School Bullies

[Studley 2436]

Bully of the week sounds too much like an award. Why not Dweeb of the week or "this weeks embarresment"?

Studley

[journeyman Mick]

Qiet often its the best method. Bullies thrive on power and alot of them can take some pain. But all of them hate to be ridiculed. Its a bit like Kryptonite for Bullies and drains their power. The embaresment is often to much for them when they realise "everyone" is just laughing at them behind their backs. If you could keep the do-gooders at bay, schools should have a "bully" alert once a week at assembly, where the Principle anounces the "Bully" of the week in front of the entire school, and list their weeks "acheivements" How would the bully feel if that happend. Pretty low i guess.

Great idea, but can you imagine all the bleeding hearts jumping up and down about this.

Mick

[Rossluck]

I think that in the end the buck stops with the principal. When your children go to a school with a strong, "on the ball" principal, a lot of these bullying problems just don't occur. When they do, they're dealt with quickly and with strongly and with a "don't muck around with me" attitude.

A lot of the posts that I've read here are bursting with the frustration of parents who have protected their children all their lives and now have to send them to school where they are being hurt. Worse still, there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about it.

My answer? If the principal isn't strong enough to deal with it, then parents have to deal with it with their own strength but through the principal. That is, ride the weak principal until they're forced to do something about it. They'll eventually relay the pressure imposed on them by parents to the rest of the staff and ultimately to the bully and it's parents.

In my experience, too many parents aquiesce to the "wisdom" of teachers when it comes to their children. Teachers can be so good at "setting parents straight" with calm, authoritative -- but completely wrong -- assessments of what's happening at school. This is because, as in every walk of life, there are good ones and bad ones ....

[Driver]

Bullies thrive on power and alot of them can take some pain. But all of them hate to be ridiculed. Its a bit like Kryptonite for Bullies and drains their power. The embaresment is often to much for them

Lignum

You've hit the nail on the head (if that isn't too violent a metaphor ).

When I confronted the 16-year old tosser in front of his parents and told him I'd kick his @rse if he bullied my daughter, two things happened

1) His teenage power-aura was suddenly shattered by a direct threat from someone who quite obviously was capable of carrying it out. This was a massive shock to him.

2) He was humiliated in a very public and obvious way.

His immediate reaction was quite interesting. I've never seen anyone's face go so red so quickly. He couldn't meet anyone's gaze. Not mine, not his father's, not his mother's. He was hugely embarrassed.

In the case of the teacher-bastard whom we roughed up on the rugby pitch, something very similar occurred. His power over the school's students was suddenly revealed as an illusion and - at the same time - he got a very rough public humiliation.

I don't know whether either of these events was a life-changing circumstance for the two bullies involved. However, in both cases the specific bullying stopped - immediately.

Mick is right about the potential reaction of the bleeding hearts. Their problem is that they try to make rules to meet the generalities of life. However, life is actually lived in the specific.

[Stu in Tokyo]

...........Mick is right about the potential reaction of the bleeding hearts. Their problem is that they try to make rules to meet the generalities of life. However, life is actually lived in the specific...........

Ladies and Gentlemen, now THAT is a keeper!!

[Riverland]

Well lm stumped when it comes to that l had same problem with one of my kids and after months of this and nothing being done by police or the school l decided to take matters into my own hands and l can tell you now when your child is being hurt you will do anything to help your child so im telling you what not todo. l tried everything to stop this kid from bulling my kid. Noone could do anything so l payed another group of school kids to sort out the one who was hurting my kid. DONT EVER DO THAT. After doing that my child was not touched again but now all l have done is l became what l hated most about my school years and what my son hated. Get the kids family up to the school with teachers and talk to them.