Mama Knows Best

One of the things I am not madly in love with at our local school is their bullying policy.  Our school is supposed to have an anti-bullying policy in place and though it is written in the handbook, it is seldom followed.  The high school principal is the biggest culprit when it comes to breaking the rules.  He makes exceptions for those he deems worthy and throws the book at those who he could careless about.  I have had the displeasure of watching this unfold and am completely disgusted by it.  Two prime examples about his lack of caring:

• The daughter to a friend on mine was pregnant during her senior year (last year).  A much younger boy, maybe thirteen or fourteen, began bullying her while she was pregnant.  He managed to shove her to the ground and then on another date, tried pushing her down the stairs.  When it was brought to the principal’s attention all he could say was “well, you know he’s not all there mentally.”  Had this particular individual been able to push her down the stairs would he have felt the same way?  What if he would have injured her and that unborn baby?  Her husband and mother pointed this out to him and all he could do was shrug his shoulders, assure them that he would keep better watch and once again, that he was not all mentally there.
• My nephew (not really blood related, but whatevs) is bullied non-stop.  Teachers watched as student’s threw water bottles and books at his head.  They chose to turn their heads away and pretend as though they saw nothing.  When we approached the principal, he just shrugged the whole scenario off.  He did not have any other eyewitnesses to these accounts.

Watching bullying take place in the schools makes me sick to my stomach.  Reading in a seniors memory book that they did not enjoy their school years because of the years of bullying they had to endure broke my heart.  It makes me think of that episode of Glee, where two of the biggest culprits created an anti-bullying coalition.  Obviously, my intentions are more pure and true.  As I do believe parents, students, faculty and community members need to take a course on bullying prevention.