This is what total freedom of speech gets you. Is the fact that these bullies were allowed to say whatever the hell they wanted a good sign for a free country? This little boy didn’t sound very free. People need a safe and nurturing environment more than anything – that should take precedence over all else.
Also, that guidance counsellor sounds eminently misguided. Isn’t it obvious that grading the behaviour of a victim further victimises them? I’ve seen this sort of cowardice – the bullies hassle the child, but not the teacher. The child then causes a problem for the teacher, who is too much of a craven layabout to tackle the real problem, and so takes the easy way out by blaming the victim.
Find the murderers, lie-detector the entire school if you have to, expel them and then take legal action against them. Jailtime (or equivalent for those underage) would be the perfect justice for these animals. Kids also learn from their parents so justice would be even sweeter if you chucked the parents in with their children.
Some might say this is a little extreme but I say, and what, suicide isn’t?
theotherone (from another thread) would probably say he ought to have toughened up and dealt with it. After all despite the fact HE WS ONLY A CHILD he ought to have the resiliance to deal with it
You are so right. The other kids in the class know who the bullies are; so do the teachers.
Detectives have gone to much greater lengths to find murdering bullies. Mobs of cruel children needs 1) therapy, 2) punishment; and their parents also need a good session or two with a psychiatrist.
Tragic! The point is though if a teacher is confident enough to tackle the subject some good will come of it. My colleague’s partner is a teacher & he had the talk about using the word gay in a derogatory manner & now the kids don’t use the word in front of him. They probably still use it against each other but they know they have 1 teacher who disapproves of it – this may be enough for 1 child to confide in him – lets hope so.
Charlene, none of my students use homophobic slurs around me. However, kids in my GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) still get taunted and teased. We’ve held assemblies, put up posters, my colleagues even have posters in every classroom, but we still hear that crap. The problem is administrators (at the highest levels) need to deal with this harassment and bullying more seriously with more severe consequences…and parents need to step in more (unlike this case). The effects of homophobic bullying on many students are devastating, and sadly in this case very tragic.
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This is what total freedom of speech gets you. Is the fact that these bullies were allowed to say whatever the hell they wanted a good sign for a free country? This little boy didn’t sound very free. People need a safe and nurturing environment more than anything – that should take precedence over all else.
Also, that guidance counsellor sounds eminently misguided. Isn’t it obvious that grading the behaviour of a victim further victimises them? I’ve seen this sort of cowardice – the bullies hassle the child, but not the teacher. The child then causes a problem for the teacher, who is too much of a craven layabout to tackle the real problem, and so takes the easy way out by blaming the victim.
Find the murderers, lie-detector the entire school if you have to, expel them and then take legal action against them. Jailtime (or equivalent for those underage) would be the perfect justice for these animals. Kids also learn from their parents so justice would be even sweeter if you chucked the parents in with their children.
Some might say this is a little extreme but I say, and what, suicide isn’t?
theotherone (from another thread) would probably say he ought to have toughened up and dealt with it. After all despite the fact HE WS ONLY A CHILD he ought to have the resiliance to deal with it
Ty:
You are so right. The other kids in the class know who the bullies are; so do the teachers.
Detectives have gone to much greater lengths to find murdering bullies. Mobs of cruel children needs 1) therapy, 2) punishment; and their parents also need a good session or two with a psychiatrist.
This is a heart-wrenching tragedy. Infuriates me.
Tragic! The point is though if a teacher is confident enough to tackle the subject some good will come of it. My colleague’s partner is a teacher & he had the talk about using the word gay in a derogatory manner & now the kids don’t use the word in front of him. They probably still use it against each other but they know they have 1 teacher who disapproves of it – this may be enough for 1 child to confide in him – lets hope so.
Charlene, none of my students use homophobic slurs around me. However, kids in my GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) still get taunted and teased. We’ve held assemblies, put up posters, my colleagues even have posters in every classroom, but we still hear that crap. The problem is administrators (at the highest levels) need to deal with this harassment and bullying more seriously with more severe consequences…and parents need to step in more (unlike this case). The effects of homophobic bullying on many students are devastating, and sadly in this case very tragic.
I think the headline used should say ‘anti-gay’ bullying.