In previous posts, I've written that I believe bullying laws won't teach children to be empathetic, and I still don't believe that bullying laws will make administrators, teachers or students do the right thing. I still believe that schools need to create cultures that support and affirm differences and cultures that will not tolerate put downs and disrespect. Easier said than done, I know, but worth the work.
BUT...
There are schools, administrators, and teachers who are not building this type of commuity. These are the schools where threats are not taken seriously, where parents are told that the school will look into possible instances of bullying, and where the adults have assumed the roles of bystanders. Recently, in a neighboring community, a student committed suicide. Rumors surrounded the incident suggesting that bullying may have played a role. Repeatedly I heard the same story from my own children and their friends that the student had been threatened and bullied by other students. I'm not presenting this as fact. The police investigation will determine that. My concern is that the students in the school know that bullying is occurring, and they recognize that not enough is being done to stop it. With the law, no one should be able to pick and choose which incident should be investigated as bullying. They all must be investigated. Schools must provide a safe environment for all students. This is not an option. And while I still believe that teaching and modeling respect and compassion is also not an option, I'm glad that the bullying laws are there to protect students even when the schools may not be.
