Posted on 08/17/2004 2:09:18 PM PDT by Che Chihuahua
OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian schools are meant to be magically free of bullying when students go back to class on Wednesday after the summer break.
But pupils say the landmark "zero tolerance" campaign for name-calling, hitting, hair-pulling, arm-twisting and other playground nastiness is about as realistic as the plot of a "Harry Potter" novel.
Even Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik admits the two-year scheme launched in 2002 is optimistic in its goal of eradicating bullying from the start of the school year Wednesday.
"There will be cases of bullying but zero tolerance is our target," he told Reuters of a scheme that has stirred wide international attention. "You can't say that you have a goal of five or 10 percent bullying. It has to be zero."
"Many schools have reported good results like a halving of bullying after they started systematic efforts against it," he said of the 2002 "Manifesto against Bullying."
The scheme tells victims that "bullies have a problem, not you!" and has led to wider discussion of bullying in classrooms.
It has, for instance, encouraged competitions to write essays or rap music against intimidation and brought more "fair play" prizes at children's soccer tournaments.
"Bullying won't stop," said Ellen, 16. "People don't get beaten up any longer but there's more quiet, psychological bullying." She said snide remarks and condescension were often just as hurtful as any physical abuse.
FIVE PERCENT BULLIED
Studies had shown bullying was rising in Norwegian schools from 1995-2001. Five percent of pupils say they suffer bullying at least once a week.
"The main innovation of the manifesto is that it involves everyone -- politicians, schools, students and parents," said Vibeke Thue, deputy head of the Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education.
In some schools, class-appointed child mediators try to end conflicts by sitting down with victims and bullies with sanctions for repeat offenders like a phone call home. A hard core risk being sent to special schools.
And there are shortcomings. "Mediation only works if both sides agree to it," said Emma, 10. "I wanted mediation because one boy kept hitting me and another was calling me names but they refused, so it didn't happen."
Norwegian schools, where summer holidays start and end earlier than in most of Europe because the Nordic summer is best in June and July, also stress social skills like making friends alongside learning mathematics or writing.
Corporal punishment has long been banned in Norway. In one stick to end bullying, head teachers risk three months in jail under a 2003 law if a child is a victim of abuse over time. That law has yet to be tested.
But human nature always trumps artificial policies and this makes zero tolerance policies very difficult to enforce. Even with a stringent zero tolerance of bullying policy, there will always be some kids that are going to be "victimized." Usually the kids that are most likely to be bullied are "super dorks" like John "Sister Boy" Kerry, Howard "Screaming Girl" Dean, and Michael "The Pig Boy who eats his own boogers" Moore.
> She said snide remarks and condescension were often just as hurtful as any physical abuse.
Moron.
One can ignore a snide remark. I challenge anyone to ignore a broken nose.
You are very wrong. Verbal abuse from kids can drive some kids to suicide. It is a huge problem.
Can't parents teach their kids anything themselves? These bullying programs are often just used to teach acceptance of homosexuality and things like that. Show me the kid that doesn't already know bullying is wrong. All the schools should do is punish physical offenders and call parents regarding verbal offenders. Let the parents handle that one. Beyond that, get with teaching the basics and give parents back their parenting job.
Solution: Speech Codes of course.
But human nature always trumps artificial policies
News bulletin to the Do-gooders: Please read previous line.
Didn't they solve their antiSemitism "problem" by requiring 10 witnesses to any occurence? The "problem" cleared right up.
LOL Your're right. I've seen their "baby" photos posted right here on FRee Republic.
Words DO hurt. Ask any black child who has been called "nigger".
Do you mean called that by a white kid or by another black kid?
> Verbal abuse from kids can drive some kids to suicide.
How about fatal beatings? If you administer a fatal beating to a kid, would that maybe drive that kid to suicide?
Words don't kill, can't kill. Beatings can.
Never, ever commit to solving a problem before your final reelection campaign. A 10-year plan for eradicating bullying would have been no more (or less) effective, but would eliminate the embarassing failure before reelection.
Write reports of the days action, cite specific incidences of "bullying", prepare for ajudication of said offenses once a week. Punishment shall start off light with isolation and menial labor , proceeding eventually to suspension, expulsion and imprisonment.
Bullying WILL be eradicated. repeat offenders will be segragated and ostracized, using the criminal system as a last resort. Childeren WILL behave like adults, or they WILL be punished.
> Words DO hurt.
What's the word that will break someone's arm? Sounds handy. Maybe something like these...? "Wenn ist das Nunstruck git und Slotermeyer? Ja!... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput."
Or maybe... "Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha."
> Ask any black child who has been called "nigger".
By Tupac Shakur or Chris Rock, perhaps?
I am not minimizing that at all. Physical abuse is horrible. I know that well.
The only thing that I am pointing out is that teen suicide is a huge problem and mostly NOT from physical abuse or threats of physical abuse. There are huge numbers of kids suffering from depression and they do commit suicide. The isolation and hurt a child feels from their fellow school mates is a formidible problem and can contribute to suicidal depression. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds, and the sixth leading cause of death for 5-to-14-year-olds.
> The only thing that I am pointing out is that teen suicide is a huge problem and mostly NOT from physical abuse or threats of physical abuse.
And how much of it has to do with the shallow lives teens live? How big of a deal was teen suicide, say, 75 years ago?
Buncha damned whiners...
> Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds
Darwinian evolution in action, I'm afraid. Some people select themselves out of the gene pool.
So, when do they plan on exposing children to the real world? Will they remain in their safe, socialist coccoons all their lives and watch helplessly as someone stabs their prime minister to death in a crowded mall, hoping that real men come to their rescue?
How much of the teen suicide problem is drug-related? In my admittedly limited experience, drugs are a significant factor.
Yep, and Reuters says "oddly enough!"
School itself is the problem; locking a bunch of immature packets of boundless energy up for 6-7 hours a day would lead to chaotic behavior regardless of the prescence of rules.
Life is a raging bastard, so you might as well learn quickly to deal with bullies, harassers, and crappy bosses. Coddling never helps anyone, nor does a constant diet of abuse. The key is a balanced approach to life: only fight when you have to, but always stand up for yourself and what you believe in.
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