The Problem of Bullying
By Susan Steffen-Kraft
This last week my granddaughter changed schools. I guess you would too if you had been shoved against lockers and told to kill yourself. She is in the 7th grade and the last few years had no problems with kids at her grade school. But when she and others from the different grade schools in the district area graduated and moved up to the district Middle School, things changed.
Now to say she is perfect would be wrong but to say she had lots of friends would be right. Yet some of the 8th and 9th grade girls could not stand her or her uniqueness. And I know her well enough to know she can be verbally outspoken which maybe she should not be as it does no good many times.
However physically being assaulted is wrong
and she was assaulted. This is wrong whether she said something that irritated them or not. She did things according to a picture and a page she had created that were found out by her mother. Things that would indicate she could harm herself because she was being bullied.
None of us knew anything other then she was starting to act more aggressively at home. She was getting in your face and smarting off and we were chalking it up to starting the girl teen years thing. But then gradually it started coming out.
One of the first comments we heard about was she was being called a Lesbian when in fact we have to put up with her being boy crazy. Lies and rumors abound apparently when you do not like someone.
I would never have dared pick on anyone. My mother would have beat my rear had she ever thought I was calling names and or bullying. In fact I was bullied in private school. Later my mother told me that I best remember what happened to me and never forget! If I remembered then I would not treat someone else that way.
My son says kids today need to toughen up and not be wimps Although he thinks if someone bullies the handicapped or people
with mental disorders that should be stopped.
He feels that the cold hard world even when they are older is waiting for them. If they cannot deal with teasing they will have more problems later. To some degree he is right. However, that does not make the bullying attitude desirable especially when it turns physical.
Now to say she is perfect would be wrong but to say she had lots of friends would be right. Yet some of the 8th and 9th grade girls could not stand her or her uniqueness. And I know her well enough to know she can be verbally outspoken which maybe she should not be as it does no good many times.
However physically being assaulted is wrong
and she was assaulted. This is wrong whether she said something that irritated them or not. She did things according to a picture and a page she had created that were found out by her mother. Things that would indicate she could harm herself because she was being bullied.
None of us knew anything other then she was starting to act more aggressively at home. She was getting in your face and smarting off and we were chalking it up to starting the girl teen years thing. But then gradually it started coming out.
One of the first comments we heard about was she was being called a Lesbian when in fact we have to put up with her being boy crazy. Lies and rumors abound apparently when you do not like someone.
I would never have dared pick on anyone. My mother would have beat my rear had she ever thought I was calling names and or bullying. In fact I was bullied in private school. Later my mother told me that I best remember what happened to me and never forget! If I remembered then I would not treat someone else that way.
My son says kids today need to toughen up and not be wimps Although he thinks if someone bullies the handicapped or people
with mental disorders that should be stopped.
He feels that the cold hard world even when they are older is waiting for them. If they cannot deal with teasing they will have more problems later. To some degree he is right. However, that does not make the bullying attitude desirable especially when it turns physical.
Now to ask the government to step in is way too much interference. To ask teachers and principals to start doing their job, that is what should be done. When I called the principal to ask what he was doing about the situation, he was unaware of anything going on. I told him to get with it and or I would talk to the newspaper.
He wants names so I will see if I can get one or two. I really laid down my thoughts to him and said if they have time to bully in between classes then shorten the time to get to class. How hard is it? He was not a happy camper by the time I read him the riot act.
When I told my granddaughter to hit back if physically attacked she said that was being rude. I firmly said "no it is not because assault is assault! You have a right to defend yourself if physically attacked. My son backed me and said she should slug them good. I agree. Personally I think she should take a self defense class!
http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-school-bullying#
The above is a link about school bullying! My mother was a teacher and never allowed it. Today's teachers seem unable to deal with the situation.
I have a friend who was bullied in grade school along with me. He would be sitting at his desk and different boys would come along and tip it over spilling most everything out. He would have to clean up the mess.
I remember the teacher turning around and telling him that he was clumsy. I remember being so angry. But I, to my shame, did not stand up for him. I was a girl who was being bullied herself and had no clue how to handle it.
I found my friend on Facebook and told him I was sorry I had not spoken up all those years ago. He has not forgotten what they did and never will. Amazingly he held nothing against me.
Years later I remember running into some of those girls who picked on me and my friend. I mentioned what they did and they laughed and said, "All of us were having fun including you!" I was? Really, no one told me that and no one told my friend that.
And these people breed and vote.
He wants names so I will see if I can get one or two. I really laid down my thoughts to him and said if they have time to bully in between classes then shorten the time to get to class. How hard is it? He was not a happy camper by the time I read him the riot act.
When I told my granddaughter to hit back if physically attacked she said that was being rude. I firmly said "no it is not because assault is assault! You have a right to defend yourself if physically attacked. My son backed me and said she should slug them good. I agree. Personally I think she should take a self defense class!
http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-school-bullying#
The above is a link about school bullying! My mother was a teacher and never allowed it. Today's teachers seem unable to deal with the situation.
I have a friend who was bullied in grade school along with me. He would be sitting at his desk and different boys would come along and tip it over spilling most everything out. He would have to clean up the mess.
