Submitted by Rhonda (not verified) on July 1, 2007 - 18:39.
Kids have to be taught to be kind. They have to learn not to bully and to accept others in their diversity. Schools have got to be required to teach values, and not in a general way like with a word a day, but by expecting and modeling positive behavior. It needs to start in pre-K and go through the senior year. Meanwhile, popularity needs to be down rated as much as possible in schools. Awards should be given for communty service, improvement in academics (which would include special needs kids without discrimination) and appropriate behavior, including improved behavior in students who have had problems. Contests and competitions based on popularity should be eliminated.
Bullying should not be tolerated any more than guns and drugs are and the consequences for bullying should be harsh and include such things as cleaning bathrooms. There needs to be special consequences for bullying students with special needs, minorities or gay students. At the beginning of the year the parents should have to sign an agreement that if their child bullies they will be expected to do unpleasant work. If the parents disagree, they should have the opportunity to transfer their child to another school and provide transportation themselves.
When kids bully on the web they should be cut off and their parents notified--2 warnings and gone for a year. They should not be allowed to have pages at all without a signed and mailed note from their parents with a phone number that can be verified. If the child uses the web page inappropriately the parents must be notified. This is the same thing as live bullying and things like slam sheets. The only difference is that it has the potential to go much farther. If the bullying has anything to do with the school situation, the school should be notified and the student disciplined in the same way as she would for real life bullying.
Cyberbullies
Submitted by Rhonda (not verified) on July 1, 2007 - 18:39.
Kids have to be taught to be kind. They have to learn not to bully and to accept others in their diversity. Schools have got to be required to teach values, and not in a general way like with a word a day, but by expecting and modeling positive behavior. It needs to start in pre-K and go through the senior year. Meanwhile, popularity needs to be down rated as much as possible in schools. Awards should be given for communty service, improvement in academics (which would include special needs kids without discrimination) and appropriate behavior, including improved behavior in students who have had problems. Contests and competitions based on popularity should be eliminated.
Bullying should not be tolerated any more than guns and drugs are and the consequences for bullying should be harsh and include such things as cleaning bathrooms. There needs to be special consequences for bullying students with special needs, minorities or gay students. At the beginning of the year the parents should have to sign an agreement that if their child bullies they will be expected to do unpleasant work. If the parents disagree, they should have the opportunity to transfer their child to another school and provide transportation themselves.
When kids bully on the web they should be cut off and their parents notified--2 warnings and gone for a year. They should not be allowed to have pages at all without a signed and mailed note from their parents with a phone number that can be verified. If the child uses the web page inappropriately the parents must be notified. This is the same thing as live bullying and things like slam sheets. The only difference is that it has the potential to go much farther. If the bullying has anything to do with the school situation, the school should be notified and the student disciplined in the same way as she would for real life bullying.