The other week school bullying made headlines after a kid who was being bullied “body slammed” ((its a WWE thing)) his far younger, far smaller tormentor into the ground.
If you haven’t already seen it its on youtube here. But before you watch it let me explain what happened…
the little kid – a yr 7 student was picking on the bigger yr 10 student who was trying to retreat to the school office to escape the assault. Apparently the smaller kid aka the bully was being egged on by a group of friends…. Finally the victim had enough of it and picked up the bully and slammed him into the ground which resulted in a broken leg. The bully, the victim and the person who video taped it were all suspended from the school
Most people were supportive of the kid who finally retaliated after suffering a long period of taunts and other intimidation from kids at school. Everywhere I’ve reading comments of support for him and his actions – everyone seemed happy to see the bully get fully PWNED. I must admit I too felt proud that this kid finally stood up for himself … but at the end of the day violence isn’t the solution…. not that I know what the solution is.
When I watch it my stomach just turns. If the smaller kid had his head split open and suffered permanent damage or even worse, if he had died the retaliating victim would’ve destroyed his entire life!! (not to mention the bullies) I worry nearly everyday that my son will finally snap and do some serious damage to the kids that pick on him incessantly, or have some serious damage done to himself.
When I was in boarding school I got bullied – which truly sucked as I didn’t just have to go to school with this girl – I had to live with the bitch as well. Luckily though I never had to deal with cyber bullying… the internet didn’t even exist when I was in high school.
In my son’s case he has suffered the taunts of school bullies and the bullshit threats as well as violence – often really cheap shots, he had his i pod touch nicked out of his bag whilst waiting in the lines for the bus. Another time a student grabbed the tupperwear container from his hands and through it across the playground as though it were a frisbee – destroying the food he had cooked at school and couldn’t wait to bring home to show me… ok now I’m crying. It fucking hurts to have to send my baby out there day after day to put up with this kind of bullshit.
I want to tell him to stand up for himself and not to take their shit…but when you tell a bully to fuck off, or get lost it just acts as fuel to their fire. You ignore them and they follow you, you report it to the school and you get called a pussy… and if they happen to get disciplined they just come back at you harder. Often it results in some form of violence. He was suspended at least twice last year for standing up for himself and punching back when he got hit. I can’t say to him to hit back, I can’t go condoning violence – but I also can’t tell him to do nothing if someone starts punching him.
Thankfully this year he is thinking for himself, he has a great group of friends and the possibility of missing out on the end of year camp to the gold coast has him keeping his hands to himself… but still the bullying bullshit continues. He got punched in the Jaw just last Friday… and the child got suspended for 10 days… I worry about what will happen when those 10 days are up, will he learn a lesson or will his anger just ferment and cause another fight when he returns to school.
Thank God we have anti-gun laws in Australia, I hate to think what would happen if some of these kids… mine included got their hands on a gun.
Today I found out that over the weekend some pathetic person (possibly the kid that was suspended) has created a facebook account impersonating him. It is someone he knows as they have accessed his friends list which is only viewable by people he has added to his facebook friends. One of his school friends told him that they had received a friend request from this account – so he did the right thing and reported it to the deputy principal. Her response “Sorry there’s nothing I can do about it”.
I understand that she can’t police the internet but she could’ve called me to tell me at least. I’ve reported the account to facebook, as has my son. They are so quick to pull down other bloggers and sex toy companies profiles for exhibiting images of sex toys – I just hope they are just as quick to pull this page down.
Tomorrow morning I have to send him back there to face even more of their crap. If anything of this sort were to occur in a workplace the instigator would be fired.. out of there. And if one adult were to hit another adult – the police would be called and assault charges would be brought against the attacker… So why is it that our kids should have to put up with this kind of behaviour in what is essentially their workplace.
Please don’t think for a second that I’m one of these parents that thinks their child can do no wrong – I know my boy can be a little shit when he wants to, some days he even makes my life a living hell. He is far from perfect but he has such a great heart and a kind soul. When he says things to me like “Mum, I try and be as nice as I can to people. If someone needs help I always do whatever I can… So why do I still get treated like crap” it just breaks my heart.
Sorry for the rant, sorry it isn’t all that articulate – I’m just one pissed off and sad mumma bear that’s sick of seeing her baby getting hurt, especially knowing I have to keep sending him back into the fray day after day.
Violet xx
ps if you want to do me a favour copy & paste this link into your browser and report it to facebook using the link on the left hand side.. report it for having an inappropriate photo, or inappropriate profile information… I just want to see it gone – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002212059615
Serafina Brightside says
No offense, but why would you sent your kid there day after day, tell him not to stand up for himself? Damn, if I was his mom, I would have given him the gun. No, I would have done far worse to that bully. I’m a mom myself, and I can’t tell you the terrible things that people have done to me throughout my life at public school because my mother didn’t care and didn’t stop it. My mother told me she didn’t condone violence and didn’t want to hear about my problems. I’m not calling you my mother, but I really think you should approach this a different way. No, you don’t condone violence, but when your kid is in danger, you do a lot more than this. Action doesn’t happen just through Facebook or the authorities. Those two never work. Action works through your own two hands, and your own mouth. Damn, I’d beat the fucking shit out of that bully for fucking with my daughter. And when it happens, I will. But I’m not sending my little girl to public school either.
Misfit Momma aka Missy says
So sorry your son is being bullied. My son has issues with bullies at school too 🙁
Hoping when we move it won’t be as big of an issue, but he is a small kid, usually the smallest in the class. He’s got his Dad’s attitude when he gets mad, but is emotional like me so the bullies target him. He tries SO hard sometimes too. Thankfully he does have a few close friends, and hasn’t been seriously hurt yet but I’m always afraid something will happen.
I reported the page, hope it is removed soon!
Michele says
I can certainly feel your pain. Our son was an accomplished martial artist, which kept him from getting hurt during serious confrontations, but it also encouraged bullies much older than him to try their luck just to see if they could beat him. Unfortunately, part of his martial art training was to avoid conflict as much as possible, so then he was bullied for being a “pussy” when he wouldn’t fight. Add to that the fact that he was quiet and got good grades, and he rarely had a peaceful day at school.
We did everything we could think of (including filing charges on a couple of the kids & their parents) up until 5th grade, and then we said to hell with it and resorted to homeschooling. It’s what we should have done all along.
What I will NEVER understand is how the parents of bullies seem to ignore how horrible and violent their children really are. Are they proud to be raising kids who will be nothing but convicts and burdens on society?
Eve says
(I know this is way after this blog was posted, but I still wanted to comment)
“Tomorrow morning I have to send him back there to face even more of their crap. If anything of this sort were to occur in a workplace the instigator would be fired.. out of there. And if one adult were to hit another adult – the police would be called and assault charges would be brought against the attacker… So why is it that our kids should have to put up with this kind of behaviour in what is essentially their workplace.”
You know, you actually CAN charge these kids with assault. Especially if (like that one incident you mentioned) they have hit him in the jaw and he hasn’t retaliated.
Get your son to record every incident that happens. When at where and what, and then go to your local police station and file charges against them, or against their parents if the kids are (I think) under 14.
If their parents were unaware of what their kids have been doing this will definitely jerk them into reaction.
I’m sorry your boy has to go through this. Horrible stuff!
xxE