• Texas Dad Protests for Son Suspended After Standing Up to Bully
    85 replies, posted
Someone at our school decided to punch a special needs kid a few times once. The school couldn't find footage of it nor did anyone see it, but people know. So the next day three guys beat the shit out of the guy who did it. If I recall, none of them got in trouble.
there's a pretty important reason behind a "zero tolerance" policy. a school can't reasonably allow any fight to go without punishment because if something happens to a kid it basically will fall to their shoulders. favouring a student by saying "okay you were justified" means that the school makes themselves culpable and open to any lawsuit or even criminal charge levied to them. i know FP has a big boner for narrow-minded concepts of "justice", but a school isn't a place to enact justice. it's unreasonable to expect teachers and staff to play judge and jury for kids because if someone gets seriously hurt they'll be the ones to blame.
During 4th and 5th grade, there was this bully who always targeted me. I don't know why he targeted me, but for the most part I would try and ignore him. He would say things like "Your stupid" or "nerd" and I would simply say nothing. Sometimes I would say "OK" "Uh-huh" or "Sure". A few times, if I was having a really bad day, I would sometimes say something back along the lines of "Shut up" "Go away" etc. When 5th grade came around, it got much worse. Instead of verbal threats, they became physical. The kid would talk about how he could beat me up in a heartbeat, and how he was going to come the end of school. This kid wasn't tiny, mind you. He was pretty strong (I think he was some sports player, maybe football or baseball). At first I thought he was joking, but soon he started to walk by me and punch me (not like a friendly punch, I mean a real punch where it left bruises). I went to the nurse a few times, told her what happened, we would both be sent to the principal's office, and he would claim innocence. Nothing happens. He doesn't get in trouble. But one day, after lunch when we were given the opportunity to use the restrooms, something worse happened. I went into the restroom, and did my business. As I was walking out however, I heard my name called. I didn't know who it was, so I turned around to see who it was and what they wanted. Right as I turn around, I see him and his posse. Before I can even exit the bathroom or turn around again, he punches me in the face, kicks me in the groin, and pushes me to the ground. You might think I am making this up or bullshitting, but I swear I am not. I obviously started crying, I will admit it too because it hurt like a bitch. He walked out all calm like and our teacher came to see what happened. I was escorted to the nurse by my friends (who were not in the bathroom or near it). The principal came in and asked for my side of the story. I give the truth. Then he calls in the bully. He says something along the lines of how I was harassing him, making him fear for his life, and he attempted to subdue me and I inflicted most of my own injuries resisting him from protecting himself from me beating him up. (Did that make any sense to you? Sure didn't make sense to me...) So then the principal asks for witnesses. His friends are called down, and back up his story. I am asked where my friends where, and I say "Well two of them can't go in the boys restroom, and the third isn't here today, so no I don't have any witnesses." The principal assumes I was the problem, and I was given a week of out-of-school suspension. So I got a week and injuries and he got nothing. :( Sorry for the wall of text...
Most schools nowadays have a policy where anyone involved in a fight gets the same level as punishment as the other guy, regardless of the circumstances of who started it, what it's over, who was at an advantage/disadvantage, etc. I feel like the only reason why these policies exist is because the bullies parents will end up complaining to the school about how their "sweet little angel would never do this, it was the other kids fault!". Ridiculous. They need to look at these kinds of things from a realistic standpoint. The kid was bullied and stood up in an attempt to end the bullying so he could go along his day in peace. These kinds of treatments of kids who stand up for themselves is humiliating, unfair, and WILL lead to a hate of authority by that kid. These kinds of events and this kind of treatment can turn the victim into a bad person themselves, and for reasons that should be obvious.
[QUOTE=TheFilmSlacker;38060201]My school was like that too. I got bullied more than I've ever been bullied in my life in grade 11. I got legitimate death threats, blackmail, beaten up, the works. I told a friend of mine about it and he went to school the next day and beat the shit out of the kid. Me and my friend still got suspended for 5 days for "bringing violence in the school" while the bully got off scott-free simply because "all his attacks happened outside of school". The public education system is complete and utter bullshit, especially when it comes to bullying.[/QUOTE] Something similar happened to a kid at my school. Except the bully was too scared to say anything to anyone about it ever. My school's really low on bullying, even though we are a small school and the one next to ours is a large one. I think it's because the kids at my school are significantly smarter than the kids at the other school, and they know not to fuck wit them. Someone got poisoned 3 years ago after they mugged a kid at our school. Nothing deadly, just sudden, terrible sickness with symptoms similar to the black plague. Might seem bullshit, but I in no way doubt it. I like my school.
[QUOTE=Fish_poke;38064414]Someone at our school decided to punch a special needs kid a few times once. The school couldn't find footage of it nor did anyone see it, but people know. So the next day three guys beat the shit out of the guy who did it. If I recall, none of them got in trouble.[/QUOTE] Similar thing happend while I was in middle school. Some kid was acting like he could take on anyone. His idea of proveing it was throwing a special needs kid to the ground and kicking him. So one of my friends went up behind him and shoved him to the floor and beat the shit out of him. He got in trouble but not as much as the kid who punched the spical needs kid. The special needs kid started talking to people after the whole thing since someone cared enough to defend him.
