This blog has been created to discuss the topics covered in my book : Beyond Discouragement-Creativity.
My goal is to post relevant news articles which both reflect and refute my opinions and observations. As a visitor, your comments would be most appreciated. - Bienvenue. À vous la parole.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Who Bullies the most? Who cares!

Who Bullies The Most? The Popular Kids - Tralee Pearce - Globe and Mail, Feb 08, 2011
It is highly obvious that bullying is a number one problem (if not a priority) in our schools from kindergarten on up. It is interesting to note that in one longitudinal study by the University of California, Davis children and adolescents who "see themselves as or are deemed to be - (probably through bullying) - important." are the bullies. They see themselves above all others and consider bullying a part of their fiefdom rights - as long as the attacked individuals are weaker.
So what's new? That personas perceived to be or who consider themselves to be important are bullies? Well, if I remember my school days correctly, the same bullying personalities then are the same personalities now!
And why is this information worthy of a study?
Possibly we should stop looking at the kids as culprits and begin to look at the environments in which children and teens find themselves. Why is it that they need to be on the attack? Why do they feel so small and inconsequential that they need to make their presence (and power) known in this aggressive fashion? What is it in the school environment that not only "endures" this attitude but actually gives birth to it? What is it in schools which reminds us of ghettos rather than educational environments? Why are schools places where people feel less than they really are or can be? What is it that allows parents to believe that school systems, as they are, are the right places from which children must learn the ropes of survival and thriving?

Contemporary studies offer few factual answers - probably because they focus so much on the victims and perpetrators of bullying.  Studies, if truth be told seem to need to point a finger if not actually blame someone for negative behavior. But, children don't grow up in a vacuum. They learn from their environment and based on that - their behavior should not be considered abnormal but rather normal within an abnormal environment. What about looking at school systems and their failings, their band-aid approach to progress and thrit lack of true innovation?
In essence, neither bullies nor victims get the encouragement they deserve if the ambiance in which they must grow is ripe with lowest common denominator experiences. So what are we doing about it? Well, I guess, hmmmm, maybe we could study that too. . . ?



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