pick on me in middle school, and one day during recess when he got physical with me, I let him have it by using him as a punching bag. He was the one who got sent home. The funny thing was, he wanted to be friends with me after that. Go figure. In high school, it never went that far - my claws would come out at the mere hint of being bullied. It's amazing how quickly kids learned not to mess with this guy...lol.
Last edited by Radical_Thinker; 07-13-2018 at 11:30 AM..
Reading through this thread, it saddens me that we've made so little progress on bullying in the decades since I went to school in the 1980's. Come to think of it, bullying was less of a problem back then than now, or perhaps we hear about it more now. Either way, teachers and school administrators should be hanging their head in shame for failing to provide a place where every child feels safe in school.
This is an excellent example of why I'm opposed to government-run schools in general, because they suck at what they do. I hope and pray that school choice will be the order of the day in the years and decades to come - especially in regards to the homeschooling / unschooling movements.
Mistaguy - I can't believe how unfairly you were treated throughout your school years. If there's one overriding principle I live by, it's fairness. Life may not be fair (my dad used to say that a lot), but I take it upon myself to make it fair...lol. Both students and teachers got it from me whenever I felt like I was treated unfairly. I could toss a fit like no other. Like the school bus incident - I'd raised holy cain until they backed down and accepted my side of the story - just like an attack dog that bites down and simply doesn't let go.
While I was a prime candidate for being bullied due to my hearing impairment and disengagement from popular culture, I didn't let bullies have their way with me for very long. There was this one kid who used to pick on me in middle school, and one day during recess, I let him have it by using him as a punching bag. He was the one who got sent home. The funny thing was, he wanted to be friends with me after that. Go figure. In high school, it never went that far - my claws would come out at the mere hint of being bullied. It's amazing how quickly kids learned not to mess with this guy...lol.
1. The whole definition of bullying has changed. When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s, bullying almost always referred to physical bullying. Over time the definition evolved to include "emotional" bullying...a positive change in that it recognized that bullying extends far beyond just physical actions. And, of course, we've added a new category -- social media bullying.
2. Schools have not been proactive enough in reducing bullying (we'll never be able to end it). I wouldn't, however, say that school personnel should -- in general -- hang their heads in shame. I would say that the parents who produce bullies ought to be hanging their heads in shame. At the same time, schools. principals, and teachers who cast a blind eye need to be held responsible, and I have been glad to see some very powerful law suits tackle this.
3. I understand your situation with a hearing impairment. In my case it was a cleft lip and palate.
Reading through this thread, it saddens me that we've made so little progress on bullying in the decades since I went to school in the 1980's. Come to think of it, bullying was less of a problem back then than now, or perhaps we hear about it more now. Either way, teachers and school administrators should be hanging their head in shame for failing to provide a place where every child feels safe in school.
This is an excellent example of why I'm opposed to government-run schools in general, because they suck at what they do. I hope and pray that school choice will be the order of the day in the years and decades to come - especially in regards to the homeschooling / unschooling movements..
Sorry, but when free public education ends in America, there will be a huge increase in crime and gangs of kids roaming the street. Bullying can take place in private schools, homeschooling groups, church youth groups and it's most certainly not limited to public schools.
1. The whole definition of bullying has changed. When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s, bullying almost always referred to physical bullying. Over time the definition evolved to include "emotional" bullying...a positive change in that it recognized that bullying extends far beyond just physical actions. And, of course, we've added a new category -- social media bullying.
2. Schools have not been proactive enough in reducing bullying (we'll never be able to end it). I wouldn't, however, say that school personnel should -- in general -- hang their heads in shame. I would say that the parents who produce bullies ought to be hanging their heads in shame. At the same time, schools. principals, and teachers who cast a blind eye need to be held responsible, and I have been glad to see some very powerful law suits tackle this.
3. I understand your situation with a hearing impairment. In my case it was a cleft lip and palate.
If I was going to school in this era, I'd probably be shunning social media altogether - is this a common thing among school children? How do non-social media kids fare with other kids? I couldn't imagine having to get "likes" on Instagram just to maintain a decent level of self-esteem - yuck. It's little wonder that the top execs at Microsoft, Facebook, etc often don't allow their children to be on social media.
While bullying may never be totally eliminated, I do think this should be a goal everyone should strive for. We need to set our goals high and never allow ourselves to be defeated. However, I realize that there are some children out there who just don't do well in a big-school environment, and putting dozens of kids of the same age together all day long goes against basic human psychology. This is why I'm an advocate for providing aid to homeschoolers and other alternative forms of education. Parents need to have choices available to them to provide the best possible learning environment for their child.
And kudos to mitsguy and others who are willing to share their experiences with the world so we can be aware of the problem and light the fires under our feet to do something about it.
Don't forget me. I'm the one who started this discussion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Radical_Thinker
If I was going to school in this era, I'd probably be shunning social media altogether - is this a common thing among school children? How do non-social media kids fare with other kids? I couldn't imagine having to get "likes" on Instagram just to maintain a decent level of self-esteem - yuck. It's little wonder that the top execs at Microsoft, Facebook, etc often don't allow their children to be on social media.
While bullying may never be totally eliminated, I do think this should be a goal everyone should strive for. We need to set our goals high and never allow ourselves to be defeated. However, I realize that there are some children out there who just don't do well in a big-school environment, and putting dozens of kids of the same age together all day long goes against basic human psychology. This is why I'm an advocate for providing aid to homeschoolers and other alternative forms of education. Parents need to have choices available to them to provide the best possible learning environment for their child.
And kudos to mitsguy and others who are willing to share their experiences with the world so we can be aware of the problem and light the fires under our feet to do something about it.
I agree. Any establishment can foment low morale and bullying. Remember the scandals associated with The Boy Scouts and Catholic Churches?
Quote:
Originally Posted by PriscillaVanilla
Sorry, but when free public education ends in America, there will be a huge increase in crime and gangs of kids roaming the street. Bullying can take place in private schools, homeschooling groups, church youth groups and it's most certainly not limited to public schools.
Sorry, but when free public education ends in America, there will be a huge increase in crime and gangs of kids roaming the street. Bullying can take place in private schools, homeschooling groups, church youth groups and it's most certainly not limited to public schools.
I don't think free public education will end, although it'll undergo a lot of changes. With society going into "red shift" - i.e., growing old, ever-increasing resources will be diverted to the senior population, leaving a smaller slice of pie for everything else, including education. This is NOT a good time to have children, and it won't be for the next century or so. It would behoove the American people to brace ourselves for dwindling funding for public education in the years to come and plan accordingly. This is something I wish wasn't true, but it's something I accept as reality.
While I agree there's bullying everywhere, mitigating it sure is a lot easier in small, controlled settings, such as homeschool groups and small church schools. The children of my Christian-schooling cousins are the most polite and well-adjusted kids you'll see anywhere. To me, these children represent the face of the future, or at least the kind of future I'd like to see.
In any case, I'm not advocating to get rid of anything - I'm pushing for more choices and more options. This will be even more important in a money-starved future.
Bullies never grow up instead they usually develop full blown personality disorders.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BECLAZONE
The bullying I had, carried on at home, and I had no-one and nowhere to run to. I got away from school, but my family are still dirt.
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Like the school bus incident - I'd raised holy cain until they backed down and accepted my side of the story - just like an attack dog that bites down and simply doesn't let go.
