Annenberg Classroom - Speak Outs - How should schools respond to bullying?

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How should schools respond to bullying?

Bullying is an all-too common problem.

You’ve probably seen it happen. You might have even experienced it. But should this be happening in school? Statistics show that between 15 to 25 percent of students in the United States are bullied, while about the same amount (15 to 20 percent) are bullies themselves.

The school district has a responsibility to protect your safety. But it might not always seem as if it’s doing that. According to a 1995 study, 70 percent of teachers believe they “almost always” intervene when their students are being bullied; only 25 percent of students thought this was actually the case.

And when teachers and school districts don’t do enough to protect their students, bullying situations can escalate and can have serious consequences, resulting in injury or even death.

In December of 2009, some 13 students at a Philadelphia high school were sent to the hospital after a large-scale rumble. They were Asian students who were racially targeted for bullying by the school’s predominantly black population. The school responded by installing security cameras and beefing up security, but only after a group of 50 Asian students boycotted class for a week, saying they felt as if the district wasn’t protecting them.

In an upstate New York high school, a gay teenager was bullied relentlessly by his classmates for acting effeminate. He even came home with a badly sprained ankle after being pushed down a flight of stairs. His father eventually filed a lawsuit against the school district for not protecting his son. In this case, the federal government got involved. In January of2010, the Department of Justice intervened, charging that the school district’s handling of the situation violated gender discrimination laws, called Title IX. According to charges, the school district discriminated against his “gender identity” when it failed to protect him from bullying.

What do you think?

Is bullying a problem at school? When bullying occurs, what responsibility do schools have? How do your teachers and local officials handle it? Could they handle it better? Should they treat incidents on a case-by-case basis? Or should they address the misunderstandings at the root of the problem? If they fail to do this, is it right for the federal government to get involved? Should sexual identity be covered by discrimination laws?” If so, how? Join the discussion!

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Comments

5/10/2012
Mason City, Iowa

Jayson Adkins
John Adams MIddle school
Why do kids even bully one another? There is no point! This needs to stop!!!

4/30/2012
fulton, ms

cameron
itawamaba Community College
schools should be more strict on students about bullying. especially because of all the recent suicides. i dont know about yall but as one person (me) is trying to prevent anymore suicides!!!!

3/28/2012
Flint/MI

Kira
Genesee High School
My school has installed security cameras, but when going to school, I realized that they did nothing to stop the bullying or the violence in our hallways and classrooms. Teachers do not pay enough attention to what is going on around them. They fail at keeping us safe. I think that sexual identity should be covered by discrimination laws. If they continue to not be included, i think that eventually someone will come to power who is against homosexuality and bisexuality will take it upon themselves to exterminate people of those types.

1/26/2012
Peru,IL

Nick Filipiak
Mrs. Ochs
I am seriously disgusted in my school system because ive been bullied so much Im trying to dress like the "popular" kids do, and my sister cause i don't want her to get bullied like I was. So, i hope that ill get more protection as well as others

9/13/2010

Kaylie
CSHS, AZ
I absolutely believe that our school system must take responsibility for cases in which students are bullied. We as students are required by law to attend school on a day to day basis and therefore we need to be protected in both major and minor bullying situations. In my opinion, the problem boils down to the home life and emotional state of the ones doing the bullying. I think that there should be a system in place that when a situation occurs, violent or verbal abuse, the bully is advised to go see a counselor and figure out the root of the problem. In reality the true problem most likely has nothing to do with the student they're bullying; it’s a mechanism they are using to cope with a bigger issue.

8/12/2010

Cid
BCMHS, CA
I think it is natural i use to bully a kid in my school a whole lot but i totally apologized because i felt really bad.

5/3/2010

Casey
Nimitz High School , Irving,Texas
Bullying is a serious problem at schools because at such a young age these kids are shown no attention or liking but only hate and humiliation and this can leave the child with so much torment, and not knowing anything else the child would chose to see life negatively. Teachers devote their life to bestowing their knowledge to the future but if the student is unhappy and does not care because it seems that they do not matter than the teacher's job will go unrecognized. This might not matter because this is only a small percentage of the students but they are still human and want what you want so they are just as important. I think the only thing that would prevent bullying would be a separation system that would keep everybody from interacting. I do believe this is a terrible idea because it removes social interaction from human nature and that would be devastating. The schools are not responsible for the bullying, the responsibility falls on the student who chooses to judge and not empathize. No matter what kids will bully other kids anywhere, but at school everybody gets to see it and change cause of it.

4/29/2010

AustinP2
LMS, Diamond Bar/CA
I think that the councelers and teachers should keep a better eye out on the kids that are being bullied and the bullies themselves. Schools i think should have rewards for people that don't end up in the office for bulling. Bulling could stop by putting video cameras up in the halls. Another thing is if the kid being bullied tells the office or teacher then the bully will think he/she is a snitch and will want to hurt them even more. School should be a place for learning and education, not having to worry about coming to school being afraid!

4/29/2010

JustineP5
LMS, Diamond Bar,CA
Bullies are people who have no life and enjoy hurting people for their own entertainment. I also think people who start fights do not know how to handle a situation properly. I myself especially hate to see smaller teens getting bullied by someone twice their size. Some kids unknowningly bully others. There is two types of bullying, one is pushing, shoving, and stealing lunch money to the same victim over and over again. The second type of bullying is improper verbal use such as, calling the same person short, ugly, fat, and weird etc. Bullying should not be ignored. I think the schools should be more alert because bullying can lead to serious consequences.

4/29/2010

JustineP5
LMS, Diamond Bar,CA
I am pleased to see that so many of my peers have commented and I agree with those who strongly believe that bullying is wrong. On the other hand I kind of agree with ChelseaP3 about snitching. Sometimes you can lead a small situation into something more serious by snitching.

