Monday, March 19, 2007

Bullying

Here is a commentary by Carlos Overstreet, a 15-year-old who has overcome the trauma of being bullied. You can also read an article by Overstreet, My Fight for Respect, in LA Youth magazine, and listen to a commentary on a report on bullying (4/25/2001 - 3:35) from the Journal of the American Medical Association. Finally, listen to this NPR report, Ganging Up on Bullying (10/2/2002 - 5:43), and check out some of the many links it has on the subject.

Musings
  • Describe your reaction to Overstreet's story. Does it ring true; how does it compare to your own experiences and observations of school life and to what any experts have to say about bullying?

  • Historically bullying is not considered a big deal, just a regular part of growing up. Do you agree this view? Why or why not?

  • This academic article by Kimmel & Mahler, "Adolescent Masculinity, Homophobia, and Violence," (in PDF format) raises a number of important, but seldom discussed issues related to bullying and violence, including the assertion that masculinity is "the single greatest risk factor in school violence."

16 Comments:

At 7:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Overstreet's "My Fight for Respect" is a painful journey in some respects back to my childhood. His grap[hic description of kids fighting, name-calling and kid vandals highlighted all the tortuous memories of those early years. A few years ago, a movie called "Mean Girls" did as much. Bullies exist. It's a part of growing up, but it doesn't make it any easier to explain to a child or even recount your own memories. My lesson learned was that instilling a strong sense of purpose, confidence in self, and character are perhaps the best defenses for this hurtful phase in most every child's life (EEO--NSU).

 
At 4:11 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The story that this boy wrote in My Fight for Respect is a very sad, but true depiction of school life. I believe everyone at one point or another has been teased, but I don't believe every person has gotten it like this child. There are some students who get bullied like this and not all of them are brave or strong like this particular one. Instead, these students let their anger fester until it becomes something out of control, such as a school shooting for example. Bullying needs to be stopped, but it is hard to determine how to do this. If you are not the one being bullied, can you ever really understand what it feels like. And going to be a teacher, how will i get across the effects of bullying to young students, especially at young grades. It needs to be stopped before it starts, so it needs to corrected in younger grades, unfortunately how do you explain that to your kindergarten kids?

 
At 12:36 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Carlos Overstreet's story, "My Fight for Respect" is frightening to hear. I remember being teased as a child but not to this extreme. I also remember the kids who were bullied when I attended grade school, always the quiet kid who never stood up for himself. I think back to those times and I feel shame for not standing up for them. I now know that we give the bully power when we don't speak up- ohh I wish I could just go back for a day! I think it is disturbing how teachers can overlook the bullying and not notice the victim’s pain. We have improved "Bully Awareness" in schools, but we still have a lot of educating to do! (NSU KB)

 
At 9:17 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

In an article for LA Youth magazine Carlos Overstreet, a fifteen year-old boy from California, writes about his horrible experiences with bullying which resulted in him transfering to a private school. The fact that he was tall, chunky, pretty smart, and his school counselor’s son made him a direct target for continuous torment. It was wrong for Carlos to be picked on just because others did not like the way he looked. I am appalled that young children could be so cruel to tease someone that has done nothing to deserve to be treated in such a way. Yet in spite of all the bullying Carlos went through, which could leave a negative impact on a child for the rest of their life, I believe he is one of the strongest young boys I know. The courage he displayed to stand up for himself and continue to strive for excellence despite his toils of teasing was a very admirable attribute. Some people look at bullying as just a normal childhood phase and I for one can agree, but I also believe that its affects can go well beyond into adulthood depending on the esteem that a child has for themselves.{AFA-NSU}

 
At 3:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Where does bullying really start? Could it be perhaps at home, when siblings tease each other with sarcastic, mean remarks? Could it be a parent that makes negative comments on a child's behavior or pattern of conduct, causing more damage than necessary? School bullying is even more damaging because the bullies and the victims are seen as equals in the adult world. Teachers and admnistrators sometimes look the other way, adopting a policy of silence to "teach" kids how to defend themselves in the real world. Bullying is the physical and emotional symptom of a sick society that condones masculine signs of strength through violence...ignoring the other components that make up a real individual. As parents, teachers, and workers we can share concerns about bullying and take an active part in stopping this in our own environment: home, school and work. {BEB-NSU}

 
At 9:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think that bullying is sometimes seen as a right of passage, something that everyone goes through. That may be true but many people overlook the damaging effects bullying can have on a child. It not only damages their bodies, but their spirits, and self esteem. Bullying makes them feel worthless, and that should never be the case.

