TWO THOUGHTS ABOUT BULLYING

We write often about bullying. There are two things that I think do not get enough attention. First of all, when a child is being bullied it is common that the parents of the child doing the bullying are not notified about the issue with their child. For the most part when the parents are notified it makes a huge difference and they help to get the bullying stopped. Secondly, schools tend to see bullying as conflict between peers. Bullying is not about conflict it is an imbalance of power. To try to get the kids involved in dialogue is like trying to get a victim of rape to negotiate with her rapist. Remember bullying is not about conflict; it's an imbalance of power. This summer while the kids are out of school is a time to look at what your school does about bullying. Do they have a policy? Does it address these two issues? Do they enforce the policy they have? If you find the answers to any of these questions are no you could start a letter writing campaign, contact your PTA leaders, make an appointment with the school principal. If you start to make bullying an issue it could improve the life of children in your schools. Sherri