4/29/2010

brittanyP3
LMS, diamond bar CA
I THINK ITS DEMINING ITS NOT COOL AND I DONT KNOW WHY PEOPLE DO IT BECAUSE IT HURTS OTHER PEOPLE.a lot of people do it because they think its cool but they look like they are they are just being mean.i have niver been bullyed but i have seen it happen and the only way to so it from happening again is to fight back. sometimes the victim doesnt want to tell because because the bully would grt in troube and they would want to get him back by doing somthing worse and because people will call you a tattle tale.people think by yellling a teacher makes things better it just make worse what good does that do

4/29/2010

Arianna P6
LMS, Pomona/CA
I agree with Sean because as they say violence is never the answer but what if it gets really bad? That's when i believe violence is the answer but only in that kinda situation.For example it's been going on for to long and that's just enough now.Then the person getting bullied should handle it on their own because when others get involved it most of the time makes matters worse especially when parents,teachers and such get involved. Bullying is one situation that makes students feel unsafe in school that's why we really need someone to step up and put a stop to this and now.

4/29/2010

Briana G. P5
LMS, Pomona CA
I totally Disagree with SEAN...because is never the answer! I believe that confrontation and then telling a Parent and or a Guidence Councelor what the problem is should stop the bully.The Parent and or Guidence Councelor should take action immediately to stop the bully. From a bullies point of view being suspended does'nt do anything it just makes the bully MAD and makes the bully want to beat up the snitch.From the point of view of the person getting bullied SUSPENTION IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!! Teachers just need to 'MAN UP' and take control of the situation!

4/28/2010

Sean
Altoona Area High School, Pennsylvania
I hate to say this, because normally violence is wrong, but in my opinion, the only thing a bullying victim can do to stop the bullying is to fight back. most bullies are cowards and choose victims who are normally smaller than them. I've been bullied before by people who judged me for my size, and when i fought back it immediately stopped. that is about the only thing a student can do. i understand telling a teacher, but what good does that do? what, gets the bully suspended and when he comes back, he'll be out looking for you, not to mention you'll be called a tattle tale. i do not condone violence but, in certain cases, it can save a life. the victims

4/28/2010

Chelsea-period3
LMS, Pomona/CA
I kinda disagree with Joseph p2, because if the councelers and teachers get involved things could just get worse. I say that because what if the bully thinks that the person told on them or in other words snitched on them and then they make a come back but even worse and things get out of control then how are we supposed to help them they could even possibly jump the poor person. I do agree we need help in this issue without making it worse. Kids get bullied all the time. We need a solution!

4/26/2010

JosephP2
Lorbeer, Diamond Bar
I believe that i teachers or also counselors should watch out or kids that are getting bullied by other kids. The teachers should also talk to the kid who is getting bullied and the bully itself. Schools should have assemblies about bullying and how they it can hurt someone physically and mentally. The school should ask adult volunteers to volunteer to watch in the halls and watch in classes.School should be a safe place for kids instead of a hurtful place for education

4/26/2010

4/24/2010

RyanP1
Lorbeer Middle, Pomona, CA
I believe that schools should improve their security so more bullying is prevented. We all know that bullying is wrong and harmful, but what do we do? Nothing. I've NEVER seen a case of bullying solved in my school. Most kids just either watch or ignore the situation beside them, including myself. Most kids don't want to report cases of bullying because they fear being called a 'tattle tale' or they fear that if they tell on a bully, they will be bullied next. I've also noticed that most kids try to handle the situation by themselves; this usually works, if a bully sees you’re willing to stand your ground, then he will no longer bully you anymore. I do believe that if the problem escalates to a point where you feel unsafe, you should tell the VP or the principal. They should be able to handle the problem. So overall I do think that most schools should do more to help prevent bullying, whether it is hiring more campus security or cameras in the hallway. Whatever they feel will help keep their students safe.

4/23/2010

Jeremy P5
Lorbeer, Diamond Bar
I agree with all my fellow students are talking about how bullying should not be allowed in schools, but I highly doubt that will ever happen. I'm furious about the way schools are teaching us how to handle these kind of situations. I believe that if the problem escalates to a level of physical abuse then it is the victim's choice if he/she wants to fight back. We need to teach our children to become self-reliant and those precious seconds that it takes another student to run over and tell an adult the victim could be seriously injured. I have felt very passionate about the "Sheepdog Concept" which is in short summary someone who can't stand seeing another human-being in pain and will risk their own safety to help their fellow man. So instead of teaching our children to run away and stand back until help arrives teach them to be sheepdogs instead of sheep. Because there will always be wolves (i.e. the bad guys) that will stop at nothing to accomplish their goal in hunting down the sheep in society and we need to train our kids to know how to deal with wolves.

4/22/2010

christian g
lorbeer middle school, diamond bar
i think that they should do something about it. because many people could get hurt. in my city about 50% of the people are getting hurt.

4/21/2010

EduardoP5
LMS, Pomona,CA
Bullying should not be tolerated at any school. If someone witnesses any type of bullying or is being bullied, they should report it immedeatly. Many bullies bully other people because they think it's "cool". When really they are hurting people mentally,physically etc. Many people have ignored it untill to the point where they commit suicide. There was once a boy who took a gun to school. Not to hurt anyone, but to kill himself. Bullying happends everyday, on school grounds or off campus. Bullying should be stopped as soon as possible.

4/21/2010

brittanyP3
lorbeer middle school, dimond bar
i think that being bullyed is wrong because my sister has experianced it but i will never let anyone bully me or anyone that i no get bullyed.i thing it is disrespectful and imature to bully.i have seen a lot of people get bullyed but if i see it i dont just watch if the person who is not doing anything about it i will defend them.it should not be tolerated in any school and if sombody is geting bullyed they should report the person immedetly.

4/20/2010

sebastianP1
LMS, Diamond Bar, CA
Bullying is an unfortunate part of the education system. I have witness bullying, and i personally have been bullied. Bullies should have harsh punishment for various reasons. I think the greastest reason is cause some kids commit suicide because they have been bullied and ridiculed to the point were they can't stand living. A girl in masachutsettts hung herself because she was bullied. that shows everyone how serious of a matter it is and that it should be stopped as quick as possible.

