June 19, 2008
Fighting Back Against Bullying
There’s a video going around today, and it’s one I think Harry would be proud of: a 13-year-old from Udall Road Middle School in West Islip, NY, is making an online stand against bullying. He made this video to show at his PTA meeting and was told it was too graphic. So he put it online.
We’re not talking about a shove in the hallway or some light freshman hazing: reports say this kid has been hit by a rock from school bullies. This is an often-overlooked ill, and I for one think this video shows that this child is more courageous than all those who pick on him put together. If his courage could manifest in muscles, they would be too frightened to go near him. Dumbledore’s Army supports you, Patrick Kohlmann.
Watch and share:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6xH4kAF68M]
Maggie
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This video almost had me in tears.
Bullying needs to be taken care of more. Some kids in my biology class find it funny to call some of the more lower class kids things that shouldn’t be coming out of a 15 year old’s mouth. I couldn’t understand what was so entertaining about it.
Where I go they don’t do anything about bullying, and my friend nearly got the crap beat out of her by a bully. She had to run threw the halls into the office, and the bully still continues to bully her. And then it gets to the point the kid says “Well, they aren’t doing anything about it,” And they handle it themselves. then the kid get’s into trouble for fighting. It’s not right. (You can tell I hate something when I rant on about it such as above)
who knows
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I commend this boy for making public what many schools do not consider to be important.
As a teacher and an aunt, I have seen much apathy on the part of schools to deal with this. Not enough monitoring of activities in the cafeteria and the playground contribute to instances of bullying.
Also, it has been my observation that at times this behavior is considered to be “typical” of children and teens and thus nothing is done, especially with the more subtle bullying in which females engage.
Once a bully always a bully – those children that bullied me when I was young are the same bosses and co-workers who exist by using intimidation and fear in the workplace.
Jenny
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Last year there was a lot of cyber bullying on facebook from people in my highschool, making groups to bully specific people and then inviting those people to the groups. None of these groups directly affected me, but I was angry about this bullying and made a group in response called “making facebook groups to talk shit about people isnt cool” which encouraged people to report bullying groups on facebook. This group ended up helping with the bullying issue and there were a lot fewer groups attacking people.
I am very happy that this boy is speaking out and I hope in the future that bullying is not such a common occurrence.
Christie
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It saddens me to know that nothing is being done about this. It seems that nothing has changed since I have gone to highschool. I remember my freshman year, a bully and her friends had been harrassing me in class, and when I had turned around to confront her, I was the one to get in trouble for talking in class.
At which point I turned and retorted to the teacher, if you were doing your ******* job, and paying attention to what was going on, I wouldn’t have to deal with this. I then proceeded to walk out of class. I was supended for my actions. Granted I shouldn’t have cursed at her, however due to the extreme amount of stress that I was under at the time, I was not thinking clearly. Being bullied drives people to do things that they normally would not do. I had gotten so sick of it, so angry that not only had I exploded in class, but I told the girl that I would meet her and her five friends in the parking lot of a nearby supermarket and fight them all.
Didn’t have a problem with them after that day.
I’m not suggesting violence in return, as I don’t believe in violence, it only begets more violence. However, standing up for oneself and making certain that others know what is going on, does in some cases help.
I hadn’t intended to share this story, however the video brought back rather vivid images of what had happened to me.
I commend Patrick for taking a stand. And hope that something is done to bring this atrocity to an end.
Pat
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Bullying, like collective majorities in politics, always works.
Therefore, what it is used for, or against, is the key to its control.
All humans may have a predisposition to the easy acquisition of using bullying to get needs met due to our animal natures. Embracing negativity to accomplish honors has rarely been considered worthy of merit however.
As time worn principles, this is an ancient philosophy of mankind to distinguish between what is admirable in other humans, and what is not.
Moral conscience freedom is the meaning of the pursuit of happiness; without it, there is no free will.
maria sly
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my lad has a heart of gold but he had it broken on facebook he was put on there so they could start a hate chain calling him every name under the sun he suffers with low self cofidence dont people relise the damage these kids are doing kids comit suicide because they cant cope we need to do something and fast these are our children