What do you think can/should be done about bullying??

[xXNovaxX]

Hi, just read a newspapr article (AGAIN) about a bullying incident, though what got me this time is that the victim died 

I was wondering does anyone have any experiences form bullying (no need to mention names) just so it can be seen how wide spread it is. Also, what do you personally think can/should be done???

I for one, think that more emphasis needs to be spent on RACIST BULLYING, because in all my years highschool of watching lame video's and weeks worth of lessons about anti-bullying, nothing was ever mentioned about living in social cohesion and harmony with those of different backgrounds. As a mutlicultural country which is full of rich cultures, we should focus a lot on this, e..g recent attacks on indian studnets, negative perceptions about muslims, pauline hansons "being swamped by asians" *sigh* . A lot of people unfortunately are stupid enough to fall for it.

Also i think a record should be kept of a student who has committed bullying, so that when they move schools appropriate precautions can be taken. Teachers also shouldnt be worried about being "sued" for  intervening, the law has become so ridicilous many teachers have expressed fear of breaking up fights incase a parent sues the teacher....and as always the bully gets away with it.

Like to hear thoughts, its a really big topic.

[AppleXY]

Do you mean bullying like being pushed around and threatened and shit?

I havn't. I always get dissed about my height and child like appearance though (as a joke, i think LOL) lLOLOL.

[jywalker]

how tall r u

[xXNovaxX]

hahah @ AppleXY, hyeha, bullying in general LOL. i guess. And i am struggling 2 iamgine u with a child like appearance since u sound so intelligent LMAO

[AppleXY]

LOL. If you see me, you'll immediately think i'm 13, 100% guaranteed (its like seeing a fat person, he's fat LOLHAAHA).

I'm 160cm. Yup. Can't pickup. lol

[Gloamglozer]

LOL. If you see me, you'll immediately think i'm 13, 100% guaranteed (its like seeing a fat person, he's fat LOLHAAHA).

I'm 160cm. Yup. Can't pickup. lol

I'm short as well (or "vertically challenged" if you do English Language  ) and although I can't say I've been bullied as such, it does get a mention once every now and then, especially when family members get involved...

[lachymm]

I don't think many people get bullied at my school, i go to a private school and we only give people a hard time if they are loud/annoying, i mean why would anyone pick on a quite kid who doesn't have any friends, instead why not cheer him up?

Everyone gets given a hard time once and a while (Sometimes people do it to find out what your made of) but you just gotta know how to handle it meaning do you pick on them eg, hair, height, acne, fat, skinny... Or do you just laugh it off or...play the sympathy card?<===========for girls.

Having friends is just like VCE some people find it naturally easier and i do believe that even if you have a hard time socially you can substitute being naturally "cool" with hard work in a way by hard work i mean moving outside your comfort zone or out to make people feel better.

If you cant make good mates think of this..."Its not what you say that people remember, its how you make them feel"

[GerrySly]

A lot of bullying goes on at our school, but many people who've been here since year 7 (7-12 school) have just gotten used to it and a lot of new students just get accustomed very quickly though there are a few special cases of people who can't adjust and they either become reclusive individuals or just move school

[linny]

LOL. If you see me, you'll immediately think i'm 13, 100% guaranteed (its like seeing a fat person, he's fat LOLHAAHA).

I'm 160cm. Yup. Can't pickup. lol

lol im 158cm lol my aim has always been getting to 160....dont think thats going to happen though

BUT i think bullying will always be around.. as there would always be that one kid who was maybe treated badly by parents (or have been bullied themselves)/ had unhappy childhood (and many other reasons !) and thus vents his/her actions through bullying?

obviously, i dont know how the psychological thing goes....

[xXNovaxX]

But why should we accept it? Like I know bullying DOES happen EVERYWHERE, but IMO I feel in Australia it's a lot more common, especially because we are multicultural society (and no I am not suggesting immigrants etc are the cause), but logically just like cats don't get along with dogs/mice/birds (lol), one race of humans doesn't ALWAYS get along with another.

