> Afterwards, the message was she really should have gotten counseling. <
As I noted earlier, I’m a retired urban public school teacher. And I saw that “counseling” approach many times. It’s complete trash.
The bullied kid sits in a room, along with his bully and a school mediator. The complaining teacher (me) is also there. The bullied kid is terrified. The bully lounges back in his chair with a smirk on his face. The mediator rambles on about respect, and about “finding common ground”.
This has no effect on the bully. He lays low for a week or so. Then he’s back to terrorizing weaker kids.
And the administrators? They’re all about keeping suspension rates low. That’s how they get their bonuses at the end of the year.
- Sorry for rambling on here. But as you can tell, this is a major sore spot for me.
It is a horrendous and dangerous situation.
I blew several gaskets at the local news FB page who reported the dead girl should have had counseling. I still don’t know who the bully was or what happened to her.
I do know there are several cases of other current bullies in a few of the local schools but I don’t know if the 10 year old’s suicide has had any impact on school procedure going forward.
No offense to your own career, but public schools are the most dangerous places for children to be at this time.
Too many parents are not thinking about the good of the kids.
It’s babysitting with crossed fingers hoping everything will be alright.
And kids are getting at LEAST psychologically damaged from lots of different things pointed at them.
I’ve been suggesting for a long time to anyone in earshot of these topics that punishment for the bullies or any other kids misbehaving to the point of daily disruption is to have that problem child’s parents come to school for a week and sit right next to their child for every minute of the day. On the bus, too.
If the parent won’t, expel the child. Counties used to have schools of these kinds for problem kids - do they exist anymore?
Well, my next statement is always “Homeschool. If a sacrifice has to be made it shouldn’t be the kid”
Children are made to shoulder burdens selfish adults refuse to deal with.
It’s a horribly sad time.