4/20/2010

Veronica p6
LMS, Diamond Bar, CA
i think that bullying is not to be tolerated. i think that everyone has been bullied before wether it is from your siblings or peers. i think it is a horrid thing! sometimes the school doesnt handle it very well they will only give you a warning and maybe detention. once i was accused of bullying someone and they didnt even let me talk. i am not say that i was bullying the person,but they only gave me a warning they didnt even do anything. i have also been bullied before it is not the greatest feeling. no one likes to be bullied like sebastian said people commit sucide because of bullying.I think schools should take it way more seriously!

4/20/2010

ashleyp3
lms, diamond bar
bullingg is as bad as getting bullied!.Because you wouldnt like if someonee bullied you.i have seen bullied happen is school hallways or at lunch but i have never got bullied myself so i wouldnt noe how it feels.People that get bullied do some really bad things actually a kid in washington went to school with a gun and shot the people that were bullingg him.Bullingg can get real seriouse sometiimes!..schools should respond to bullingg like haveing procters in the hallways at all times. Like at my school have proctores in all hallwayss itss safer and better!.

4/14/2010

MichaelP5
Lorbeer, CA
Bullying is something not to be tolerated with! Schools are are to educate students but also have the responsibility to protect any student for bullying, racism, and any orientation. Students or better yet CHILDREN should feel safe in our schools and should be protected from anything and from anyone. Bullying is something that happens everyday whether we like it or not, but by updating our security and the teachers tolerance with disciplining students out of order we can decline the amount of bullies,crime rates, murder,and even low G.P.A's. Its time to take a stand and act on this conflict!

4/11/2010

ShannonP1
Lorbeer, CA
At school bullying happens all the time, it is not on a day to day basis but you can see that every other day it has happened or is happening. In my opinion bullying should not be tolerated at a school. Schools are where a student should feel safe and sometimes even get away from what is happening at home. When bullying occurs at a school, the staff should be ready to immediately stop it. One way to decrease bullying would be to have all teachers outside their doors during passing periods. For bullying I think schools should go to the root of the problem because, in most cases, when you get rid of the base of the problem other infractions of the problem tend to die down. When bullying occurs and schools do not resolve the problem, I believe that the federal government should be allowed to get involved. If the school isn’t doing anything about a problem someone has to step in to protect the rights of the students. Usually bullying has to do with religion, race, or sexual identity and all are prohibited under discrimination laws.

4/11/2010

ShannonP1
Lorbeer, CA
Comment 1: Shannon. Diamond Bar, CA 4/11/10 In Lindsay’s comment she stated facts about bullying and how it can affect the victim over a course of time. I agree with what she says because in the end of her comment she writes that schools should have a list of psychiatrists that students could look at for reference. I agree with what she says because when a student knows they can get help by a professional they are more open to have the problem fixed. I can prove this because most kids when they know help is provided, those who truly want the problem to end will use the help they were provided.

4/11/2010

ShannonP1
Lorbeer, CA
Comment 2: Shannon, Diamond Bar, CA 4/11/10 In Linda’s comment she states that a discussion with the bully and the victim together and also alone with other teachers will help bring that problem to a rest. Also, in her comment she says that talking to the bully alone with another teacher would help the situation because the staff member would tell the bully why it is wrong and what would happen if the bullying continued. I agree with her because when a child or student knows they were caught and now are being specially watched I think the problem will slowly start to end.

4/10/2010

Chelsey P1
Lorbeer MS, Pomona, CA
I believe that bulling should not be aloud to occur on or off school grounds. Many people think that bulling is only a physical thing, and that that form of bullying is the worst. In my opinion that is not true.Verbal bullying is the most common and lethal type of bullying,and the one that is difficult to detect. It's stop physical bullying from occurring i think schools should be stricter on the consequences of it. Also, have more proctors paroling on and off campus since mostly bullying occurs off campus. But as for verbal bullying, that's nearing impossible to stop.

4/9/2010

Linda
Tenafly High School, Tenafly, NJ
I believe that schools should try to keep any bully situation from being publicized or spread. At times that may happen, and it worsens the situation. Speaking to both the victim and the bully individually and together will probably help the situation. However, I ultimately believe that it is necessary to first have a higher authority teacher who will question the bully the reasons behind their bullying. And explain why it is wrong, and give them a precaution to what will happen if they do not stop.

4/9/2010

Lindsay
Tenafly, Nj
I believe that bullying should not be tolerated in any circumstance. Bullying is a form of abuse (Mark Dombeck Ph.D). It has been proven that people who bully others do so because of sadistic tendencies and because of their own desire for the thrill of aggression and dominance. Bullying is a narcissistic act where the bully treats the victim as if they were an object used for self gratification then to be discarded. When a child is bullied the physical damage actually heals readily whereas emotional/psychological wounds can cause long-term emotional damage. Some immediate damages are becoming depressed and/or angry and/or bitter. Eventually if a person continues to be bullied they start to believe what the bullies say is true and that they are pathetic or weak or a loser. Eventually the person can develop a sense of self-contempt to the point of attempting suicide. A study has shown that 20% of the sample attempted suicide secondary to having been bullied, where as only 3% of the participants who weren’t bullied attempted suicide. I think that every school should have some kind of program that allows children to go to them and feel comfortable. The school should also have some kind of program where the child can be offered some kind of protection from these kinds of situations. Names of psychiatrists should be available to all students, and highly recommended to victims and bullies themselves to help identify and isolate the causes so students can work together or with school officials to try to end this cycle of abuse.

4/8/2010

David H.
prophetstown High School, prophetstown,Illinios
i believe they should annalize the situation and if the case is bullying then i believe they should get detention or if the case is bad enough expulsion

4/1/2010

BrandonP3
LMS, Pomona
Brandon,Pomona, CA 3/31/10 Comment:2 I agree that Eric is right about bullying there is some biosexual,gay, or lesbian doesnt mean you have to bully them just becuase they are not like you or straight.

