Bullying on Bus - It's staaarting....

[Anonymous]

Drop your kid off at school yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drop your kid off at school yourself.

Multiple one or two sentence postings saying things like drop the kid off yourself or move your kid to a private school are hardly helpful. Many of us are from working families with tight schedules and who don't have bags of money lying around.

More useful information would be pointers or experience dealing with the school bureaucracy, the bulling kid's parents and teachers and how to effectively to prod the school system to protect the bullied child and not ignore the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:,

Have you even been reading the paper regarding FCPS?

You're assuming FCPS is the only solution, so their zero tolerance policy matters. It doesn't. What matters is a child's safety. And a child has a right to defend himself. If he/she gets expelled for that, you simply move it higher and higher, until someone has some common sense.

Student rights in school are different from the rights all citizens in the USA have.

The federal and state government can't jail someone for saying "F---- the president!" or wearing a T-shirt to that effect -- that would be a violation of the right to free speech. But a school could make a rule suspending a child for using profanity, even if she were making a political statement.

The same is true for "self defense". School can suspend children for "fighting" even if they were just defending themselves.

[Anonymous]

When the police don't even go after juvenile robbers in our upper middle class neighborhood, I wouldn't hold your breathe. You will most likely have to figure a way to address the problem. Sorry but true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good luck with this. My little brother was bullied horribly in elementary school, and I wished my parents did something about it.

Thank you. Won't happen here. I push back and so does my kid.

How do you teach your kid to push back? I've got a 3 year old, so I have some time before middle school, but as someone who was bullied for years without ever being taught how to stand up for myself, I'd like to give my daughter the tools she'll need. I push back now, but it was a long, difficult road figuring out how, and I didn't really get it down until I was an adult. I'd like to spare my daughter that. What did you do?

We are dealing with mean girl behavior and the beginning of bullying behavior from some kids in my daughter's preK(4) class. The administration and teachers have been so far very responsive in using what resources they have at hand and talking with parents.

I'm also doing what I can at home to teach DD some good responses through role playing, avoiding kids like that and standing up for herself and her friends.

amightygirl.com has resources for bullying, building confidence, etc for girls of all ages and also you can follow them on facebook, I've found it to be really helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing OP...and I am definitely not in the blame the victim camp but ask your son or try to get a sense of whether he tries to hang out with these boys ever. Based on your postings, I am guessing no but there is a very sweet girl in my DD's class who is bullied partially because she wants to be friends with these mean girls. She is sweet and doesn't understand the social dynamics. It doesn't make it right but I would triple check that angle. Also, I agree with PP's who say be careful with your demands with the school. If I were in your situation, I would want immediate action. I'm sure the kid is known to the administration already but they are under political stress in how they handle this. BTW- Sometimes being right/ proving your right isn't the best outcome. For example if you have a green light and someone is barreling through a red light (opposite direction) are you willing to pass through the intersection and potentially get yourself killed. Extreme example, but what difference does it make that you had the right away if you get killed. I suppose you could put it on your gravestone. Things like this go on everywhere. When I was young, the bullies/bullied only in the afternoon so I would walk home (3 mile walk). My parents could have complained but if they did, I personally believed my personal safety would have been in jeopardy. Walking home didn't hurt me at all. It was a great way to clear my mind. There are a lot of things like this is life (not fair). Tread carefully.

Kid is a jerk to everyone. He has issues. My son's situation is resolved because others came to his defense because they know this kid is trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When the police don't even go after juvenile robbers in our upper middle class neighborhood, I wouldn't hold your breathe. You will most likely have to figure a way to address the problem. Sorry but true.

Please give an example about how "police don't go after juvenile robbers". That is a load of crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:,

Have you even been reading the paper regarding FCPS?

You're assuming FCPS is the only solution, so their zero tolerance policy matters. It doesn't. What matters is a child's safety. And a child has a right to defend himself. If he/she gets expelled for that, you simply move it higher and higher, until someone has some common sense.

Student rights in school are different from the rights all citizens in the USA have.

The federal and state government can't jail someone for saying "F---- the president!" or wearing a T-shirt to that effect -- that would be a violation of the right to free speech. But a school could make a rule suspending a child for using profanity, even if she were making a political statement.

The same is true for "self defense". School can suspend children for "fighting" even if they were just defending themselves.

They can because they get away with it. Fight back, things change

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the police don't even go after juvenile robbers in our upper middle class neighborhood, I wouldn't hold your breathe. You will most likely have to figure a way to address the problem. Sorry but true.

Please give an example about how "police don't go after juvenile robbers". That is a load of crap.

Happened to our neighbor unless he is lying but based on what I have seen probably true. In our neighbor's case, the extent of the issue was that they told the parents even with videotaped evidence.

[Anonymous]

We also had a problem with something stolen with a value of 2k. Police were barely interested in talking to us as it was considered an insurance matter.

[Anonymous]

I disagree with the notion that the police would not do anything but, even if true, that does not make it the school's responsibility.