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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 20785
[Schools/Ed]
Date Posted:
6/13/2009
9:20:56 am EDT
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RSS: 16,823
Comments: 6
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Oregon: Gov. Signs Law Requiring Anti-Bullying Education In Schools
Author: Amanda Burden Source: kgw.com
Title: GOV. SIGNS LAW REQUIRING ANTI-BULLYING EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Governor Ted Kulongoski signed a bill into law Friday that cracks down on bullying and harassment in schools.
The Oregon Safe Schools Act is an updated, tougher version of an existing anti-bullying bill. Read the bill PDF
Under the new law, all Oregon schools must clearly define and post anti-bullying and harassment rules. Each school must elect a point person designated to address bullying concerns.
Lastly, the law ensures that school administrators, teachers, students and parents have necessary educational tools to deal with bullying.
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Community Thoughts: There are 6 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| A Nice Start | Jun 14th. at 4:43:02 am EDT
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Errapel (Lowestoft, England) - Email Me
Yes, bullies will be bullies. But with the right policies (what these are may vary between different schools) bullying can be minimised and it's effects mitigated. Having been to a lot of different schools over the years I experienced quite a variety of anti-bullying policies. Some were really good, some were worse than useless.
It isn't helped by the fact a lot of adults (teachers included) seemed to have the view that bullying was 'Character forming' and 'Kids will be kids'. Yeah it probably is character forming, but is it really a character you want formed? I've seen people who've become alcoholics, drug addicts, self harmers or even attempted suicide in response to the horrific pressure bullying put on them. I've seen people become bullies themselves in self defence. I've seen people so shy and nervous they barely speak. Sure these are extreme examples, but I don't know anyone who actually benefited from being bullied.
And learning to defend yourself? Well that only goes so far. Not everyone is mentally suited to violence. This isn't a bad thing. But it means that even with the correct training to defend themselves not all children will be willing or feel able to fight back. I know I felt physically sick at the thought of violence, and only ended up resorting to it in order to protect a friend who was being picked on (which had the knock on effect that I got left alone too) . And plenty of kids have gotten into a lot of trouble (which their bullies enjoy) for fighting back. I always felt that we shouldn't HAVE to sully ourselves with violence just to be able to feel safe at school.
So at least this law is making an attempt to tackle bullying. That's miles better than nothing, even if it isn't going to make a huge difference at least they're trying. Better than the old days where teachers turned a blind eye because bullying was 'Character forming'.
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| Highly Doubtful....... | Jun 13th. at 10:37:03 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Having been a target, I learned that I was often on my own when it came to bullies. My own folks were very little help and the school even less. Fighting back was the only way I could get any real peace, although it wasn't until my Senior year in High school that things finally settled for me. In the meantime, I think very little of my years in grade and high school except for the hell I endured- and think far more fondly of my college years-which I actually enjoyed.
Bullies are not likely to swayed by any education--and in fact may use it somehow to make things worse for their chosen victims, and while bullying does go on in schools--a lot of it also occurs off school grounds as well, in varied forms from after school assault and battery to the use of the cell phone and internet to spread lies and nasty rumors about their victims.
Arming the victims with the ability to protect themselves and helping them to fight back is the only way.
The law is too little---and for some-much too late. Only time will tell if the education is worth the trouble. Which--if I still know the schools--it won't be.
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| Bullies | Jun 13th. at 5:38:11 pm EDT
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Gray Fox (Albuquerque, New Mexico) - Email Me
are pretty much cowards. They will never pick on or terrorize anyone their own size or who they assume is on their "level". The only way to deal with it is for the victim or victims to take a stand. I was bullied for a long time in school. Then I started learning how to defend myself. Then as I was seen as a "target" to the local thugs. The very first time one came at me, he saw the pavement very quickly. I was suspended for a few days, but his "crew" and him never came near me or any of the kids I hung out with. My next three years of high school were quite peaceful for me. And when I saw those same guys doing their thing, all I had to do was walk by give them a look, and they stopped. That is the bast thing to do with bullies. Since as I said before, they're cowards.
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| I Agree... | Jun 13th. at 2:17:02 pm EDT
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Corax (Glendale, Arizona) - Email Me
that bullies are psychos and they just plain suck!
I had a problem with a bully in grade school. I don't know why he decided to mess with me, but for a few weeks he made my life a living hell. He would always find me at lunch recess and push and shove until he'd had enough. I didn't want to fight him because he was quite a bit bigger than I was. But, after those few weeks, it all started to get pretty old so I promised myself that the next time he messed with me I would punch him in the mouth. I was so mad I didn't care if I'd get in trouble for throwing the first punch.
Well, a few days later, he was back at it again. I warned him to back off but he didn't take it seriously, so I hit him in the mouth and cut his lip. The playground "monitors" saw this and separated us and I never got in trouble, and the best part was, he NEVER bothered me again.
Don't anybody try to tell me that violence never solves anything, because sometimes it does! For the next three years I was in that school, that SOB never even came near me.
I think that THIS should be all schools' new policy: If someone bullies you, it's perfectly OK to beat the crap out of him, because getting an ass-kicking is the ONLY language these morons understand!
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| Bullies Will Be Bullies | Jun 13th. at 1:06:20 pm EDT
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
The Oregon Governor has her heart in the right place, but don't see much good coming of this bill. As was said, bullies will be bullies and unless something RADICAL really happenes, there isn't much that will change it.
I myself was bullied severely, so I know how it feels. And now that I look back I wish once, just once, I could have given them a dose of their own crap and let them see how THEY would like it and see for themselves the damage it does... Oh well....
Love to all
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| Fat Chance | Jun 13th. at 12:32:10 pm EDT
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Aritimi Morgana (RotterdamJct/Schdy/Scotia, New York) - Email Me
of anything good coming out of it. Bullying can't be stopped. It's always the idiot parents who come to the defense of these wretched little psychos who thrive on terrorizing others because they CAN. The school admins just turn a blind eye and pray it just disappears or they flat out ignore it, resort to total denial that bullying happens at their schools.
I think bullies ought to be thought of as domestic terrorists becausethat's what they do to their victims--terrorize them. I'd like the bullies to have a dose of their own medicine, see how it feels to be on the other end. Public shaming; be made to wear a sign that says they are a bully all day long in school.
Maybe my ideas are too radical, but then, some of you have no idea the kind of hell a victim of bullying goes through. I am still suffering after all these years. The trauma they inflict never truly goes away.
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