Anti-Bullying Week (14th – 18th November 2011.)

(First Published On This Blog in June 2010.)

A report out this last weekend suggests that of all the suicides of youngsters in the age group 10 - 14, around half are due to bullying.
I am not surprised in the slightest. It is the single most difficult situation to deal with in any school today.
Here are some of the problems:
1) Bullying is usually well concealed and cannot be easily proved.
2) All too often, parents of a bully will take their child's side irrespective of logic - often threatening legal action when investigations are made. If the bullying is proved - they will go into denial.
3) Potential witnesses are also frequently in fear.
4) A complaint by the victim, once known by the bully, will often make the situation even more serious.
5) Frequently, a claim of bullying results when the victim turns on their oppressor and the latter deliberately turns him/herself into 'the victim'!
6) Much bullying - especially by girls - is simply organised nastiness in order to alienate an individual and cannot be tackled realistically without the situation worsening.
7) Some claims of bullying are simple attention-seeking and utterly untrue.
8) In today's world, far too many accusations result from children who have no concept of 'banter'. Seemingly, many children are much more 'thin-skinned' than in the past. When these hit the workplace - they'll be in big trouble unless they adjust rapidly!We are all desperately anxious to see the end of bullying but ...

There are other categories to those listed above but I do hope that this piece shows how sorting out this dreadful problem is like tiptoeing through a minefield.
With the best will in the world - success in dealing with such matters is extremely elusive and this report shows the possible consequences!