Why would anyone do this to another human being?

[CandyMandy]

Excellent overview of the tangent on this story most media have ignored. And the sidbear links are also worth reading; I was struck that one state (no surprise which) passed a law last May which says every school has to set up a system to "investigate each and and every incident of bullying." If the news stories we're already used to seeing about crazy decisions due to "zero tolerance" policies had you rolling your eyes, just wait until we start hearing about the four month long investigation of a five year old accused of bullying during a musical chairs game.

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/01/is-the-bullying-epidemic-a-media-myth.html

 

[jodifla]

Excellent overview of the tangent on this story most media have ignored:

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/01/is-the-bullying-epidemic-a-media-myth.html

Story seems like a pretty big reach to me.

It seems to go out of its way to have it both ways: bullying has always gone on, don't blow it out of proportion, then saying what we know to be true: that the cyber aspect of it makes it much, much, MUCH worse.

 

[CandyMandy]

Here is an excerpt from the anti-bullying law passed back in May that I referenced in my prior post. It's the actual definition this particular state is using to define bullying:

“Bullying”, the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a victim that: (i) causes physical or emotional harm to the victim or damage to the victim’s property; (ii) places the victim in reasonable fear of harm to himself or of damage to his property; (iii) creates a hostile environment at school for the victim; (iv) infringes on the rights of the victim at school; or (v) materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school. For the purposes of this section, bullying shall include cyber-bullying.

Per the above, if a student at a school says to another classmate on two different occassions ("repeated expression") the words "I don't like you" and that makes the classmate upset ("causes emotional harm,"), the classmate has a legal basis to accuse the student of bullying.

I hear Pandora's box creaking open....

 

[PollyannaMom]

Here is an excerpt from the anti-bullying law passed back in May that I referenced in my prior post. It's the actual definition this particular state is using to define bullying:

“Bullying”, the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a victim that: (i) causes physical or emotional harm to the victim or damage to the victim’s property; (ii) places the victim in reasonable fear of harm to himself or of damage to his property; (iii) creates a hostile environment at school for the victim; (iv) infringes on the rights of the victim at school; or (v) materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school. For the purposes of this section, bullying shall include cyber-bullying.

Per the above, if a student at a school says to another classmate on two different occassions ("repeated expression") the words "I don't like you" and that makes the classmate upset ("causes emotional harm,"), the classmate has a legal basis to accuse the student of bullying.

I hear Pandora's box creaking open....

Oh, me too! I haven't read the link yet, but assume you are talking about my state, where just a couple of weeks ago I went to the presentation on our intermediate and middle schools' new policies.

I predict that very soon, accusing people of bullying will become another form of bullying.