Oy! I've created a weblog! What a strange and wonderous thing for me to do!
I'd like to welcome everyone to my weblog, Genji's Butler. It's where I'll dump my pseudo-random thoughts with almost random frequency. Hopefully I'll have something meaningful to say, but only time will tell.
And now on to the actual content!
I was listening to a local radio show on the way to work today. The topic du jour was 'bullying in schools'. Boy do I have stuff to talk about there!
I was the constant victim of bullies until my Jr. year in high school. Being tall and thin, a geek, and a musician made me a natural target for all those with an abusive bent. I've lost count of the times when I had the tar beaten out of me or got humiliated in some manner. So naturally when there was a radio show on the topic, my ears perked up- its interesting to hear what the 'experts' have to say.
It was an interesting show to listen to I tried to call in, but the show was over before I got a chance to express my views.
Three things stand out from the discussion.
- That parents need to pay more attention to their children. In an ever more fractured and complex world a greater time investment needs to be made by parents in their children. You can not teach the life skills needed if you aren't there folks.
- The school system is not able or really even willing to admit that teachers, counselors, and administrators are responsible for maintaining the safety and sanctity of their schools- they allow the 'elite bullies' to have free reign because of their athletic talent, looks, money, etc.
- The victimized children need to have a place and a person that they can discuss problems with persons who specialize in counseling and this sort of problem. An adult must act as a mediator.
One caller called in and expressed the view that with all of the other problems that our society (US) is having, its a wonder that we have so few incidents. I'd like to second that and also highlight it as a testament to the mental endurance of your average high-schooler that this doesn't happen with more disturbing frequency. I would also like to note that the kids who perpetrated these acts of violence were the ostracized and alone. Ostracization has been happening since the beginning of time and it should come as no suprise to anyone that this would happen. If you take a sub-segment of your population, completely and totally Ostracize them, and bully them it's a given that at least a few of the victims will snap and act with irrational violence.
