Federal Anti-Bullying Law

[zzzz]

If you want to stop bullying, don't punish anyone. You befriend the bullies and teach them by EXAMPLE how to treat people.

Couldn't agree more.

People can perceive they're being bullied when actually they're not.

Couldn't agree less.

What are you saying here - that, oftentimes, people are joking when they appear to be bullying someone else? I think not. There is an old saying: even a dog knows the difference between being stumbled over and being kicked.

but, but, but George, your bullying us over your hooker thread!

 

[Modbert]

Joe. My. God.: Focus On The Family Defends Their Fight Against Anti-Bullying Programs

How pathetic.

 

[Madeline]

The issue is under discussion, Modbert:

http://www.usmessageboard.com/education-and-history/131292-federal-anti-bullying-law.html

Though to be fair, it didn't get a whole lot of air time a la the "gay agenda". Most people seemed to think that was goofy.

 

[Modbert]

Threads Merged

 

[Madeline]

Modbert, I have this vision of the Focus On Family people, sitting around with laptops and magazines and such, reading headlines and listening to previews and asking each other.....

"Is this gay? Do you think this is gay?"

Take it back to the 1950's, and they'd be asking:

"Is this communist? Do you think this is communist?"

It's the same fucking irrational, neurotic paranoia that everyone else is having more fun.

(Okay, mebbe not so paranoid. We are likely having more fun than hysterical homophobes.)

 

[Middleman]

I didn't read their opinion piece (Focus on the Family), but my objection to the legislation, aside for the fact that I think the Feds are an inefficient and ineffective way to regulation schools, would be the fact that they specify racial, ethnic, gender-preference, religious, etc, as groups in need of special protection.

In my opinion, much of bullying has to do with the abuse of power, targeting the vulnerable. I think inserting language delineating the groups most worthy of protection is counterproductive. It strikes me as political pandering.

Why not, instead, define bullying and enforce the law? Bullying is physical or psychological intimidation, it doesn't matter if the target is in the same racial group or a different one, or if it's just because the target is a nerdy pipsqueak with poor social skills.

 

[Madeline]

I think one of the aspects of all this school officials are struggling with is "what is bullying"? I agree with Middleman, the matter doesn't seem best handled at the federal level. But I dunno if I agree that no catagories should be used, either. Not all school officials are willing to protect GLBT students, and they have always needed that.

 

[syrenn]

I didn't read their opinion piece (Focus on the Family), but my objection to the legislation, aside for the fact that I think the Feds are an inefficient and ineffective way to regulation schools, would be the fact that they specify racial, ethnic, gender-preference, religious, etc, as groups in need of special protection.

In my opinion, much of bullying has to do with the abuse of power, targeting the vulnerable. I think inserting language delineating the groups most worthy of protection is counterproductive. It strikes me as political pandering.

Why not, instead, define bullying and enforce the law? Bullying is physical or psychological intimidation, it doesn't matter if the target is in the same racial group or a different one, or if it's just because the target is a nerdy pipsqueak with poor social skills.

Bingo!

They are too warped up in politically correct phrasing and special interest groups then the actual problem. Are they going to add blond, funny clothes, poor, pimples, stupid, smart, scars, lisps, stuttering, glasses, braces, wrong kind of phone, wrong kind of computer, ect. ect. ect. All the stuff bullies pick on others for?

When you highlight a problem it is something that bullies pick up on..and target.

 

[Madeline]

But what is "bullying"? It has to be more than an angry look or a mean comment.

 

[Middleman]

But what is "bullying"? It has to be more than an angry look or a mean comment.

Companies have been addressing these very issues.


Bullying vs. Mobbing


Workplace bullying, mobbing and abuse links and information page

 

[Middleman]

From one of the above links:

Bullying is NOT just a school ground issue impacting young students. Bullying in the American workplace is a health risk that is at epidemic proportions. It is defined as a series of actions directed at a target "...where an employee is subjected to abusive conduct that is so severe that it causes physical or psychological harm to the employee." While the stereotypical image of a bully is that of a loud tyrant, an equal or possiblly greater number try to work undetected with behavior that includes. "gratuitous sabotage or undermining of a person's work performance."

One study estimates that workplace bullying has impacted as many as one in six people in the American work environment. It is a health risk that has been characterized as "America's dirty little secret." Most other countries in the western industrialized world have laws in place to deal with workplace bullying. While the US has discrimination laws, they protect only a very narrowly defined group of categories - race, gender, disability, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and others. But even those groups are subjected to harassment without recourse if the workplace harassment or trauma is not directed toward factors of that specific category. Workplace bullying is legal in the US.

