School Bullying: A Tragic Cost of Undemocratic Schools

[xcriteria]

Let's say you are 15 years old, or 13, or 11, and for some reason--a reason over which you have no control--you have been singled out by your schoolmates as an object for scorn and humiliation. Every day at school, for you, is another day in hell. You are called "whore," "bitch," "slut;" or "fag," "pussy," "scum;" or worse. People deliberately bump into you and knock your books out of your hands in the hallway. Nobody sits with you at lunch, or, if they do, those people are harassed until they stop sitting with you. These bullies are not the brutish looking comic-strip bullies, whom nobody likes and who steal other kids' lunch money. No, these bullies are among the popular kids--the athletes, cheerleaders, preppies. They are popular not just with most of the other kids but also with the teachers, school administrators, and adults in the larger community.

The law requires that you attend school, regardless of how you feel about it and how you are treated. You are not one of the privileged minority whose parents have the means to send them to a private alternative school or to convince the school board that they can educate them adequately at home. You have no choice.

What do you do?


Read more: School Bullying: A Tragic Cost of Undemocratic Schools by Peter Gray

[brainiac3397]

Beat em up and do proud the quasi-tribal hierarchy that the school environment creates.

Or beat them up, and forgive em. As long as they remember they got beat not for being who they are, but beat for being rude, it should work with some degree of success.

[MrAnonymous]

Shh, don't do that; you might get suspended. It's bad to defend yourself.

[JenniMiller]

I've been an outcast my whole life; bullying does not phase me anymore.

[MurkScribe]

In order to deal with the social hierarchy in a school environment. One must fight cruelty, intolerance, and hatred with laughter and humor.......aka FUCKING treating PEOPLE like ACTUAL PEOPLE.

[Dikont5]

If someone fucks with me, I'll fuck with them back. I don't care if I get my ass suspended, I was legitimately defending myself. I'll get in trouble since it doesn't matter who started it, so therefore, I can fight back and not give a fuck. I'll only do this in extreme cases however. I'll talk to the person and try to help them with their problems if they can be reasoned with. If they can't than EAT LEAD MOTHAFUCKAH!

I always wanted to say that.

[tybat00]

"Find someone even whimpier, and just KICK. THEIR. ASS."

-Roger Smith

[brainiac3397]

That only would contribute to the problem...