Bullying in schools, what can be done?

[dissentowner]

Bullying in schools is a huge problem where I live and the schools and teachers do nothing about it. My 9 year old son last year had problems with bullys and he complained to the teacher and the principle and they did nothing and he finally had enough of the one kid and popped him one and he got a 3 day suspension. This past weekend a 13 year old boy hung himself because in his suicide note he stated he could not take it anymore.
http://www.am980.ca/channels/news/lo...spx?ID=1228334

Is there the same problems in the public schools in Calgary? How as parents can we deal with this if the schools won't deal with it?

[Swayze11]

Cyber bullying is probably the worst. Its extremely hard to regulate it but there have been some nice stories in Calgary where some public schools have issued suspensions for cyber bullying. We live in such a sarcastic world that teachers have a very hard time trying to figure out if people are actually bullying or just joking around.

I am not a parent or anything but I would really like to see schools enforce much more when it comes to this, I hate reading about suicides due to bullying.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Swayze11

I am not a parent or anything but I would really like to see schools enforce much more when it comes to this, I hate reading about suicides due to bullying.

How?

[Swayze11]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

How?

I think they should not take anything as a joke. Like I mentioned before, we live in such a sarcastic world so its very hard to know what a joke is and what is serious. If schools didn't even consider the joking side of things then that might work.

I don't think there is a clear answer that would work but its getting to the point where schools need to put in more rules for students.

[old-fart]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Bullying in schools is a huge problem where I live and the schools and teachers do nothing about it. My 9 year old son last year had problems with bullys and he complained to the teacher and the principle and they did nothing and he finally had enough of the one kid and popped him one and he got a 3 day suspension. This past weekend a 13 year old boy hung himself because in his suicide note he stated he could not take it anymore.
http://www.am980.ca/channels/news/lo...spx?ID=1228334

Is there the same problems in the public schools in Calgary? How as parents can we deal with this if the schools won't deal with it?

As much as I hate to say it, your son did the right thing and the 3 day suspension is probably worth it in the long run.

I had a friend a few years ago (we were both into our late 20s) and he was telling me a story about when he moved to Canada as a boy. His first day at school he was the only "brown" kid and some other kid made a comment or two. He decked him, got a suspension... but was never harassed again.

Violence isn't always the answer and I'm certainly not suggesting anyone go all Columbine, but sometimes you do have to stand up for yourself (or for others).

[burn_this_city]

I was sort of bullied a couple times in Jr High. I decked the kid in gym class and no one ever said anything to me after that. I didnt even get in trouble with the teachers.

[Swayze11]

I have always wondered how does a suspension punish a child? I would say 60-80% of students don't even want to be in school so how is "allowing" them to skip going to improve the situation?

Maybe this forces the parent to discipline their child?

[IliketoPuck]

Bullying sucks, for sure. If I had a kid and he was getting bullied, I'd put him in martial arts, and tell him that he has a free pass from me to pop the bully the next time it happens.

I remeber in HS there was a bully that liked to bully me. We scrapped after school one day and I broke his nose, and that was the end of that.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Swayze11

I think they should not take anything as a joke. Like I mentioned before, we live in such a sarcastic world so its very hard to know what a joke is and what is serious. If schools didn't even consider the joking side of things then that might work.

I don't think there is a clear answer that would work but its getting to the point where schools need to put in more rules for students.

Yeah, the Teachers just sit in the front of the room and yuk it with bullies

[mikey_the_redneck]

We should do.........NOTHING.

Parents should be teaching their kids to stand up to bullies. It prepares them for real life down the road...

[Swayze11]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Yeah, the Teachers just sit in the front of the room and yuk it with bullies

Not sure if this was green text or not but going from the smily I would assume you were being sarcastic.

When did you graduate from HS? This does happen, especially with younger teachers.

[Sliver]

It would be nice to hear from kids who were bullied that are now adults. What do they think people could have done to help them when they were a kid?

I think part of the problem is the diffusion of responsibility that happens. You might just say/do a couple of things to a classmate so you don't think you're a bully and the anti-bullying messages don't resonate with you. We have to make kids understand that to the kid being tormented it the compounding of every comment/action that = being bullied. Also I'm not sure what kind of education there is on this sort of thing, but kids should know they have a responsibility to intervene when somebody is being bullied.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

We should do.........NOTHING.

Parents should be teaching their kids to stand up to bullies. It prepares them for real life down the road...

This.

At some point in your life you have to stand up for yourself and do what is best for you.

Coddling kids is not the answer.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by Swayze11

I think they should not take anything as a joke. Like I mentioned before, we live in such a sarcastic world so its very hard to know what a joke is and what is serious. If schools didn't even consider the joking side of things then that might work.

I don't think there is a clear answer that would work but its getting to the point where schools need to put in more rules for students.

So kids should be suspended for joking around with their friends?

Ridiculous....

Teacher - "Okay kids, no joking around or we might interpret it as bullying and send you home for a suspension"........yeah that will go over well.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Swayze11

Not sure if this was green text or not but going from the smily I would assume you were being sarcastic.

When did you graduate from HS? This does happen, especially with younger teachers.

Why does it matter when I graduated?


And then they're horrible teachers, report them. There is a professional code of conduct and they are violating it.

[IliketoPuck]

Or the flip side is this.

Whenever my boss is a dick to me, I will just complain to my teacher and they will tell him to stop being a meany.

Life isn't roses, and the quicker people learn that they can drastically alter their situation through how they react to situations, the better.

[Komskies]

I bullied a kid in elementary school. I dropped Brett's Megazord down the storm sewer so he punched me in the ear. Then I punched him in the nose. The bullying started and ended that day.

[mykalberta]

If I were you I would tell your kid he did the right thing in punching the other kid.

If the school decides to go further then you take it to the school board or local news papers.

Nothing shuts up public employees on a power trip like the local news.

[peter12]

Glee Club.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

This.

At some point in your life you have to stand up for yourself and do what is best for you.

Coddling kids is not the answer.

I think a lot of times it's best to do nothing. Sometimes it can go too far, though. Some kids are just passive by nature and will never stand up for themselves. If they are getting depressed/suicidal, it's obvious they need help.