Tuesday Insights: Bullies

            I’ve been on the warpath lately and that is not about to stop today. The wind got word to me that three little girls at Ocean Avenue Elementary School are being bullied badly. And it seems the administration is keen to blame the victims for being bullied in the first place and for fighting back.

            Will someone please take the dunce caps the administration is obviously wearing off them so they can think like the intelligent people they are supposed to be acting like. These girls are being bitten, scratched, and hit on the bus so bad that one of them had to knock one of the attackers out in self-defense. The school’s response is to treat her like the attacker and have her secretly surveilled.  Having a teacher follow her everywhere isolating her.

            One of the other girls is so terrified by the bus experience that she won’t even ride the bus anymore. Her parents have to drive her to school every day. Where she is still attacked along with the other two. Yet we hear all this talk about cracking down on bullying. And I agree we need to crack down on bullying as a former victim of bullying myself. But we need to do it in the right way. And one of the wrong ways of doing it is by blaming the victims when they fight back and stand up for themselves.

            It used to be when a kid got bad grades or did something wrong we held the parents accountable as well as the kid. Now the parents get away with just passing it off on the teachers as if they are the ones who are supposed to do the parenting. And that is just wrong. Parents are supposed to raise their kids not to be bullies and to get good grades. And when there is a problem they should be held accountable. And yes I know all you parents have hard working jobs but your first and foremost job is being a parent to your children.

            And I know there are some good parents that need help with their kids, but are afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to seek out the assistance you need. It’s as near as 211.org. They can hook you up with social workers, case managers, counselors, and more. You just navigate the site to the local Maine one and search for the service you need. We’ve all been influenced from previous generations it is time to end the cycle of bullying now.

            It wasn’t good back then and it is not good now. For anyone bully or the person being bullied. It is unhealthy for both. So it is time for the administration to step up and hold parents accountable. And it is time for parents to step up and be parents and stop shrugging it off onto the school. And that doesn’t mean one against the other. It means work together to solve the problem. That is where the best solution can be found.

            When a kid knows they can’t get away with acting up at school or home they change their behavior. It is time to stop blaming the victims who fight back and start going after the actual bullies. And hold the parents accountable till they come around and are willing to work with the school to change the behavior of their children. Isolation just makes things worse in either case. It takes the whole community to solve the problem.

            Now that I have given you my two cents let’s see if you do the right thing. But for now you can leave your comments and questions below. And if you want my columns to appear in your inbox enter your email address in the box below where it says follow by email. As for me I have other work to get to. *Tips his hat and walks out the door. *