Bullying: calls for national inquiry

guardian.com ^ | 03/27/07 | James Meikle, education correspondent

[Ellesu]

A national inquiry into the scale of bullying should be undertaken by ministers because of fears that the problem is being downplayed by schools seeking to protect their reputations, a report demands today. New guidance is also needed to ensure that victims who dare to fight back are not suspended or expelled. A report from the education select committee singles out Catholic schools, which, it says, should be forced to make public their commitment to stop gay pupils being bullied. The Catholic church has refused to follow government guidelines urging schools to set up specific policies against homophobic bullying. The MPs also raise concerns over what is being done to tackle cyber-bullying, with studies showing it is on the rise. The committee says schools should be forced to record all instances of bullying, including detailing those related to race, faith, disability or homophobia. The lack of reliable data is a barrier to more effective anti-bullying work, say the MPs, who want the government to commission long-term research into trends and evidence of which approaches worked. Though some experts have argued that bullying is decreasing, the telephone counselling service ChildLine said last night that it had received 37,000 calls about bullying in 2005-6, 12% up on the previous year.

[kinoxi]

Next year there going to get to work on those evil bigots who make faces at other children, it will include such societal atrocities as the sticky out ones tongue, the evil eye, and the ever dreaded 'nanny nanny boo boo'.

[Squawk 8888]

New guidance is also needed to ensure that victims who dare to fight back are not suspended or expelled.

Worth emphasizing. It seems to be a universal phenomenon in schools that the kids who defend themselves are punished more severely than the instigators.

[Colonel Kangaroo]

When I saw the word "bullying" in the title, my first thought was the bullying PC police at so many colleges.

[Kimmers]

I have never understood that.....the schools are too lazy to make the punishment fit the crime so punishment is reduced to one size fits all......



geez aren't I full of cliches

[kinoxi]

A report from the education select committee singles out Catholic schools, which, it says, should be forced to make public their commitment to stop gay pupils being bullied.

I think the intent is clear here.

[sgtbono2002]

Lets see if I got this right. You can be bullied for being ugly ,for buckteeth,for being small ,or having fly away ears. Its ok to make fun of your Mama or your Sister,or to make fun if you stutter or lisp. Its all right to tease you about your clothes, or your haircut, but dont make any fun of a kid for being queer.

Now if the queer kids want to fight back thats ok,but if straight kids fight they get suspended.

[swmobuffalo]

Just another effort to "normalize" homosexuality.

[Doctor Phogg]

Worth emphasizing. It seems to be a universal phenomenon in schools that the kids who defend themselves are punished more severely than the instigators.

Well in many cases the bullies are the athletes and cheerleaders. This was the case at Columbine. Sports programs are much more important than wasting a bunch of time on fat kids or walking acne factories.

[RatRipper]

Or one of the biggest bullies of all: the ACLU

[Squawk 8888]

Let's not forget that the preferred epithet from bullies in junior high is "faggot". They always apply that term to kids they target even when they have no way of knowing their sexual orientation, so having been on the wrong end of this crap I have concluded that they were projecting.