Something similar happened at the last high school I went to. The jocks openly tormented one boy in particular (out of many others) and I saw it (tripping him, shoving him, destroying his lunch, etc) happen in the cafeteria myself many times, as did faculty members (who left jocks alone and only came down on those who defended themselves). Then one day he stabbed the jock that assaulted him in the cafeteria putting the jock in the hospital. The bullied victim got sent to some kind of reform school and the principal made public statements in the news that they didn't know he was being bullied and should've asked for help rather than stabbing a supposed tormentor, but we kids all held that answer in contempt. Of course they knew, just as we knew. I felt sorry for the boy who stabbed his tormentor, too.
I didn't feel sorry for the jock who was stabbed. As my cousin liked to say, "If you poke a snake with a stick then it's your own fault if you get bit." I said that to the principal who witnessed the bullying of the kid who retaliated with a knife, btw, the following year after another incident, but he just said that I had a terrible attitude. But then he was so twisted that he felt I--who couldn't even talk right because my jaw was swollen & bruised from a jock's fist the day before (after I beat up his cheerleader girlfriend who, with her friends, tried bullying me)--should feel sorry for the jock who punched me for having been put into the hospital by the boys in my class who attacked the jock in response to his punching me. When I said I didn't care about the jock anymore than he cared about all the victims of the jocks he said I lacked school spirit.
It's so twisted, but the sad fact is that all too many schools (at least in the USA) have principals so twisted in the head that condone bullying while denying its existence (though jocks tend to be worshiped and defended by many others in the community so even if a principal wasn't inclined to give jocks a free pass then other social forces might incline him to do so instead).
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I feel bad for him too. The magistrate was being harsh by locking him up until July 10'th, how long does it take to get a psychiatric evaluation?
D, you're not being cold and tough at all by not having sympathy with the bully. He deserved what he got and more. Like what Pix said about poking a snake. The cold people are the ones who say bullying is normal and toughens kids up.
I was bullied from Grade school thru Middle School, for some reason the bullying stopped when I went to high school. In Grade school, I tried everything, eventually a teacher told me to just fight back. I'm lucky I was big enough to fend them off, but in middle school they ganged up on me, I have a scar from then. They never got disciplined for what they did to me.
Pix from what you've said (now and before) you went to a horrible school, but I've heard of many like it.
I wish I could give the kid a hug too but more importantly I wish I could grant him a pardon, but I'm not Julia Gillard.
Speaking of politicians, when Mitt Romney (our Republican Presidential nominee in the U.S.) was in prep school, there was a kid who was presumed to be gay and non- conformist, he wore his blonde hair long and Mitt with his friends pinned the boy down and cut off his hair. He was cheered for doing this and recieved no punishment in an otherwise strict school.
Romney claims he has no memory of the incident, but his classmates remember it vividly.
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for the victims being bullied there is a lot of damage and personal lost potential. Always seemed odd that society, educators and parents dont work to better support the victims and give them a way out. They are indeed trapped.
for the bullies it installs a lot of behaviors that they will have to work out later in life.
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This kills me.
When will people realize the damage that bullying can do to a person?
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Just found out that the poor kid that was bullied is the nephew of one of my staff, so I have fired off letters to Federal, State and local representatives. It has turned personal.
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The media has understated the extent of the bullying, what I heard from my collegue made my blood boil.
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I will say whoever says bullyinhg isnt dangerous is wrong... Its vindictive its cowardness and its soul destroying... Over powering someone isnt any good for them nor the bully it causes suicide breakdowns and self harm not to mention damage to self esteem issues... Bullies need to learn that what goes around will come around... I listened to Jessie J's song about her experience of being bullied and im glad her song is aimed at the bullies so everytime they hear her sing it on the radio it haunts them for life...
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bullying is sooooooooooo degrading. its why i want to become a teacher. i never would want to see a child suffer because of shitty students. i would have them written up 3 times suspended and then ultimately ruin their educational life. no questions asked. without education they'l be doing nothing but lifting heavy boxes for the rest of their days. and i feel no mercy.
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