[QUOTE=thisispain;38064561]there's a pretty important reason behind a "zero tolerance" policy. a school can't reasonably allow any fight to go without punishment because if something happens to a kid it basically will fall to their shoulders. favouring a student by saying "okay you were justified" means that the school makes themselves culpable and open to any lawsuit or even criminal charge levied to them. i know FP has a big boner for narrow-minded concepts of "justice", but a school isn't a place to enact justice. it's unreasonable to expect teachers and staff to play judge and jury for kids because if someone gets seriously hurt they'll be the ones to blame.[/QUOTE] Then maybe the schools should issue with the whole "we're liable if we favor someone who gets their ass kicked and decides to retaliate" and bring it to court. Honestly if some kid that was bullied manages to seriously injure the bully, who cares. The little cunt deserved it.
At my high school I don't think there was much of a bully problem. More of just a shitty environment, we had around 4000+ kids attending.
I can confirm what everyone is saying about the American school system, they don't care if somebody's doing shit to you. But if you touch them expect to be suspended / expelled.
[QUOTE=thisispain;38064561]there's a pretty important reason behind a "zero tolerance" policy. a school can't reasonably allow any fight to go without punishment because if something happens to a kid it basically will fall to their shoulders. favouring a student by saying "okay you were justified" means that the school makes themselves culpable and open to any lawsuit or even criminal charge levied to them. i know FP has a big boner for narrow-minded concepts of "justice", but a school isn't a place to enact justice. it's unreasonable to expect teachers and staff to play judge and jury for kids because if someone gets seriously hurt they'll be the ones to blame.[/QUOTE] That's an understandable perspective, but zero tolerance obviously isn't working. If you can come up with a policy that fixes the problem and keeps schools from being held liable, great. In the meantime, I'm going to send my kids to the school that cares more about their safety than a lawsuit.
As I have said, no tolerance=no thinking. [editline]17th October 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Zarjk;38071573]I can confirm what everyone is saying about the American school system, they don't care if somebody's doing shit to you. But if you touch them expect to be suspended / expelled.[/QUOTE] Which is why you do it out of school.
Zero-tolerance is the kind of policy which makes psychotic mass murderers out of quiet schoolkids.
[QUOTE=1239the;38072444]Zero-tolerance is the kind of policy which makes psychotic mass murderers out of quiet schoolkids.[/QUOTE] Yeah, here in Finland atleast one of the 3 shcoolshooters were bullied so badly that they revenged with guns. If bullying gets really bad it might get to point of no return, which is suicide or murder or someting bad as that.
well why didn't he tell a teacher, violence doesn't solve anything
Teachers actually can't do a thing. It has to be done via police/legal, but doing that needs solid proofs.
[QUOTE=Glype;38073284]well why didn't he tell a teacher, violence doesn't solve anything[/QUOTE] Oh yes it does. If you tell a teacher, 95% of the time all the bully will get is a "don't do it again" speech from one of the teachers. Which will result on you getting bullied even more for telling the teacher. However if you stand up to the bully, you show that you can fight back, and it will likely make the bully think twice before picking on you again. I speak from personal experience.
[QUOTE=samuel2213;38073378]Oh yes it does. If you tell a teacher, 95% of the time all the bully will get is a "don't do it again" speech from one of the teachers. Which will result on you getting bullied even more for telling the teacher. However if you stand up to the bully, you show that you can fight back, and it will likely make the bully think twice before picking on you again. I speak from personal experience.[/QUOTE] Umm do you go to school in Africa? At every school I've been to you were like suspended and one step from expelled if you were bullying. It was the most serious offense you could do, apart from injure someone really badly or something.
[QUOTE=Glype;38073440]Umm do you go to school in Africa? At every school I've been to you were like suspended and one step from expelled if you were bullying. It was the most serious offense you could do, apart from injure someone really badly or something.[/QUOTE] I live in Australia. And unless the bullying gets physical, teachers won't do anything other than tell them not to do it again.
Sister had a friend who was attacked by another student during lunch. She didn't do a thing to defend herself because she didn't want to get in trouble for this. She knew there were cameras everywhere and she knew that they could see this... but when it came to the administration's attention, suddenly "the camera's couldn't see anything". So they suspended her for three and the bully for 5. Sister told mom this when she got home, and her response was "well, then if this ever comes to be a problem... fight back. Give it your all, because I can guarantee you, your father and I will back you up if anything comes of it, because that's bullshit to punish the victim." As much as my parents annoy the fuck out of me sometimes, there are a lot of things about them that make me damn proud to be their kid.