I remember the teacher turning around and telling him that he was clumsy. I remember being so angry. But I, to my shame, did not stand up for him. I was a girl who was being bullied herself and had no clue how to handle it.
I found my friend on Facebook and told him I was sorry I had not spoken up all those years ago. He has not forgotten what they did and never will. Amazingly he held nothing against me.
Years later I remember running into some of those girls who picked on me and my friend. I mentioned what they did and they laughed and said, "All of us were having fun including you!" I was? Really, no one told me that and no one told my friend that.
And these people breed and vote.
I have friends who are Jehovah Witness. The husband works for a big corporate store whose name you would recognize. Some of the people there bully him with name calling and comments against his faith because he does not do certain things. They refuse to try and understand his differences and why he will not participate in some things due to his faith.
Being as he has ADHD also, this makes him a target by the high school mentality carried into adulthood by some of them. ADHD results in not being able to focus, being overactive and sometimes not being able to control behavior.
Yet despite some of these problems he has been with this company for many years and is considered a very good worker.
This man is in his early 50's and tries to ignore it. But he should not have to deal with that. He does not bother them so what is their issue?
Witnesses for example choose to avoid directing worship to anyone or anything in the universe other than Jehovah. Participating in the flag salute of any nation is to them a worshipful act that would intrude on and violate their way of worshiping Jehovah. This does not mean that Jehovah’s Witnesses disrespect the flag or disrespect those who do salute it.
Usually they will respectfully stand for such ceremonies as long as they are not required to participate. They believe that one shows true respect for the flag by obeying the laws of the land it represents. From Yahoo Answers
Being as he has ADHD also, this makes him a target by the high school mentality carried into adulthood by some of them. ADHD results in not being able to focus, being overactive and sometimes not being able to control behavior.
Yet despite some of these problems he has been with this company for many years and is considered a very good worker.
This man is in his early 50's and tries to ignore it. But he should not have to deal with that. He does not bother them so what is their issue?
Witnesses for example choose to avoid directing worship to anyone or anything in the universe other than Jehovah. Participating in the flag salute of any nation is to them a worshipful act that would intrude on and violate their way of worshiping Jehovah. This does not mean that Jehovah’s Witnesses disrespect the flag or disrespect those who do salute it.
Usually they will respectfully stand for such ceremonies as long as they are not required to participate. They believe that one shows true respect for the flag by obeying the laws of the land it represents. From Yahoo Answers
And now to the problem of the Miami Dolphins! Guard, Richie Incognito versus Tackle, Jonathon Martin. You would think they would figure out they were adult. Martin is slightly guilty but Incognito is the worst. A menacing man who seemingly had no problem in his leadership of bullying Jonathon Martin.
It has now torn apart a team and shown the truth about what goes on many times in the locker room. Problem is, it spilled out into the real world and now all is a laid bare for the rest of us to see and hear about.
Although rookie hazing is a common thing it seems as if this went on into the 2nd season. It was made personal and was different from what the other rookies went through!
I do not condone hazing whether in college, pro-football or in the military, but this went beyond the normal hazing. Some jokes and remarks seem harmless but many go beyond that. I have no clue where this investigation will go and what will happen.
http://prep2prep.com/PrepCat/hazing-bullying-are-mindless-and-mean/
If you read this article you will see that even the 49er's Coach Bill Walsh did not condone hazing. A voice of reason in a world of madness.
What is funny and sad in the story Brian's Song is because in the story itself was when Brian Piccolo was made to sing the Wake Forest song standing on a table. He was being hazed by the Bears which is very mild compared to today's hazing.
Incognito is no Brian Piccolo. I watched the movie Brian's Song and read the story also. Now there was a man who could take and give teasing. But it was not like it is now. He would not approve I am sure!
It has now torn apart a team and shown the truth about what goes on many times in the locker room. Problem is, it spilled out into the real world and now all is a laid bare for the rest of us to see and hear about.
Although rookie hazing is a common thing it seems as if this went on into the 2nd season. It was made personal and was different from what the other rookies went through!
I do not condone hazing whether in college, pro-football or in the military, but this went beyond the normal hazing. Some jokes and remarks seem harmless but many go beyond that. I have no clue where this investigation will go and what will happen.
http://prep2prep.com/PrepCat/hazing-bullying-are-mindless-and-mean/
If you read this article you will see that even the 49er's Coach Bill Walsh did not condone hazing. A voice of reason in a world of madness.
What is funny and sad in the story Brian's Song is because in the story itself was when Brian Piccolo was made to sing the Wake Forest song standing on a table. He was being hazed by the Bears which is very mild compared to today's hazing.
Incognito is no Brian Piccolo. I watched the movie Brian's Song and read the story also. Now there was a man who could take and give teasing. But it was not like it is now. He would not approve I am sure!
Below is a picture of Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo ! He assisted his competition Gayle Sayers in Gayle's recovery from a severe knee injury. Both mentally and physically he was there for his friend. The Miami Dolphins should be sat down and required to watch the film Brian's Song!
Brian Piccolo
1943 - 1970
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