After reading the tragic story of Amanda Todd, it really hit home about the things my children as well as myself have experienced when it comes to bullying. Interestingly enough as I read through the comments at the bottom of the story I came across one who said that those who are aware of bullying, including the teachers and do nothing about it are just as guilty as the bully themselves. Strong words yet they are the truth, in my own opinion.
My oldest son who is 10 years old has been dealing with a bully for the last year. His teachers, counselor, principal and therapist are all aware of the bullying issue yet most of them except his Learning Support Specialist and Therapist are doing Nothing about it. Constantly I am getting phone calls and letters about issues with my son. They have noticed his behavior is not the best this year. When I tell them the contributing factor to that is dealing with the bully they just brush it off as if it is nothing.
Imagine your child who has been harassed, picked on, blamed for things he didn’t do tries to take up for himself and of course gets into trouble. He tells you he hates school because of so and so, becomes aggressive in trying to deal with the situation. When you get a call or letter from the school and tell them it IS because he is being bullied and then they brush it off as if it is nothing, it is beyond frustrating.
I will never forget two days before school was supposed to start this year. My son and I went to the meet-the-teacher night. As I walked over to his assigned desk my heart sank. The bully was once again in the same class with him! When I shared with my son that this bully was in the same class with him it was as if a switch was flipped inside, to the off position. I recently found out that the Learning Support Specialist told me she had told the guidance counselor not to put my son and the bully in the same class. *SIGH*
You see, my oldest son is high functioning Autistic. He is a very special boy who is smart, handsome, talented, creative, adventurous and caring (at times). He can be a very helpful boy when he wants to.
Yes, my son can be at times impulsive, rarely aggressive and defiant.
This year though it’s obvious something is going on with him. He is totally distracted and unfocused. From what he tells me he doesn’t care anymore because he hates school.
I have been contemplating just homeschooling him next year although I have been teetering back and forth about just pulling him out of school this year. My child is withdrawing from life and I as a parent have to do something!
When I was slightly older than my son, I was faced head on with a bully. I was a very shy, timid girl mostly because of my appearance. I had bucked teeth from the fourth grade until ninth grade and there were plenty of times I was picked, called bucked toothed. But there was this one girl named Lynn in the same grade as me, who was just downright mean to people. If you looked at her she would react negatively coming at you as if she wanted to hit you. She would talk bad about people behind their backs. Whenever you walked down the hallway Lynn would try to trip you, smack the back of your head or act as if she was going to hit you. There were times she got into fights with people.
Unfortunately for me and my brother who is three years younger than me, Lynn lived about a half mile down the road from us. She rode the same bus with us so not only did I have to deal with Lynn at school I had to deal with her in the morning and the afternoon. I tried to avoid her like the plague as much as possible.
Then one day all of that changed.
Lynn was sitting behind my brother on the bus. For whatever reason that I don’t remember, Lynn reached over the top of the seat and smacked my brother upside his head.
That set me off big time.
I do remember adrenalin kicking in and me being across the aisle jumping across to my brother reaching over the seat and hitting her. I was so mad and I had enough of her antics.
After that, Lynn was kicked off the bus. The bus driver did not write me up either. Lynn avoided me, like the plague.