Reminds me of a story about my uncle. Now, my dad and my uncle were growing up in Texas during the 1960s, and the school they went to was a [I]massive[/I] school, even by today's standards. However, my uncle was one of the most peaceful and most pacifist people on the planet. It was 7th grade (I think), and a bully had been picking on him, the normal way of slamming him into lockers and knocking books out of his hands, etc. etc. But one day, the bully challenged my uncle to a fight. My uncle couldn't refuse, because the bully would follow him home or just wait until the next day, so he had to go out there. There the bully was, ready to fight. My uncle set his books down, and put down his glasses with a trembling hand. He walked up to the bully... And punched him in the face. The bully fell backwards and his head hit the flag pole. My uncle scooped up his glasses and books and sprinted home, and told my Grandma that he really hurt someone. The next day, the principle pulled my uncle aside and said "We've had problems with him before, it's about time someone stood up to him". The bully never hurt anyone again, and moved on to become friends with my uncle. Morale of the story: Stand up, don't run.
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;38074606]Reminds me of a story about my uncle. Now, my dad and my uncle were growing up in Texas during the 1960s, and the school they went to was a [I]massive[/I] school, even by today's standards. However, my uncle was one of the most peaceful and most pacifist people on the planet. It was 7th grade (I think), and a bully had been picking on him, the normal way of slamming him into lockers and knocking books out of his hands, etc. etc. But one day, the bully challenged my uncle to a fight. My uncle couldn't refuse, because the bully would follow him home or just wait until the next day, so he had to go out there. There the bully was, ready to fight. My uncle set his books down, and put down his glasses with a trembling hand. He walked up to the bully... And punched him in the face. The bully fell backwards and his head hit the flag pole. My uncle scooped up his glasses and books and sprinted home, and told my Grandma that he really hurt someone. The next day, the principle pulled my uncle aside and said "We've had problems with him before, it's about time someone stood up to him". The bully never hurt anyone again, and moved on to become friends with my uncle. Morale of the story: Stand up, don't run.[/QUOTE] And then came along "no tolerance policy." [editline]17th October 2012[/editline] aka "You have problems? No, you are the problems!"
[QUOTE=OrionChronicles;38072204] Which is why you do it out of school.[/QUOTE] My school didn't care where you did it, just that it happened involving one or more of their students.
There's pretty much no bullying in my school, I guess everyone's too chill and tired to give any fucks
Seems a lot of you have stories about being bullied but hasn't anyone here ever bullied someone themselves? I remember in elementary school I used to pick on this kid sometimes, shoving him around, pushing him to the ground, he was just so damn frail, it was too easy. I don't know why I did it, I guess I was just an evil fucking kid, I'd sometimes do random acts of cruelty to other kids. It stopped once I grew up a bit. Haven't really been bullied myself. A kid once tried to make me his target, I told him to stop, it obviously didn't work, I threw a few punches and then never got bullied again. No teachers found out so nobody got in trouble.
Back during highschool, I got jumped after football practice. First blow was a cheapshot to the back of the head, which left a pretty decent-sized lump. It knocked me over, since I didn't even expect it coming; I mean I sorta did since he was talking shit during practice (I didn't attempt to provoke him, I just sarcastically shrugged his advances off since I gave zero fucks), but he seems like more talk than walk, first time I had seen him follow-through on his word. Anyway, once I was knocked down, I swept his legs out from under him, rolled back up to my knees and proceeded to beat the tar out of the now-on-his-back attacker. We got caught by the coach during the scuffle; one of my friends who overheard him talking shit alerted the coach of what might happen. If you've played football with a strict coach before, you know that if one person fucks up, the entire team gets punished somehow. Instead, I told him what happened and showed him the lump on the back of my head and got off scott-free; he got in trouble, I never did find out what the punishment was. Everyone still had to do a little more conditioning after practice the next day, but I wasn't seriously punished for the ordeal. He attempted to verbally abuse me over the course of the next couple years, but he never got physical again. It was nice to give him a stern "What are ya gonna do?" look every time his words got out of hand, usually shut him up, at least until he got his friends together to outnumber me.
Dad had a friend who's nickname was "Yard Ape". He still can't remember the dude's real name. Anywho... One day some kid was talking shit and started beating up yard ape. Well, yard ape was just taking it cause the kid was this small thing and well... he was yard ape. So he just took it, until the kid pulled out a knife. Yard ape then proceeded to go apeshit on the kid. I don't quite remember what came of that though.
My first secondary school seemed to give 0 fucks about bullying. So much so that I was beaten up on some stairs once and nothing was done about it, but I got my revenge when i threw him into a bin a week later. Oh the joys of an all boys school.
Schools never take bullying seriously They say that they have this huge anti-bullying program here but when it happens they literally don't do anything but punish the person who fought back
I get in trouble for bullying my friends all the time, apparently bullying = banter here.
[QUOTE=teh pirate;38075415]I get in trouble for bullying my friends all the time, apparently bullying = banter here.[/QUOTE] Yeah, the definition has really been slipping at some schools. An elementary school my me teaches the younger kids that being shy and not wanting to share something of yours are both forms of bullying.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.