Bullying: What is being done?

Bullying is a HUGE issue in schools these days. I watched a video and in the video I watched an bigger (physically not older) child being bullied by the smaller child and in the end both of the children were given the same punishment, four day suspension.

I don’t think that the child defending himself should have been punished at all. I know two wrongs don’t make a right, but when your all alone and no one is stepping up to help you then you need to do what you need to do!

I have been dealing with this issue personally in the school district that my children are now attending. The children at this school walk around calling the other students names like “retard” or “stupid” and they also physically are being pushed around.

The policy at this school is that the children, ages 5 to 12, that are being bullied, must write out a compliant via a compliant form that must be submitted to the guidance counselor.

I have two problems with this policy..1) most five yr olds are just learning to read and write so how can they be expected to fill out a complaint form and 2) I think their ways of dealing with this issue actually make it worse as the “bully” will tell other children that the “victim” tattled and then they will “gang” up on the student and it will become a two on one or worse, it could become a group of kids beating on one child.

At this point the adult in the school that deals with this issue bring both the “bully” and the “victim” together, face to face. I think that this actually makes more problems for the “victim” as they are now being called “rats” or “narks” for trying to get help.

As I mentioned, I have been dealing with this issue with my children and have tried to contact the principal since November of 2010, and I have NOT even received a call back.

In the school that my children attended prior to this one bullying was taken very seriously and was dealt with IMMEDIATELY.

I do not agree with the way our current school deals with this issue so I have implemented a three step plan my children are to follow if they are being bullied.

Step 1) warn the bully, let them know you are going to tell an adult,
step 2) tell an adult or teacher and tell me..
step 3) if all else fails, deal with it yourself, stand up for yourself.

I CAN NOT and will NOT punish my children for defending themselves if the teachers are not willing to do their job!

In my daughters situations she is being bullied by other students for her scars from her cleft lip and for the fact that she is behind in her reading and writing. She is also bullied by her teacher about her IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and her teacher also calls her a “baby” because my daughter wants one of her brothers to meet her at her classroom and walk her to the bus.

I think bullying stems from the parents as much as the schools neglect of the issue. If the parents would hold the children responsible for their actions and the schools did the same then this issue would not be so severe. A bully is a “bully” because of things that are going on in their lives, whether it be at home or at school, that affect their self-esteem. And this drives them to thinking that they are “cooler” if they are mean to others and it makes them feel better about themselves to think they are “bigger” then someone else. Honestly I think that the parents and the schools are lazy and they both need to start taking some responsibility for their part in the issues around bullying. They need to make “BULLYING” a NUMBER ONE PRIORITY until they get a handle on the issue!