Posted on 05/02/2023 7:08:20 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
If someone punches back once after being poked at repeatedly for months and months without consequence, who should get in trouble? Allison Arnall Davis recently went viral after her son Drew received out-of-school suspension for beating up another boy.
On Facebook, Allison explains that she's not mad at Drew for doing what he did because the boy Drew beat up has been tormenting him for months. Her son finally fought back against the bully who has been torturing and threatening him while the school has sat back and done nothing. Allison's post has prompted an impassioned discussion about bullying, school responsibility, and whether violence is ever warranted.
Allison's Facebook begins, "Five days of OSS for beating up the kid that has been tormenting and bullying him since middle school. I know as a parent I'm supposed to be upset with him for resorting to violence or getting suspended, but I'm not. Not even a little bit.
"For years the school has failed Drew," she continues. "When this kid has constantly threatened to beat Drew up along with several of his friends, the school did nothing. When this kid followed Drew down the hall threatening him and making fun of him AND it was all captured on video, the school did nothing. When other kids told teachers and administrators that this kid was threatening Drew, the school did nothing. When this kid took to social media, voicemails, and testing threats, the school did nothing. When this kid threatened Drew over and over in every class they have together. The school did nothing."
The school repeatedly failed to take this kid's behavior seriously. From Allison's post, it seems like many people tried to make the school aware of this kid's unacceptable bullying and they turned a blind eye. She explains that, all through middle school, the bully and "his minions" made Drew frightened of even walking down the hallway. But eventually, he stopped reporting this kid to adults because they would never take him seriously.
"I sent the school a lengthy email at the beginning of the year begging them to do something because Drew refused to talk to adults at school about it because he knew it would do him no good," Allison wrote. "Drew had four classes with this kid and he would not leave Drew alone. Their solution and response was to have him and bully sign a no contact contract." But clearly, that didn't work.
Allison wrote, "When this kid threatened Drew (while on the bus) and then moved on to making fun of his Dad and then threatening Jackson, his 11-year-old brother, Drew decided that he would quit relying on the school and the adults who are suppose to protect him and HE would do something. Three punches and his bully screamed like a baby, his minion friends shut up, and this morning the bully wouldn’t even look at him. Problem solved."
While it might seem like Allison is celebrating Drew's bully's demise a little too excitedly, it's clear that her whole family was at their wits' end when it came to this bully. Bullying can have catastrophic effects on kids' lives, and school's really do need to take responsibility and protect all their students.
Allison's post exploded on Facebook because it's a new take on such a pertinent issue for parents everywhere. It garnered 225,000 reactions, 132,000 shares, and hundreds of comments that have contributed many different opinions to the conversation. "I don't agree with violence," one commenter wrote, "but when no one helps you you gotta do what you gotta do to stop a bully... Shame on the school system for not doing something."
The vast majority of comments were totally supportive of Drew standing up for himself. Many shared similar stories of their children standing up to bullies and then being the ones to actually get punished.
While it wasn't ideal that Drew beat up another kid, hopefully this incident will result in conversations between Allison and the school that will lead to them actually taking action against this bully and others. School should be a safe space for all, and while it's unfortunate that bullies exist, schools need to recognize the seriousness of these situations and protect their students.
Agree.
I hope the mom can get her son to look at it as a worthwhile vacation. Having the suspension on his record is perpetuating the abuse the student has received.
OTOH - I remember giving a neighborhood bully a beatdown. The entire dynamic changed once snot-nosed punk got consequences. Said punk was used to taunting and attacking everyone. And everyone would just back away and try to avoid conflict.
Having grown up with a few brothers one gets used to being in tussles. That can be good preparation for mano a mano confrontations.
You really have no idea what you are talking about do you? Unfortunately if they went to the newspaper there would be the same ilk like yourself who would blame the victim. Secondly, the school district has deep taxpayer pockets. I guess you must have unlimited income, good for yo.
Been there, done that, I won. And I didn't have "deep pockets".
You might want to be careful about thinking you know what others have experienced.
NO YOU might want to STOP blaming the parents of the VICTIM. Not everyone may have the resources you do!How about YOU blame the bully and the administration that is NOT doing their job!
You're making assumptions again. My hubby was out of work and our "resources' were welfare and food stamps.
How about YOU blame the bully and the administration that is NOT doing their job!
Protecting my kids was/is my job and no one elses. And I never said the bully wasn't at fault. I said there was more the parents could have done sooner. Get a grip and quit thinking that you know everything about everyone.
I got a week's suspension. Nothing happened to the bully. But all was good at home.
I did get worked over pretty good by the bully's gang shortly after that but I still think I did the right thing. That particular kid never hassled me in class again.
Whatr no one has addressed here is that old folks beyond fighting physically for themselves are often subject to continual elder neglect and abuse for objecting to the msuse of their self respect and emotional state. And don’t know what to do about it.
I had a similar story.
For me, it took one punch.
One punch. In the mouth. A mouth full of braces. I cut my knuckles on his braces, through his lips. There was a copious amount of blood. His white dress shirt showed it off really well.
All of this in front of a elementary school graduation assembly full of parents.
It was glorious.
The real question is why this mother would consent to her daughter being exposed to such a horrible place as this school. If they are this wrong on the bullying issue, chances are they are wrong and “woke” on everything else. Removing her daughter from this indoctrination center decreases the odds that her daughter will end up a communist lesbian.
YOU were the one who said the parents were not doing enough. I defended them, you didn’t.
The boy is better off OUT of public school.
Nice thinking
The second punch thrown makes you the loser. If you make the decision that you are being bullied. Set him up for first blow. In the real world, waiting to be hit first can get you badly hurt. I was not even 5’ tall until I was 15. Imagine being picked on in grade school. I was the same size as my 3 years younger brother. My dad said, if you can’t put a hurt on a bigger boy, use a stick. I never could imagine hurting someone on purpose. I fought, and got my butt handed to me until my senior year, when I grew to 5’ 7” and 160 lbs and wrestled guys in the 150 range. I learned how to grab, grasp and throw. No need to punch when you can pickem up and drop them rudely. Junior year I wrestled at 102 lbs soaking wet. People were surprised.
100% correct. If you are going to take down a bully, you must throw the first punch. That is the only way. Bullies don't expect receiving the first punch as for them, it is always the other way around.
Not what I said.
Post 59:I can think of 2 things they could have done, go to the local paper, get a lawyer. Suing a school district is lucrative. The parents let the lefties bully them.
I defended them, you didn’t.
My last post to you as you are taking this waaaay too personally. Why do you think they need defending? I simply suggested things they could have done and there are a load more. Some people are passive....and some aren't.
As I said, you are taking my suggestions waaay too personally. Bye.
Exactly and now he has some street cred.
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