4/1/2010

BrandonP3
LMS, Pomona
Brandon, Pomona CA 3/31/10 Comment:1 I agree that Reman is right because bullying will resolt in violance and the United States are already at war why cant we all just live in peace just because you are different than others doesnt mean you have to tease or fight them.

3/31/2010

BrandonP3
LMS, Pomona
I think that bullying should be resolved as a law of the United States.

3/31/2010

BrandonP3
LMS, Pomona
I think that bullying should be resolved by developing a law which will sentence a kid with criminal responsibinily

3/18/2010

Reman A.
William W. Bodine HS For Intl. Affairs, Philadelphia
I do not think bullying should be tolerated in school, because bullying is a way of harming others. Some children become affected in life, and take a different perspective on how to be a normal person. Most of the people who become bullied sometimes act out, or do the unthinkable and become damaged for most of their lives. And most bullied are targeted by race or by religion which is most of the people in America, which then makes the child hate their life as a person. I don't that schools should let this happen right under their noses. Bullying is a cruel nature, and it shouldn’t be allowed by anyone, and no one should be bullied.

3/18/2010

Eric
Bodine High School, Philadelphia, PA
Bullying shouldn't even be occurring in general. The reason for bullying usually because of the student's personal life at home. The parents are the ones that should be doing something to prevent their child from being bullied. If that is done, the problem of schools responding to bullying would not matter. People who say that the teachers should be doing their jobs are wrong. They are there to instruct and teach, not to babysit or be disciplinarians.

3/11/2010

Andrew
Warren Area High School, Warren, PA
Bullying shouldn't be tolerated in any shcool.Punishmenst should be quick and decisive. No student should be able to get away with bullying for any reason. Kids can be hurt physically, mentally, and emotionaly, and teachers should always step in to stop it. Not only teachers, but other students should try to stop it when they see it too.

3/11/2010

kayla
warren area high,, warren, pa
Schols need to have strict rules on bullying. the rules we have now are not solving the problem, its just a slap on the wrist. the punishment needs to make an impact on the bully. Everyone has the right to feel safe at school, something diffrent definately needs to be done.

3/11/2010

Jessica
WAHS, warren, PA
I dont think that anything should be done about it. I mean look at all of the rules that we allready have that no kids follow anyways. they try to enforce no kissing and yet every corner u turn there is a couple making out. In the long run it would just be a stress factor to teachers. Plus bullying gives character. Do you honestly think that the real world is going to be fair. Bullying in high school only toughens students to help them face the real world.

3/10/2010

Jennifer
Warren high, Warren Pa
I think there should be something done about bulling. I've seen many shows on tv where there are kids that go to school with guns and kill people because they were picked on in school. I don't think that it's right and there should be more of a punishment for it happening in schools. I wish there was more that teachers would do about it then what they are.

3/10/2010

Miranda
Warren High, Warren, PA
I agree with others are saying about bullying. We all see it happening but nothing is ever done about it. Schools need to get a whole new handbook about bullying. Punishments should be carried out the same with EVERY student. The guidlines need to be more strict and maybe this will get the message across that bullying isnt something to mess with.

3/9/2010

helena
warren high, warren Pa
i think school's should do something about bullying. to many people kill them selves and others because other pick and harass them. i think some school's should have a stricter policy because to many people are bullying even the different races.

3/1/2010

Mauricio
Nimitz HS, Irving, TX
Bullying usually occurs because of differences, whether it be academically or racially. The only way to solve bullying is to open up students so they can accept everybody and not discriminate against those who believe or act differently. Schools should enforce a stricter policy against bullying in order to frighten the bullies. Counselors should be provided for the students who are bullied to talk to the them so the school can figure out a better way to help them. Even though the school might start a campaign against bullying, it might now go above and beyond to target the bullies.

3/1/2010

Ana I.
Nimitz, Irving, Texas
Bullying is ubiquitous but each individual case is different from one another. Schools aren't day care centers and teachers aren't baby sitters, but bullying needs to be addressed in schools because students cannot learn if they feel that they are not in a safe environment. Therefor, it is the school's responsibility to address these concerns not through individual cases, because that would be a never ending and tedious process, but through an educational process. At the root of bullying is essentially a misunderstanding of the differences between people, opinions, and cultures. School's should incorporate cultural awareness into their curriculum and even extend this into other venues such as school wide presentations and or even cultural awareness fairs. If severe cases such as the one in New York continue to occur, then the federal government should step in. Their job is to protect the citizens of the nation from discrimination and if sexual orientation is obviously a way to discriminate people, then it should be addressed in the law just like race and sex were addressed.

3/1/2010

Chris Rohrs
Nimitz HS, Irving Texas
Bullying tends to occur because of differences, as several other people have pointed out. And I guess you could try to put a Gregoire-esque regeneration plan into effect, but that didn't even really work during the French Revolution. And they've tried to put steps into effect to prevent people from getting jumped by those who want their clothes. It's called a uniform policy. So the question before us is, since that didn't work and bullying is clearly still a problem, how do we stop bullies from bullying? We could threaten the bullies, but we'd have to follow through, make examples of a few. Otherwise, they just decide that we're pushovers and ignore all the regulations. With gangs, they sometimes ask various ex-gangmembers to participate in videos telling others not to join gangs. Why not do something of that nature with bullying and see if that has any effect? It really couldn't be worse than the system we have now, could it?

