When is going to end?!

As a middle school teacher in NC, it is my experience that we do try to intervene. We have groups. We report. We talk to parents. Then, the one who is doing the bullying has a mom that says, "That is a big boy. He should suck up and take it.". Until parents stop teaching their children to be bullies and stop denying their children could and can be bullies, there is little we can do. This is a home problem more than a school problem. We report it. We suspend. We talk to parents. The change comes at birth when the parents teach my modeling good behavior and teaching explicitly how to behave. A mom or dad who condones bullying by saying their child was 'justified' or the other kid is a wimp/nerd/'retard' etc. will always negate anything and everything done at school.

it won't end at school until it's dealt with at home. --

that's usually where it starts!

The thing is that the article does not say that the bullying took place on school grounds. Throwing sticks and pipes sounds as if it was either on the way to school or on the way home. The school is not responsible for what happens off school property.

Personally I think we as parents need to step up to the plate. Teach our kids to respect everyone, that everyone is not the same but they all deserve to be cared about and become friends with. We need to watch out when our kids are walking home from school or if we work try and tag team with other parents keeping an eye out for bullying. Talk to our kids and see if things are happening at school and try and help them deal with things. If it's more then they can handle then step in and talk to teachers, principals, school board and even the police if we need to.

As in all things, the responsibility here lies with the parents. The parents of the bullies as well as the parents of the child who was bullied and all the other parents whose children did not intervene.

We must teach our children not only that bullying is unacceptable, but that they need to stand with the child who is bullied.

Schools can do very little about this without ALL parents assisting.

until the bullies parents deal with them in the proper manner so they wont do it again

i have to wonder why the mother did not pull her son from that environment if the school was not stepping up to protect her child

I can relate to this, my son isn't bullied, but he is teased for being studious. A history of suicide in the family has a huge impact of the immediate generation following. The quality of teachers and administration has devolved over the last few years (personal opinion) and the fact that they are overloaded with redundant and butt-cover paperwork accounts for a good deal of their not being able to deal with kid's personal issues.

^..well, i have heard from my own ds about past-events concerning someone hitting him or saying mean things to him about 'whatever'...things he never mentioned to me or his teacher.
so, yeah, i can believe this kid didn't tell anyone.

Oh, I believe the kid didn't say anything.
I just wonder Why?
His schools had been changed, so it would seem, there was some support of the child.
I would think, based on our experiences, he would keep talking.
That the adults involved, Mom at least, probably could have done more.
There is something strange about the organized search party and the child being found IN the home.


We have stayed on top of the incidents, contacted the school and the local authorities. So, yeah, I do expect other parents to advocate for their kids.
It's our job.