Replies

I spent 12 years in small private schools and guess what? Bullying occurred even there and that was back in the 60s and 70s.

I must be lucky, because I spent 9 years in private schools, and I saw no bullying of any kind. Not even serious teasing and that was in the 70's and 80's. Sure, there were some kids who were thought of as "dorks" and "geeks," and there was joking behind people's backs, but nothing really mean-spirited.

If you really, REALLY, think the average private school has the same type of law-of-the-jungle type atmosphere of the average private school, I can only say that doesn't come close to my experience, even more so when I consider my children's private school.

The worst bullying my kids ever saw came from our church youth group. It got so bad at one point, the pastor had to intervene. The leaders of the group? A bunch of prissy, very wealthy, girls who were in a home-school co-op. Every week was a litany of how sinful the other kids were because they were in a public school. The Sunday school teachers did nothing to stop it, even when the girls set up a seating assignment so as to not be contaminated with sin from the public school kids. It came to a head when my daughter was stricken with cancer at 12 and the girls insisted on holding prayer groups to get her to turn away from her sinful nature as God was punishing her with cancer for her sins.

Easy to see why this experience made a permanent impression on our family - especially when it was the public school kids who were calling to check on her, sending cards, stuffed animals, coming by with treats, and helping her with make up work. The kids in her Sunday school class did nothing - she was told she was an unrepentant sinner.

Does this mean I don't think bullying goes on in other places? Of course it does - but this is our experience, others will vary.