3/1/2010

Matthew B.
Nimitz, Irving, Texas
Bullying is, and always will be, a problem for young people. No matter how hard teachers, officials, and the government try, kids will always bully other kids whether there is a reason or not. It is human natures to be cruel to people that are different, and bullies will exist no matter the way that people in power handle it. I am not saying that bullying is justified or right at all, because it is most definitely wrong and can have severe effects on children that are bullied. Being bullied throughout middle and high school my self, I understand how cruel and tormenting that bullies can be. Bullies seem to have no remorse, no mercy, and no feelings making the bullied kid feel even worse because they see that the bully does not understand the pain he is causing. Bullying can have a ripple effect that can turn into a terrible tragedy if not handled property. But where can officials step in and help? It is a hard question to answer. While most bullying occurs at school, the meeting place of many different children, there is not a lot the schools can do to stop it. While many ideas and actions have been taken to help the problem, it is ultimately up to the bullies themselves to stop their hurtful ways. However, the school could punish bullies for their actions and force them to understand the possible repercussions of their actions. Most bullies never understand their victims’ pain and what terrible things the bullied person might do to stop his torment. Bullies can, and do, cause their victims to have such things as eating disorders, drug problems, depression, and even suicide. This is a fact that most bullies are unaware of. I feel that this is the solution to many of the problems that arise with bullying. While the school system and government can not do much, they can punish bullies in whatever way they see fit and force them to recognize the possible outcomes of their actions. This dangerous trend of bullying must stop. It is harmful to the psychological health of the bullied children, can lead to tragedy, and is certainly a distraction in the classroom, which is all the reason for schools and the government to take action against it.

2/28/2010

Jocelyn A
Nimitz High School, Irving/TX
Bullying has always been a problem. Schools responsibility is to protect all their student body. In order to stop bullying school administratives should know first how the problem began and go on from their, because when they look at a problem from the root, questions seem to be answered. In order for bullying to be stopped is by first taking a charge. Bullies continue to bully other students, because they notice that the student won't stand up for themselves. Most of the time bullying is stopped by the person that is being bulling by standing up. Once bullies notice that students stand up for themselves they stop bulling. The biggest reason why students bully is because they feel the need to over-powered somebody when in fact they are the ones that are being over-powered. Sexual identity should be covered by discrimination laws, because they should always feel safe.

2/25/2010

Duc
Nimitz, Irving, TX
Bullying is a problem that should be addressed, however, it is easier said than done. Peer to peer interactions occur within a school a million times a day, and it gets quite impossible to screen even half of those interactions to see who is bullying and who is getting bullied. Teachers rarely catch students in the act of bullying, if ever, and normally they only catch wind of such conditions a long time after it has happened. Although it may seem normal to many to assert their dominance over one another -- after all, it is only natural, they may not realize the passive effects of bullying on the students. The article cites that 5 to 20 percent of students admit to being bullied, but I believe that the actual number is several times higher. In order to protect their dignity, many would opt to deny being a victim of bullying, many others probably do not even realize that they are being bullied and accept it as normal. Overall, the current state of affairs is in disarray and is in need of a dire reassessment.

2/25/2010

Edgar N.
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
Bullying is a continuing problem; if efforts to stop it are not made by students, administrators and the government alike, the problem will continue to undermine the efforts of equality for and protection to students. The root of the problem is the students. They must make an effort to tolerate the differences in others. That does not mean they have to respect the differences of others. They can continue believing what they want so long as their actions are tolerant of others who are not like them. However, most students, though accountable for their actions, are not mature or tolerant enough to stop bullying on their own. Teachers and administrators, as the responsible people they're supposed to be, should be ready and willing to stop bullying when they see it start up. It all begins with the environment; if teachers and administrators allow an air of disrespect and intolerance, then many students will have no qualms with bullying. Many schools are now creating student groups which allow students to promote equality and publicize the injustices committed against them. This is a prime example of students and teachers working together to stop bullying. This is also one way to tackle the big picture of bullying, but individual cases also have to be kept in mind. Bullying is not something to take lightly, so all aspects of it should be taken into consideration. It should never escalate to the point where the media and the federal government become involved, but the federal government should be ready if bullying ever does escalate to that level. I don't see why sexual identity shouldn't be covered by discrimination laws. Sure, it may seem like it's giving preference to one group of people over another, but most other types of discrimination have been defined while sexual identity has not. It leaves a loophole in the system that should be addressed promptly so as to help stop bullying.

2/25/2010

Thomas
Nimitz, Irving, TX
It is true that bullying is a problem in our schools that needs to be fixed, but unfortunately it is also one of the hardest to solve. The bullies are not going to admit that they are bullies and most of their victims refuse to tell anyone due to either pride or retribution. It seems the only way to catch bullying is to catch it in action but the sad truth is that rarely happens because it is impossible to screen every interaction between students for the sometimes subtle signs of bullying. It is almost impossible to to end bullying although most schools are lowering it with their zero tolerance policies but they are only a threat and can not be carried out without the students participation.

2/24/2010

Francisco
Nimitz High School, Irving,TX
In my case bullying is not really big in my school well not that I know of but yes I think it happens everyday. When it comes to bullying I don't think the school dosent do much to help out the people being bullied. Many times teachers don't even know when people are being bullied and if so they still don't do anything about it like maybe one or two teachers may at least try and do something but very rarely. Teachers cant really handle it, if you really what things to change you have to go to your principle or counselor. They should address the misunderstanding at the root of the problem if not then it will never be solved. I don't think the federal government should get involved and if so that shows that the school cant do anything about. And if sexual identity needs to be covered by discrimination laws then sure, but then again that would involve the government so it would be best for schools to have rules set for bullying.

2/24/2010

Nabila
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
Bullying may not be a prevalent problem in all schools, but even the slightest hint of it is unacceptable. Students, or anyone for the matter, shouldn't be discriminated against their race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, all of which should be included under discrimination laws. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and although acceptance of certain subjects may not be possible for some people, they should at least strive for tolerance. Students should be able to respect the opinions and beliefs of their peers, even if the ideals don't coincide with their own, and refrain from unnecessary roughness. School teachers and local officials have the responsibility of protecting students from the violence that is caused by bullying, and unfortunately some fail to do so. I know that some teachers would rather not intervene in fights or verbal harassments because they believe the situation will die out on its own soon enough. These teachers would rather not put themselves in harm's way to protect the vulnerability of their students. This negligence must be stopped and adults must take a more active role in preventing bullying. Schools should address the main causes of bullying and how to prevent it through meaningful campaigns that actually raise awareness of the problem among students, not ones that students find "lame." Once general information has been provided, the school should follow up on specific cases of bullying to make sure students' rights aren't neglected. Before the federal government intervenes, the state government should try to handle the situation on its own.

