Bullies have existed since time immemorial, and they still exist everywhere, from the workplace to the community, and as always, in the schoolyard.
It would be nice if that unpleasant reality of interpersonal relations could be eliminated, but the question is how.
Bullies don’t usually respond to reason or cajoling, but they often do respond to brute force. Many of us remember being tested by the school bully, finally standing up to him and planting a solid punch right on his nose, and suddenly seeing the bully turn into a reasonable, even pleasant human being. This applies to raising kids in general, where the bully child constantly tests the parent and sometimes only responds to brute force rather than cajoling and pleading.
The problem is that liberals and lefty politicians have fallen for the whole “self esteem” movement, so kids are given way too much power and never experience a reprimand more forceful than a “time out.” And to make sure that is so, laws have been passed so that any discipline more forceful that “let’s reason together, Johnny,” or “please go to your quiet spot Susie” is seen as violent child abuse, to be punished by incarceration or having the children removed from the parents care. Now a new city ordinance in Shawano, Wisconsin puts parents in a double bind, and there is a good deal of confusion and disagreement about how fair the ordinance is.
Chile discipline in Shawano, page 2
Jesse – If your kid uses the family car and gets a speeding ticket, or worse; you cannot tell me that most every parent will “discuss” this fine and attempt to convince the child that if they continue to rack up tickets, there will be consequences?
And that is an inside the family matter. But bullying is an attack on a person outside of the family. Should the victim have no recourse to defend himself other than to risk a physical beating or worse, with a violent person?
The recourse is to file charges of physical abuse and that carries a much more severe penalty. I think that fines are appropriate and particularly for younger children, provide a method to change the aggressive tendencies and deal with the issues that stimulate the aggression.
In many cases it may expose that the child is being bullied by family, brothers, parents or others and then the cause of the problem can be addressed.
This is wrong amen
If you have been through the ordeal of having one bullied, you will try anything. For us, after five long years, she gave the one who bullied a good butt whipping. It worked. Got a three-day school suspension, but well worth it.
great move, some kids are just awfull little shits, and thier parents are no better, NEVER tought the kids respect. or aything else….just saying
Hopefully both parents and kids benefit from this. I think it’s a great idea.
Lawrence Minnick Do you ever read what you spout? Just a suggestion. Couldn’t hurt!
Bob do you have the ability to communicate what you mean? Are you unable to understand my comment?
seems to me lady you are trying to bully the parents
another slippery slope – too much gov agencies stepping in to do something – was not being so soft with the perpetrators and removing them from the place they freely chose not to fit in with or go along with the guidelines/rules a consideration? I think that we have PC gov. that seeks to protect the criminal or misfit is making it difficult for schools and police in dealing with young impressionable minds – remeber the PC does not find it acceptable for parents to spank a kid that can’t get the message through their thick head
Not the answer to the problem, if kids keep bullying at school they should be suspended, if it keeps happening expelled, should not have a monetary award to the city, where is the money going?