darkgull20 said:I’m with Elizabeth Patel67 on this one—I honestly haven't gotten the impression that things have become a total nightmare. There were school fights long before this... entire classes would group up just to clash with another group. And the bullying? It was always there, whether it was minor or more intense, with kids throwing insults like "loser" or "ugly"... kids will say anything, really. Back in the day, they’d pass little notes around the classroom calling someone a slut because they used to date Mark but now they're seeing his friend John—except now, all that stuff just gets posted on Facebook instead of being scribbled on scraps of paper or scrawled on the bathroom stalls. Kids will be kids. At the end of the day, it comes down to how they're raised at home: you have to teach them that spreading rumors isn't okay, but you also need to build up their self-esteem enough so they don't completely spiral when someone calls them "runt" or "fat"—preventing those tragic cases we see in the news where kids actually take their own lives.
Yes, there were fights and bullying in schools long ago, and that is the one point where I agree with you.
As long as there are people who think this isn't actually a big deal—who believe that mocking kids by calling them 'weak,' 'ugly,' or 'fat' doesn't hurt anyone—there will always be violence in schools. It’s because those kinds of parents will never see the problem.
Saying "it's all just a part of growing up" is an attitude held by someone who has never experienced abuse. And I guess, dear, with that line of thinking, you sound a bit like the other side—just poking fun a little so things wouldn't get too boring at school.
I know what it feels like when you can't even turn to a teacher, even after finally working up the courage to open up to them about something small. I know what I would do right now if my own son came to me complaining about bullying. The biggest issue, I think, is that these children find it extremely difficult to speak up. They don't want to tell anyone what's happening because they are terrified of retaliation and feel ashamed that others won't accept them.
The parent is the most important link here. Teachers can't watch every single corner of a school, no matter how much they want to. But the punishments should be stricter, though I suppose teachers aren't to blame since they are limited by the law (I am not a teacher, just to be clear 😁).
I want to say, they have to deal with all sorts of chaos—difficult family situations, or parents who are becoming increasingly abusive toward the children themselves. A child's sense of self grows daily, while theirs can drop to almost zero. Sooner or later, they just stop fighting because they feel overwhelmed and belittled. And anyone can file a report or sue over any little thing, regardless of whether they actually listen to information or care about their kids.
I am not making excuses for anyone. In several instances, I fought for things that everyone told me were impossible or that they didn't have the resources for. I felt certain something was wrong, even when the principal claimed I was imagining things because she surely would have noticed (I won't go into details). I acted after I had thoroughly checked the situation because whether you trust your child or not, people lie for many different reasons. You shouldn't take everything at face value; you have to investigate and find out what is actually going on.
I cannot justify abuse of any kind. This isn't just "kids being kids" to a victim; it is a wound that stays for a lifetime and shapes a huge part of their future. That is why I believe I have every right to step in and do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't happen again.