2/24/2010

Joji
Nimitz High School, Irving/Texas
Bullying has been and still is a problem in schools today. And while it occurs mostly in the classroom or hallways, teachers tend to turn a blind eye toward the situation. They might believe that the bully is teasing or joking around with the bullied person and see no reason to intervene with the situation. So there should be more teacher involvement before matters get any worse, and try to stop the bullying at the roots. But for those teachers that do turn a blind eye toward the problem, there should be a way for the student to get assistance for their situation, such as a counseling session or a drop box telling of the instance of bullying which gives the school a chance to intervene in the matter. The case of sexual identity should also be addressed as bullying, because that is another form of bullying. If picking on someone because of their race or appearance is wrong, then picking on someone because of their sexual preferences or identity is also wrong in that sense. The federal government gives us protection for our rights, and if the schools they set up fail to offer the protection necessary to quell the problem at hand, the government should intervene in whatever way to resolve the problem.

2/24/2010

Amanda
Nimitz High School, Irving, Tx
Bullying has been a problem across the nation for many years. Students are not the only ones, even adults are bullies. The schools are responsible for protecting the students and making sure they are safe on school grounds. Honestly, when I have seen bullying in the past, teachers did nothing. I myself used to be bullied in elementary school because I was too smart. But my teacher just told me not to fight back and they would leave me alone. Then one day after school she ran up and hit me. Doing nothing and doing something, either way can cause the problem to escalate. But teachers should be more aware of what is going on around them in the hallways and not just ignore the profanity they hear, because more likely than not the profanity is directed towards another person. Bullying situations should be addressed in both a general aspect and case-by-case. Informing everyone that bullying is a problem can help, but there are always the hard headed kids who think they can still get away with it. If the teachers and local officials can not seem to handle it, then yes the federal government should be involved and put a stop to it. In opinion, sexual identity should be covered by discrimination laws. Everyone should feel protected and not have to worry about their safety.

2/24/2010

Rosaura V
Nimitz, Irving, TX
Bullying happens everywhere. Bullying not only includes physical bullying, but verbal, written and social, such as ignoring, excluding, or spreading rumors. In poor schools it tends to be more physical, in rich schools more social. This is one of those issues that will never go away. You have to have a school wide commitment to deal with it every day and make hard decisions. I do agree that there should be preventive methods that should be established, and suspensions and expulsions are not effective. Sure, the school gets rid of the student for a few days, but he/she “rarely” comes back “reformed.” I believe an effective way to ameliorate the problem is for schools to reflect a diverse world in which we live in and show how to respect racial differences, differences in family structure, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, and religious differences. And I do agree that sexual identity should be covered by discrimination laws, because it's your freedom and right to choose how to live your life. And not only should incidents be treated on a case-by-case basis, but the big spectrum of the problem should also be kept into consideration in order to solve the issue and not keep ignoring the problem. Furthermore, one thing I'm aware of and I'm sure teachers are as well is that bullying is hard to define and identify. For those who are not in the schools, what teachers see is kids “having fun” most of the time, a release of energy after hours of sitting in a classroom, so bullying can easily be misunderstood for horseplay. Thus, teachers allow for bullying to just become normal, not that I'm blaming them for not taking action it's just that they can't possible know 100% of the time when teenagers are being serious or simply playing around. I think the main solution to this problem is for students to simply stand up against bullying, however this is not the simplest thing to do especially for those being bullied and the bullies themselves.

2/24/2010

Silvana T.
Nimitz High School, Irvng/ Tx
High school is a time of invention and self-discovery. You've finished middle school, then you're thrust into a new school with hundreds of strangers. It is the only true time in life when it is permissible to change your identity on a daily basis. Unfortunately, not everyone finds this moment in life as accommodating to creative expression, in fact it can be down right unkind. Bullying is a serious problem plaguing American schools. As a teenager it is natural to have insecurities and doubts. Already confused over the contradictions of conforming and rebelling, a teenager isn't meant to deal with the disastrous combination of anxiety over grades added to the angst of being bullied, the modern day persecution, leaving emotional scars in place of physical wounds. Although I believe that bullying is a critically important problem, I am at a loss for a solution due to its extremely sensitive nature. The fact of the matter is that bullying is a secret shame; statistics show that an astonishing amount of targets play off their bullying like a joke. Unfortunately it is more common for victims of bullying to retreat further into shells of hopelessness and despair, than to approach a counselor or teacher for help. I don't know that there is any set cure for bullying. Of course it would be nice if teachers or principals could have an assembly with the student body, discuss the evils of bullying, and have the whole mess done with; the chances of that are highly unlikely. However, in my personal opinion, I think that teacher involvement would only aggravate an already bad situation (tattle tale syndrome). Like all critically important issues, until the thinking of the people changes, there will be no results. Until there is a powerful stigma attached to bullies and bullying, nothing will change.

2/24/2010

Karina
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
Bullying is common in schools; this act of cowardice may go undetected or perceived as playing around. Schools do have the right to protect its students without stereotyping or discriminating, just because a person may be of a different race, ethnicity, religion, or sex does not mean they won’t be protected. Schools have the responsibility to protect all of its students, but as I have mention bullying is not always detected. Undetected bullying can cause major problems or even intensify bullying; the best detectors of bullying are the students themselves. Students know better than teachers what is going on, who are getting bullied, thus as students we have the responsibility to stand up against bullies. Horse playing is highly common, a person may interpret this as bullying or just as simple friends playing around. Differences between the two can be hard to discover. Case-by-case incidents should be treated as accidents only when these occur once, when these cases are common in a school then it can be treated as bullying. The phenomenon of bullying will keep occurring in our schools, unless we fix the problem. Those students that find bullying fun and gratifying should be guided to more beneficial activities, but then again whose responsibility is that, the schools or the parents?

