Peanuts’ wisdom is a sad message about bullying
I originally posted this picture last April because it really struck me how true this saying is. Linus is seen to be declaring "No problem is so big or so complicated that it can't be run away from!"
So true as another school year is already beginning to show.
A few days ago, Monica Ann Thomas, one of my Facebook friends and another person outspoken about the problem of bullying posted this on one of the bullying groups' wall:
Well this school year has really started with a sad start. 11 suicides, 3 school shootings and who knows how many other incidents that were not reported on. Something has to be done and it can't wait either. We have to do more to prevent such senseless acts. Please take a moment each and every day to speak with your children. Let them know they are not alone and that there are many who can and want to help. The latest statistics even show that almost half of the teachers agree with us. If teachers are seeing a need that makes me wonder why the schools deny the problem. Teachers are the closest to the kids to see the issue so why won't the administrators admit the problem? Please take a stand and help us to save the children.
I had to reply to her comment that much of why the problem of bullying isn't being adequately addressed is because, as a rule, if an individual school admits it has a problem, then it is obligated to really DEAL with it. I called it the "ugly baby" problem -- in other words, no one wants to admit they have an ugly baby. I can understand that a school doesn't want to be known for having an issue with bullying because it looks bad, but let me tell you this...pretty much EVERY school in this country HAS A BULLYING PROBLEM. No surprise!
The surprise is when a school really takes the time to analyze the problem and deal with it. Heck, here we go again with more comments about "adequate legislation" that will supposedly curb the problem, but haven't we learned that laws do NOT fix bullying?
At the same time the problem is rampant, schools feel they can't do more about it. "Heck, we already HAVE an anti-bullying policy in place," or "we do an anti-bullying assembly each year to raise awareness." How MANY times have you heard that, and how many times have we talked about this here in this blog? Yet...has ANYTHING changed?
One of the reasons I wrote my most recent book, "Breaking the Bullying Culture" was because I wanted to not only point out how pervasive and engrained bullying is, I wanted to really examine what's not working in the "war" against bullying, but more importantly talk about what DOES work. I was very fortunate to receive this review from Walt Gardner. For those of you who don't know Walt, he writes the regular "Reality Check" blog for Education Week. I sent Walt a copy of the book for his reading and here's what he had to say:
It's hard to find an author who goes beyond bemoaning a front-page problem in education to provide realistic strategies as a solution. Corinne Gregory pulls no punches in presenting readers with a disturbing picture of bullying in all its forms, including its latest cyber manifestation. Yet despite the formidable challenges confronting schools, she doesn't despair. "Education Reform and Other Myths: Breaking the Bullying Culture" is indispensable reading.
I am very honored and humbled by Walt's review, but I wish I could share this message of hope with more schools, administrators and lawmakers. We CANNOT take a late-game approach to bullying and make any real impact. The problem starts so much earlier than when bullying itself has erupted. If you wait until then, the problem is SO much harder to fix, much more expensive, and less effective.
Maybe therein lies the problem. By the time it's gotten to the point of bullying, maybe it IS so much easier to ignore it and hope it goes away...after all, the kids WILL graduate and leave some day, right? Next year may be better...
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Did you like this? More about why anti-bullying doesn't work can be found here: http://corinnegregory.com/blog/2012/02/28/why-anti-bullying-doesnt-work-part-i/
Dang, but
