It seems lately bullying and cyber bullying has been plastered all over the news, talk shows and those late night news specials. As I watch these shows I can't help but notice how strongly opinionated people are on both sides of this issue. It seems you have those who say ''just ignore bullys'', ''if you ignore it they will stop''. Then you have those who think that bullies should not be tolerated and every small incident should be addressed.
But what is the reality of either of these things working to combat problems? I can't answer that with the experience of a teacher who may have had issues with bullying in the class room. However I can give my perspective based on the fact that I was a student once and have witnessed it first hand.
We all know how hard it is to just ignore a bully, words hurt and more times than not the bullying goes further than just words. But we also know that when an adult gets involved it can also only make the problem worse. So what do we do to fix this? Can we have strict no tolerance policies in our schools? Do students always have the courage to report it?
I don't know the answers to these questions and the scariest part of the whole issue is that kids are losing their lives because they can't handle the everyday torture that their aggressors put them through.
One common piece of all this is that many parents and educators share the belief that cyber bullying between classmates should be reprimanded at school. They believe that even though it doesn't happen at school it could be combated by punishment through the school system. Do you think it is fair to punish for something that happens outside of school?
Great conversational tone. I like your honesty in not knowing the answers. I enjoy your position as a student. But what do you do as a future educator? What is your personal stand?
ReplyDeleteGrowing up is a complex process. Kids are negotiating everything as they try to discover who they are and who they will become. I think anyone who impedes this process, or makes that person feel less of a person because of teasing, ridicule, or harassment should be punished on and off school property.
My stance is that students should be punished in school for bullying that occurs outside of school. It is such a serious problem that it need all the attention it can get.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great blog. I like how your blog flowed. I was very interested in what you had to say. I enjoyed how you gave both sides of the story.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I can't so heartily agree because if people get their meaning from the words of others who don't really matter... well, it's their fault for believing it just as much as its the fault of the ones who bully the victim. It's bipartisan, you can't so easily mete a victim who is helpless when all it takes is a different venue to believe in. I can understand it, but at the same time they are at liberty to do it along the lines of having their own opinion, but not to the extent of slander. I tell you that kids are too soft now a days and it will only get worse if we coddle them. By having no one take responsibility for it, we unintentionally sanction this practice. The ones who should be responsible about it are the kids who said the things in the first place, along with the victim who I would imagine is able to think along the lines of getting a different fix for meaning in their lives. Just because a path is harder, doesn't mean that it can't be walked.
ReplyDelete"I tell you that kids are too soft now a days and it will only get worse if we coddle them. By having no one take responsibility for it, we unintentionally sanction this practice." Really! Soft? Come on, children are children. When is protecting them coddling? We tell kids don't run with scissors, because their brain development tells them they can. That part of the brain isn't developed until their 25 . . . and we let our children drink at 21 . . . hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteI think that protecting our children from being bullied and potentially being hurt is different than coddling them. I agree to some degree that children these days are "too soft", but not the way you say. Giving everyone a prize and not letting anyone win or lose because we don't want to hurt their feelings, that is coddling. Protecting them from things that could severely hurt them or even end their life, that is being a responsible adult.
ReplyDelete