Currently 13 states have workplace anti-bullying legislation pending. Many global corporations headquartered in the US have anti-bullying policies where required, but often maintain no such policies in the US. Ironically, in addition to the human toll, studies indicate costs to US businesses due to bullying and other stressors are estimated to be over $300 billion per year -- considerably more per capita than countries that have workplace anti-bullying laws. Please consider this page a library of resource links to workplace bullying information in the US along with many references to laws and policies around the world.

Workplace bullying, mobbing and abuse links and information page

 

[Political Junky]

In theory there is, but in practice? How do you teach kindergartners not to tease a child from a home with gay parents while refraining from any explanation of homosexuality? I'll admit, I prefer kidlets be taught about sex (yes, gay sex too) at a young age and did so with my own...but at the time I knew this was a violently different POV and also taught my kidlet not to share what she knew with her friends.

The whole subject seem fraught with potential for error and abuse.

Key words when dealing with kids and sex education - Age Appropriate. It is quite easy to teach very young children about different types of family (2 moms, 2 dads, step families, multiracial or whatever) without 'sex education. That kind of thing, I have no objection to. 5 year olds being taught about any kind of sex is unnecessary.

I don't think they're teaching kids in kindergarten about sex.

 

[Madeline]

Those were terrific links, Middleman. Like most people, I have seen some truely disturbed behavior on the job, and it is true, usually there was no apparent remedy.

IMO, there's a place in hell for any boss who routinely raises his or her voice to subordinates. It is a form of violence...I know of one fine lady who was driven to a break down by such conduct from her female boss. She never recovered.

 

[chanel]

Bullying and sexual harrassment are in the eyes of the beholder. While some people think it is physical agression, others believe it is nothing more than "being embarrassed or offended". I know few women who have NOT been sexually harrassed at work. Big deal. We need to teach our chikdren that losers will always bully those they are jealous of, and that will end most of the nonsense. Women and children, need to grow some balls. The govt cannot solve all problems. Sometimes people need to learn NATURAL LOGICAL consequences to their actions and reactions.

 

[Madeline]

I'm not sure where you are going with this, chanel...bullying a la Phoebe Prince intensity should result in the "natural logical" consequence of arrest and prison, IMO.

Do you mean victims do not need protection from school officials?

 

[Middleman]

I'm not sure where you are going with this, chanel...bullying a la Phoebe Prince intensity should result in the "natural logical" consequence of arrest and prison, IMO.

Do you mean victims do not need protection from school officials?

I think chanel is a teacher, and is probably already overburdened with being expected to solve the social problems of society. Teachers get more and more heaped on their plates every year, as the fabric of society deteriorates, and blame and responsibility shifted from families onto to institutions. All the helping professions are feeling more and more pressure to be all things to all people, and that better be documented in triplicate in the event of having to prove that in court!

 

[Madeline]

O I agree, Middleman. I see absolutely no way a school could conform to the requirements of the federal bill unless every square inch of school property were video taped. And even then, the teachers and administrators would be easily tied up by just one unreasonable parent.

 

[zzzz]

I think that when we talk about bullying people envision a bigger boy/girl or group of kids calling people names, putting gum in your hair, hitting you on the arm or other places and stuff like that. A form of intimidation that only causes psychological discomfort not physical harm. When that bullying progresses to a point where real harm is inflicted then I think it becomes a crime. Judging psychological harm is a different story because people respond differently to psychological pressure. Some just ignore, others respond in kind and even physically attack the bullies while others withdraw inward and suffer real psychological problems from it. But where does that line exist that takes it from kidding someone or messing with someone to causing harm? If I badger you calling you a midget every time I see you, is that bullying? If I hit you on the shoulder every time I see you and call you shorty is that bullying? Where do you draw the line?

I think this is best left to the local school board and staff to judge on a case by case basis. They are the ones who have knowledge of the students and hopefully the parents. Having someone far off in Washington DC decide what is bullying and painting it with a wide brush is the Federal Government over reaching, to me anyway, its authority.

 

[Gadawg73]

Focus on the Family is for focusing on families that adhere to their indoctrination that gays are bad for the family.
Anyone that would listen to that bunch of hypocrits is a zombie.

 

[chanel]

I'm not sure where you are going with this, chanel...bullying a la Phoebe Prince intensity should result in the "natural logical" consequence of arrest and prison, IMO.

Do you mean victims do not need protection from school officials?

Protection FROM school officials? I'm not sure where your'e going with this. J/K

I am not talking about the egregious examples. I am talking about the everyday teasing and insulting that many children engage in. It may be inappropriate and worthy of admonishment, but it does not rise to the level of team meetings, counseling, and police action. Adults cannot - and should not - solve every problem for their children and their students. Sometimes they need NATURAL LOGICAL solutions. That's part of education as well.

I made the sexual harrassment analogy simply because harrassment of any kind is not always cut and dry. Some women will try to sue if their boss tells them they have a nice ass. I say "thank you". Different people; different reactions. No one size fits all. Same goes with kids.