But my point is, I wonder what MEASURE can actually cause a decrease in bullying, I don't think "lets all be friends" and "anti-harassment" lessons help that much. Like my friends school has a WHOLE WEEK dedicated explaining what bullying is, why its bad etc. But people KNOW why it's bad.

I THINK the issue lies with a FEW "bad" kids who come from dysfunctional families, or have been innocent victims of abuse etc, who come to school and "spread" their behaviour which see's other think its acceptable. I think programs should target them to help them integrate and have their needs heard.

That is what I believe will remove a significant proportion of bullying.

[minilunchbox]

I'm (well was lol) a socially awkward nerd. In a public school. Go figure.

But yeah, most people who get bullied would either move schools or just tough it out because after a few years it stops. I mean, it's still there, but it's less in your face because you just cling to your friendship groups and then around VCE everyone is supposedly friends with everyone, but I just think people stop caring about picking on others and just give their own friends slack as a joke. Holy run on sentence.

Most forms of bullying that occur are verbal/psychological and I don't believe that you can stop it. It's normally started because the bully is jealous or bored, mostly bored and they want to feel superior for a while. But the more extreme cases which are physical would probably be conducted by the kids with less-than-positive upbringings and those would be more easily 'fixed' since it's so extreme.

I don't know though. It's just such a massive thing that it's really hard to target. It'd be like trying to stop racism or homophobia.

[xXNovaxX]

^^^Ah, but thats the thing! 2 decades ago, you wouldnt find a gay FLAUNT themselves as they do nnow on TV, in the streets, in parades.

Now, it is widely practised, laws have been enacted to stop discrimination, mariages are being accepted between two pplz of the same sex, etc.

I know this doesn't mean bullying against them has stopped, but they are now "coming out" =.=*, whereas before they would keep it to themselves and be all depressed etc.

Racism is a strange issue. IMO i think racism is like the economic business cycle (sorry for all non-eco students), every few years u have a BOOM (growth), then recession, and cycle continues.

Same as racism e.g. "we're being swamped by asians"=pauline hanson
"Oh, were gonna increase  our refugee and immigration intake"
"Oh, we're not going to allow boat people to land, we will send them off shore"
"We're not going to send the sri lankan boat people back where they will only be placed in jail"

I hvae just put that in chronogical order of real life events in Australia....notice how it goes bad, good, bad, good.

It all depends in a change in Government, and the issue which arise that year, e.g. since septermber 11 in relation to arabs, before Sep 11.

Bullying though has just seemed to increase and then remain flat, then increase etc. ALSO bullying now takes much mroe sinister forms, cyber bullying, threats, suicides, murders, sexual/physical abuse

[periwinkle]

 In yrs 6-7 I got into somewhat of a vicious circle, behaving in an attention-seeking manner and being disliked for it, but somehow I and the group's respective attitudes to each other improved and I started enjoying most of the interaction, having a few disputes only, ironically, with my closest friends.

[xXNovaxX]

 In yrs 6-7 I got into somewhat of a vicious circle, behaving in an attention-seeking manner and being disliked for it, but somehow I and the group's respective attitudes to each other improved and I started enjoying most of the interaction, having a few disputes only, ironically, with my closest friends.

I also noticed something similar, as my class matured, and moved into final years of schooling, EVERYBODY became friends with EVERYBODY. People would talk with eve1, no "groups" as such existed like it used to etc.

Weird things happen!

[periwinkle]

 In yrs 6-7 I got into somewhat of a vicious circle, behaving in an attention-seeking manner and being disliked for it, but somehow I and the group's respective attitudes to each other improved and I started enjoying most of the interaction, having a few disputes only, ironically, with my closest friends.

I also noticed something similar, as my class matured, and moved into final years of schooling, EVERYBODY became friends with EVERYBODY. People would talk with eve1, no "groups" as such existed like it used to etc.

Weird things happen!

 Mmmm, having shared travails is gud for bringing people together. I wouldn't mind having a job like the one described in this link [below], if only for a while, just for that level of camaraderie
  http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,16714.0.html