“.. too many schools turn a blind eye to it”.
I’m not saying there isn’t bullying in the local schools my kids attend or attended... however, it seems to be a lot less than some of the articles I read. In my ES, they have a Best Buddies program. Fourth and fifth graders who are recommended by their teachers spend one or two recess time slots spending time with the special need kids. You would be amazed (or maybe not) how kind these kids become to them. For whatever reason, the high school my kids go to pretty much accepts everyone... not saying there isn’t a male fight or two but “fringe” kids are just seen as “whatever”.
IMHO, too many good parents (emphasis on good) buy into the whole “whatever you do, don’t get suspended”. Suspension in ES, Middle and even high school are meaningless (unless the suspension takes you off an athletic team). I told all my kids from kindergarten on.. don’t ever start a fight, but you darn well should end it”. I told my girls that if they ever get suspended for fighting (and they didn’t start the fight but simply defended themselves ) I would take them out for lunch and a mani/pedi. Yes, I did. My Senior in high school girl saw some Freshman boys verbally picking on a mainstream Aspergers kid a few months ago. They thought it was funny to smash this boys sandwich and tell him he was “retarded and ugly”. So.. my little princess walks up to them, tells them that they will never get a girlfriend because they looked four and then handed her salad to the Asperger child. The want-to-be bullies started to leave when some of her Varsity Football friends blocked their path for a few seconds (an intimidation no less that they too.. can be pushed around) and the event was done. To this day, the Aspy child still says hello to her in the hallway and thinks it is really cool he has a Senior friend that’s a girl. :)
I taught my children (all girls) to stand up to bullies. My oldest daughter beat up a boy on the bus that would not stop bullying a disabled child. Yes she was suspended because of the “zero tolerance” BS but we told her she was a hero. The parents should not get hung up on the idea that their child should never get in trouble; but need to really look at each situation. The schools can be wrong, and the longer liberals are in charge of education the more likely the school is wrong.