 
At 9:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Victims of bullying in general find it... unfortunately not very funny. That is why 99% of all bullying humor must target the human race one way or another, so you are not left laughing alone! Yes, it can be done without any overt racism, sexism or slander. But the central focus of bullying should almost always remain on human flaws. This includes political satire, sophisticated cultural observations, pokes at self-righteous religious stereotypes, spot-on impersonations of actual celebrities (spot-on), and editorial cartoons as well as crass low-brow bathroom jokes and other forms of simple-minded comedy. Hah... my love... in every case, a person, group of people, school of human thought or institution created by man should be the brunt of the joke.

As Steve Martin once said, bullying isn't pretty and I think that's the whole point.

So I disagree with placing racial restrictions on who can and cannot tell certain types of jokes…. Anyone can be a bully.


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At 3:12 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I believe people greatly underestimate how bullying affects children's lives. Overstreet's "My Flight for Respect" is such a sad recollection of school for that child. Situations of bullying such as in that story are still around today. I do not feel that bullying should be treated as a right of passage. I believe that students should treat each other with respect. Bully is a big deal, and it should not go under the radar. (JRJ-NSU)

 
At 9:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I believe that everyone experiences bullying during their childhood. It should not be treated as a rite of passage because bullying has caused school shootings. Children experience bullying daily and it should be under control. Bullying is very extreme and it should not be swept under the rug.

 
At 9:21 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bullying is not a rite of passage and should not be taken lightly. Most of adults can relate and honestly admit they have experienced bullying one time or another. Bullying has led to something far greater which is school violence. {FLM-NSU}

 
At 10:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I know that bullying is definitely something almost everyone goes through at one point or another. However, it should not be a "regular" thing and it should not be so easily pushed aside. Being different in society is not something that is easily accepted with teens. I think that this could be one of the reasons why bullying occurs. Concering the boys, masculinity plays a major role in bullying and teasing. Everyone wants everyone to be a certain way and honestly we are...in a very different way. This whole aspect of bullying is very hard to deal with and not very easy to solve or to fix. {KLS-NSU}

 
At 8:31 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bulling tends to be a part of everyone’s lives while growing up, but just because it is there does not mean it should be. When most parents or people in general hear of bullying in school they usually tell the student to fight back or be strong and deal with it. These both are problems because all this is teaching students is to be violent, harsh children. Bullying definitely can be considered a part of growing up, but it certainly should not be a regular aspect of growing up. Bullying is something that needs to be a concern with teachers, parents, and anyone else in close contact with it. This is something that needs to be changed rather than just accepted as a part of normal life. {TRC-NSU}

 
At 8:33 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think that bullying is a big deal and should not be ignored. A person who is bullied their entire life may eventually reach their breaking point and harm others. This type of mistreatment can actually affect someone for the rest of their life. It can lower someone's self esteem to the point where they believe all the teasing and may end up hating themself. Bullying is a very serious issue and should be acknowledged immediately to prevent any serious actions.

 
At 8:34 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I believe bullying is a very big deal. In the past, bullying was simply stealing lunch money or getting into a few random fights. Today, bullying has grown into so much more. Children are now unsafe attending school because each day could end in disaster. Bullying now has increased to shootings and extreme fighting. More focus should be put into way to prevent these disasters.

 
At 9:02 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bullying is something that the world will never be free of, it is part of human nature to judge, compete and challenge. I do not think it should go unnoticed but I do think it will always be there. As a child we all experienced bullying and even as an adult, just in different forms. Where bullying becomes a major problem is when it is overlooked and when it is used as a crutch or excuse for other behavior. Growing up I confronted issues of bullying and I did my share of name-calling; this experience has not broke me nor made me. As a mother and a teacher this is an issue that I will always have to deal with and find solutions. I will never have the attitude, let the kids fight it out; it is natural. It is natural yes, but our children have to learn and develop the proper schemas before they can deal with issues this complex; this is where we step in! Kids today have more pressure than ever before, the care free days of childhood have been drastically shortened. Children are put in adult situations before they are ready everyday, and we wonder why they are having trouble coping! Let’s step in and be adults, stop limping on the crutch: teach, show, and model. As an adult you are a teacher, no degree required! Bulling is natural but it is also learned; we are teaching our youth how to deal with issues aggressively. The child watching you in the checkout line, the child behind you in the movies, or the child that lives next door is learning from you. We as adults need to take a moment to remember these little eyes are always watching and learning from us, the teachers!

 
At 9:05 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Reading "My Fight for Respect" really opened by eyes. I am from a pretty small town and went to a fairly friendly high school. Of course, there was bullying but I never saw it get that extreme. It is sad that anyone has to endure that. My school memories are great and I wish that no one would have to deal with bullying. As a future teacher, when I have my classroom I will keep my eyes and ears open and not just turn the other way.

 

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