2/23/2010

Edgar
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
Bullying is a problem that some students deal with on a daily basis. These examples of students in a Philadelphia high school show how a situation of bullying can escalate up to serious injuries, and even trips to the hospital. Whenever a child feels that he or she is in danger, is that necessarily a “good” place for learning? How can we as students advanced our educational careers when we are impeded by problems in the hallway and even in the classroom? Some sort of resolution has to be made, dealing with bullying in the hallways and in the classrooms. Students have to speak out for themselves because this will make it easier for teachers to intervene, and teachers have to intervene in an effective manner whenever they are confronted with a situation involving bullying.

2/23/2010

Angela
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
Bullying has been an issue for a very long time and still is today. Since bullying has been in schools, I believe the schools need to take charge and stop it. Even though there are a variety of bullying, schools should be prepared to take action and put it to an end. One way is to keep teachers in the hallways to enforce a moving hallway. This helps minimize fights and conflicts with other students. I believe, bullying will always be around but by keeping teachers in areas students accumulate will cut it down by at least half of what it is today. Since bullying is caused by different things, I believe that teachers and schools should treat incidents on a case-by-case basis but at the same time they should start at the root of the problem for each incident to help prevent it in the future. If the schools fail to protect their students, I believe that the federal government should get involved. Also sexual identity should be covered by discrimination laws, because everyone is different from one another, i.e., race, religion, or even opinions. We should make sure schools are a place that students and feel comfortable and safe, even if it is the only place they have.

2/23/2010

Ernesto
Nimitz High School, Irving/TX
I believe that bullying is for cowards that need to feel better about themselves. I'm not the strongest guy around but if I saw a kid getting bullied, i would step in and help him. I think that schools could maybe try to teach students a little bit more on how to be considerate and respectful. I've witnessed a lot of inapropriate things that occur in my school that teachers haven't even got a clue about. In the end, it is going to come down to the students themselves to do the right thing. I think that schools should target on trying to instill good values on the students,so when it comes time for them to choose between turning and walking away on a kid getting beat up or standing up for what is right, they'll know what to do.

2/22/2010

Bryan
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
Bullying is a problem in certain schools, but it is not always evident. Some school officials and teachers do stop bullying, but others tend to ignore it as it is not their problem. I think that teachers as a whole need to be more active in stopping bullying because it can have very serious consequences on the students. Bullying should be treated by case to case instead of general means because every situation is different, but there should be minimal consequences for bullying. If schools fail to provide protection from bullying then I think that the federal government has all the right to protect the rights of these students. Sexual identity should be included in discrimination laws because it is the unfair treatment of others based on a particular reason. Schools need to be more involved in protecting the students from bullying because it does happen in many different situations no matter if the student says so or not.

2/22/2010

Milton
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
Absolutely, bullying is probably one of those things kids are going to remember from their childhood when they grow up. Mainly because of the mental impact that it has on them not so much the physical one. If you have experience bullying you know that what bothers you the most is not fear itself but just knowing that someone out there does not like you for whatever reason, and they might hurt you. And just thinking of it is irritating. And in my mind is sad because kids should have an environment at school where they can learn and play without being afraid of it. I'm glad I brought up the learning factor of bullying. One of the reasons people get bullied is just simply because there are smart. For some reason at their young age, kids think that if you are smart your not going to have friends. And the ones that are smart and do their homework are easy target for the other kids. If you think about it that is a severe problem because kids then will intentionally “fail” their classes in order to have friends and a social life. In turn they will not achieve their full academic potential. And I think that they should be a universal set of laws and punishments for people that cause bullying in every level of education (elementary, middle, high). But every case should be looked at individually as well, so as to determined if it was a random case or something more personal. But in conclusion the most effective way to deal with bullying, is to socially reject the act and the people that support it. For example if you know someone that is a bully well you should not talk to him and tell everyone the type of person they are. So when that bully knows he has absolutely no “supporters” and instead “haters” based on what he is doing, the most likely thing he will do is to stop.

2/22/2010

Duoc
Nimiz, Irving/TX
Bullying is a problem at schools, no matter how serious the case may be. The schools should be taking more actions to prevent bullying, but it would only work to a certain point. The bullies would soon take it outside of school, which would cause more problems. I think that the best solution is to look at it case-by-case because there is different reasons for why the student is bullying others. For some cases, they may have no reason for bullying except that they enjoy it. I do beleive that the federal government should take it into their hands if the school fails to protect the students because if they are not protecting the students, who is?

2/22/2010

Ana A
Nimitz High School, Irving, Tx
Bullying has become more and more common in this nation, while some people are trying to get away from it, bullying is incrementing more and more in schools, specially in public schools. Schools have the responsibility to protect and defend the people who is being bullied or to take action to eliminate or control these types of situations by enforcing the rules that they have to avoid bullying among students. When teachers know bullying is taking place, they have the authority to report any type of problem to the principals, so they can resolve it and come to the best possible solution. If teachers and principals could be more strict with students, students could become more responsible and behave better. Bullying could be reduce by a significant amount if rules were to be strictly enforce by the head department of education. Bullying misunderstandings should be address at the root of the problem not only to prevent the situation to extend and become more panicking, but to protect the person who is being intimidated in a proper way. Government should and has the right to get involved in such absurd circumstances to control them and if possible eliminate them. It is sad to admit that bullying affects our society very drastically, but we have to overcome it and keep going forward because if we let people bully us is like continue playing their game. Bullying is either play or get played.

2/21/2010

Telma
Nimitz High School, Irving, TX
Bullying is a problem present at every school because students rarely come form the same backgrounds or have the same opinions, values, and ideals. Regardless of this naturally occurring phenomenon, the environments in which two cultures or two individuals clash can be reasonably regulated by setting strict and specific norms that call for respect and understanding. Ignorance is often the reason for violence or prejudice. By offering a way to reduce the gap between two cultures/ideas or simply by inculcating tolerance, schools have the means, and therefore, the responsibility to ensure a safe environment where learning can take place. Addressing misunderstandings at the root of the problem allows for a wider and better tackling of the problem overall. When schools fail to take measures, the state government, not the federal government, should take action. Sexual identity should be covered by discrimination laws because the issue is obviously creating tension and violence due to cultural and personal differences. A way to cover such issue might be by advocating tolerance of gay behavior.

