School bully gets what he deserves

[Valdemar]

I love the idea that since Marty was not bullied, then the fact that other people WERE bullied somehow made him a better person. And their being beat up and humiliated is a necessary thing to happen in order for him to "not be a pussy".

Does that apply to bullies who beat the shit out of gay guys? Just a necessary thing in order to serve as an example to others, so they can function better in our society?

I love Languish

V

[jimmy olsen]

I love the idea that since Marty was not bullied, then the fact that other people WERE bullied somehow made him a better person. And their being beat up and humiliated is a necessary thing to happen in order for him to "not be a pussy".

Does that apply to bullies who beat the shit out of gay guys? Just a necessary thing in order to serve as an example to others, so they can function better in our society?

[Camerus]

I would say Mart is just trolling, but then that doesn't really jibe with his serious hissy fits.

So, sometimes I think he just says shit to be contrarian without thinking through the implications of his words.

[grumbler]

I would say Mart is just trolling, but then that doesn't really jibe with his serious hissy fits.

So, sometimes I think he just says shit to be contrarian without thinking through the implications of his words.

fixed

[Grey Fox]

I would say Mart is just trolling, but then that doesn't really jibe with his serious hissy fits.

So, sometimes I think he just says shit to be contrarian without thinking through the implications of his words.

Don't we all do that sometimes?

[grumbler]

I also like the part where Meri concludes that, if a school has bullying, it doesn't have a zero tolerance policy. 

[DGuller]

I also like the part where Meri concludes that, if a school has bullying, it doesn't have a zero tolerance policy. 

I think she concluded it based on Riley not being suspended despite being rather vicious.

[Camerus]

I would say Mart is just trolling, but then that doesn't really jibe with his serious hissy fits.

So, sometimes I think he just says shit to be contrarian without thinking through the implications of his words.

Don't we all do that sometimes?

Not with quite the homoflair and outlandishness as Mart.

[merithyn]

Honestly, I think there's truth in what Marti says... for his generation. When I was a child, there were a few kids who were bullied occasionally at school. Their lives were difficult, but they did learn to fight back, stay unseen, or how to make friends with people who could and would defend them. Most of those kids I've run into as an adult and they are fairly successful over all, though they despise talking about our youth. Those who were horribly bullied committed suicide early on. So in a Darwinian sense, he's correct.

What Marti fails to understand is that today's bullies are not yesterdays. Bullying seems to have become almost systematized. It's not just one or two bullies picking on one or two kids. There are whole groups of kids (boys and girls alike) who choose a single person to destroy. They take a dislike to them for some unknown reason, and then set out to destroy every aspect of their lives at school, at home, in public. Like Valdemar says, it can now easily go global in a matter of moments. It invades every aspect of their lives. And while some of you may say that the kids should just ignore it, that's an adult speaking.

For kids, everything is the Here and Now. In other words, the reason we, as adults, can blow that kind of stuff off is because we know that in a few days (or weeks) something new will come along and our stuff will be forgotten. For kids, what happens Right Here and Right Now is FOREVER. They haven't yet gotten the concept of time down. I mean, sure, they can tell time, but the idea that what's happening now isn't going to be the same tomorrow hasn't quite penetrated for them. And, as Valdemar has said, there is no escape.

This is one of those areas that was horrible when we were kids, and has only gotten worse. And quite frankly, I'm not willing to offer up any children to the Darwinian theory simply because it's easier than dealing with the problem at its root.

[merithyn]

I also like the part where Meri concludes that, if a school has bullying, it doesn't have a zero tolerance policy. 

I guess grumbler has his bad reading comprehension days, too.

[grumbler]

I think she concluded it based on Riley not being suspended despite being rather vicious.

But zero tolerance of bullying doesn't mean a suspension every time someone accuses someone else of being mean.  If Riley formally admitted assaulting the other girl and received no punishment, then the school definitely not only lacks a zero tolerance policy, but lacks a sane principal.  Unfortunately, there are as many incompetent hacks in education as in economics and statistics.

[grumbler]

I guess grumbler has his bad reading comprehension days, too.

I guess Meri has her need to blame someone, anyone, for those times when she is unable to communicate clearly.

[merithyn]

I think she concluded it based on Riley not being suspended despite being rather vicious.

But zero tolerance of bullying doesn't mean a suspension every time someone accuses someone else of being mean.  If Riley formally admitted assaulting the other girl and received no punishment, then the school definitely not only lacks a zero tolerance policy, but lacks a sane principal.  Unfortunately, there are as many incompetent hacks in education as in economics and statistics.

She did.

[Berkut]

Honestly, I think there's truth in what Marti says... for his generation. When I was a child, there were a few kids who were bullied occasionally at school. Their lives were difficult, but they did learn to fight back, stay unseen, or how to make friends with people who could and would defend them. Most of those kids I've run into as an adult and they are fairly successful over all, though they despise talking about our youth. Those who were horribly bullied committed suicide early on. So in a Darwinian sense, he's correct.

What Marti fails to understand is that today's bullies are not yesterdays. Bullying seems to have become almost systematized. It's not just one or two bullies picking on one or two kids. There are whole groups of kids (boys and girls alike) who choose a single person to destroy. They take a dislike to them for some unknown reason, and then set out to destroy every aspect of their lives at school, at home, in public. Like Valdemar says, it can now easily go global in a matter of moments. It invades every aspect of their lives. And while some of you may say that the kids should just ignore it, that's an adult speaking.

For kids, everything is the Here and Now. In other words, the reason we, as adults, can blow that kind of stuff off is because we know that in a few days (or weeks) something new will come along and our stuff will be forgotten. For kids, what happens Right Here and Right Now is FOREVER. They haven't yet gotten the concept of time down. I mean, sure, they can tell time, but the idea that what's happening now isn't going to be the same tomorrow hasn't quite penetrated for them. And, as Valdemar has said, there is no escape.

This is one of those areas that was horrible when we were kids, and has only gotten worse. And quite frankly, I'm not willing to offer up any children to the Darwinian theory simply because it's easier than dealing with the problem at its root.

I don't actually agree - I think this is just the standard idea that "things were better/worse when I was a kid...".

The variability between locations is likely much more relevant than the variability over time. In other words, it might look better or worse to you compared to when you were a kid, but how do you know that isn't just because you happen to have moved somewhere where it is better or worse, as opposed to things getting worse over time?

Bullying is bullshit. It is a socially destructive process where children who do not really understand what they are doing harm one another. It does not need to be "part of growing up" anymore than the occasional kid getting third degree burns is necessary in order to teach kids to not play with gasoline and matches.

There are plenty of ways to teach children about how to interact with one another without the need to harm other children in the process. The idea that we are "pussifying" a generation because the adults decide to stop letting kids beat the shit out of whoever they decide are the social outcasts is idiotic. The only thing it shows is that some people never really grow up, and still think being bigots and bullies is just fine - as long as it is some OTHER group that is the ones selected for their hate.

I am very happy that this has become much more of an issue in US society at least (well, it is here in suburbia New York), and that finally adults are realizing that kids bullying one another is not just "kids being kids" - or rather, it IS kids being kids, but it is incredibly destructive and should not be tolerated. It might be the one positive that came out of Columbine, even though nobody will come right out and say it.

[HisMajestyBOB]

This thread makes me scratch my head.

I was never Mr. Popularity, but I really wasn't ever bullied either.  And I was a pretty big geek in school, no way around that.

Maybe a somewhat early puberty helped?  There was a point when I was one of the tallest kids in class...

Yeah, same here. I guess being taller and generally friendly to everyone helped. Plus, I don't think there was much bullying at my schools. If there was, I never noticed it.