I am the last person you would expect to want to deflate the many claims of bullying which cast so many of our youngsters today as victims.As a child, I was slight of build, wore wire NHS glasses, cast off clothing and my Dad was the local copper.
As they say "Don't talk to ME about bullying." I know and fully understand. My problems were compounded by Dad's job requiring frequent changes of school so I was always 'the new kid' and certainly 'punished' in junior school for being the brightest boy in my class.
Certainly, I do believe that bullying is worse these days, more systematic, more frequent and often far more criminal.
BUT I also believe that it it is oft times exaggerated, a regular excuse and sometimes downright wimpishness. All too frequently, it is the bully who claims to have been bullied by the victim - and woe betide any school which dares to suggest that any child may be a bully. A 'victim mentality' seems more common than I can ever remember from my own, not-always-so-happy, school days.
The problem for schools is that staff effectively have to be eye witnesses to the alleged incident/s. 'He said/she said' in a school is actually worse than trying as a JP to sort out incidents of domestic violence.
To complicate matters, 'sweet little girls' are a much rarer breed than ever before and the 'butter wouldn't melt' brigade are capable of utter humiliation of the girls, and in some cases boys, whose faces do not fit.
This is why I find what government expert Tim Gill has to say is definitely worthy of a read.
LINK: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=490250&in_page_id=1770