2/20/2010

Genesis S.
Nimitz HS, Irving, TX
Bullying has always been a problem, and unless the issue is addressed by students, teachers, and administrators alike, it will continue to plague the halls of our schools. As a preface to my opinion, I believe that all people should be treated equally, regardless of creed, race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender. No one has the authority to treat others unjustly because of a difference of opinion or background. As well, it doesn't matter how you feel about homosexuality; a person is a person, regardless of the differences you have with them and their choice of lifestyle. As far as addressing and fixing the problem, the issue of bullying is tricky. It is a student's responsibility to make a conscious effort to be kind to their fellow classmates, but it also requires effort from a teacher or administrator to make sure they stop bullying as it happens. There are many preventive methods toward addressing bullying as well. A school should strive to create an environment of respect and acceptability of all different types of people, rather than allow inequality and injustice to run rampant. Some schools have created programs in their school that allow students a forum in which they can channel their anxieties and reach out to others who feel the same kind of pressures in their life, as well as to those who don't. In this way, many students who are otherwise ignorant can now know how the insecurities or issues they tease their classmates about really affect them. It's important for it to be handled in both ways: through addressing individual cases and bullying as a whole. How else have students who have committed suicide because of bullying had their case paid attention to? It shouldn't come to the point where students cases have had to be addressed by the media. As for the federal government, they should play a cautious role in bullying. Some bullying can border on hate crimes, and that's when it's really important to bring the issues to the spotlight so that it can be shown to all that equality matters and bullying is wrong, causing real psychological pain and anguish, as well as death in some unfortunate cases.

2/19/2010

Vita
Nimitz High School, Irving, Tx
Bullying is and always will be a problem at any school whether its elementary, middle, or high school. In any school you go to you will find that there are groups of students divided by many different characteristics: race, gender, athletic ability, academic ability, etc. Whenever there are groups of students divided up by different thoughts, opinions, or characteristics, there is bound to be conflicting ideas that will unavoidable lead to conflict and eventually bullying. The schools responsibility is to inform the students of the dangers and consequences of bullying, however, it should be done in a more informational and impacting way. Instead of showing corny video clips of someone pushing another person into a wall (which makes students laugh, not reflect on their actions) they should dig further and show the students the severe consequences that bullying can lead to, even if that means scaring them. In other words if students think they can get away with bullying they will do it, but if they know there are slim chances that they can get away scotch free, they’ll think twice about bullying someone. Because each bullying case is different there should definitely be addresses case by case, but also because its such a problem that not everyone admits to having, it should be addressed to the school as a whole. Sometimes teachers either ignore or don’t realize that a kid is being bullied in their class, so there definitely should be a seminar where teachers get taught how to pick up on bullying that way there aren’t excuses on anybody’s part. Bullying is a big problem, maybe not at my school or in my classes, but it exists. It’s hard to say whether or not bullying will be eliminated completely which I doubt, but it should definitely have a light on it.

2/17/2010

Mckelle B.
North East High School, Philadelpia, PA
Bullying does not help anyone. If anything, all it does is make matters worse. Cracking down on bullying should be an utmost priority, and if not tended to, that could only get worse. One could say that one of the best ways to deal with this sort of thing would most likeley be counclling.

2/16/2010

Minh
Nimitz High School, Irving, Texas
Bullying has always been a problem at every level of society, and coexists dangerously with the public school that I attend. When bullying occurs, the school, through teachers, must take responsibility to eliminate any and all potential or acts of violence, arrogance, and power brought about by bullying. Teachers have for a time told kids not to tattle-tell, and subsequently let the bullies off with not even a slap on the wrist, bringing isolation and a sense of hopelessness to the abused. What can a bullied student do but contemplate even greater violence against those that hurt them, and even against those that didn’t protect them? Bullying should be monitored perpetually, for the poisonous root of it to be uprooted, and for the ones in charge, the teachers, to imply that the abused is weak and annoying, while letting the arrogant, ignorant fools of bullies walk off proud with heads high: that is not how it should be. The federal government should be involved, and has. I am glad the Department of Justice did its part. And on the topic of sexual identity, why even ask it? It has NOTHING to do with preventing bullying or helping another human being out. To read, strictly by the books, that you can only protect those discriminated under some wimpy discrimination laws, to overlook one human being over another…Why, with this silly and ridiculous sense of ethics, what stops a teacher from turning a blind eye to a Catholic or Agnostic being beaten up by a bunch of Protestant jocks? I thought segregation was already over, but bullying and society keeps bringing it back: this time towards those that succeed who pursue a modest education. Having life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, let alone the pursuit of education, violated is something to never be taken lightly without objective equitableness: Columbine and Virginia Tech is born from such subjective apathy to the topic of bullying and abuse. We need bullying out of our schools, out of society: out of our lives.

2/15/2010

Mariah S. Frankspd5
Northeast Highschool, Philadelphia PA
When seeing someone get bullied I get a knot in my stomach that makes me want to say something. In my school, bullying isn't so much displayed as many other schools. Though, when bulling does occur I try my best to speak up. I believe that schools should get students involved to help stop bullying. There should be a code or organization that brings kids who were bullied, who do bully or who seen bulling get together and solve many problems that are occuring. This would make it harder for bullying to spread. Also it would be a way to see bulling from different perspectives.

2/13/2010

Ashley R.- Mr. Frank Pd. 5
Northeast High School, Philadelphia, PA
Even though some kids may think having assemblys or group discussions about bullying is useless, I think it is helpful. If students who are bullied actually spoke up, I think that would also help. If bullies saw the effect they put on the people they're bullying it might open up their eyes a little. I think some schools are naive to how much bullying actually goes on. I think teachers and other people need to look out. Ifstudents saw other students who were being bullied and steped up to help, that would be a good response. I don't think suspention helps, because most of the kids who are being bullied don't want to be in school anyway. I think they need a worse punishment.