henric
04-18-2012, 12:33 AM
17/04/2012 3:55:00 PM
by Sameer Vasta
Bullying can be a big problem in a school, but hiring bodyguards for bullied students will only serve to isolate them even more, not protect them.
There's no question that bullying in our schools is a problem that must be addressed. Bullying can lead to isolation, stigmatization, and a feeling among students that their differences make them inferior instead of special. But how to deal with the problem of bullying?
One school in New Brunswick is trying something new: hiring a full-time bodyguard for a bullied student.
A seventh-grade student at the L'École Samuel-de-Champlain in Saint John was being bullied, punched, kicked, and taunted at the school because he was gay and overweight. When the bullying got to a point where it was affecting the student's well-being, the school assigned a full-time staff member to accompany the child throughout the day and help diffuse any potential bullying situations.
I'm not sure that this is the best strategy. Bullying results in isolation and stigmatization — forcing a student to be accompanied by a bodyguard all day doesn't stop that, but instead makes it worse. A student that has a full-time aide following them around will feel like their differences make them inferior and that they require special care because of those differences, instead of embracing their diversity.
Bullies won't be deterred by a staff member. They may not act out with physical violence if they are in the presence of that staff member, but that will not stop them from being verbally abusive and to antagonize the student. In fact, it may make it even worse.
What other anti-bullying programs has the school instituted? If the bullying got to this level of severity, are there not other issues that the school needs to figure out? While bullying may be part of the schoolyard experience, if it is negatively affecting the well-being of students, there seems to be a larger, systemic concern at play.
I hope I am proven wrong and that the full-time staffer ends up providing necessary solace for the bullied student. But I also hope that the school looks long and hard at the way it conducts discipline and works hard at making sure it creates an environment where this kind of behavior is not just discouraged, but unwelcome.
by Sameer Vasta
Bullying can be a big problem in a school, but hiring bodyguards for bullied students will only serve to isolate them even more, not protect them.
There's no question that bullying in our schools is a problem that must be addressed. Bullying can lead to isolation, stigmatization, and a feeling among students that their differences make them inferior instead of special. But how to deal with the problem of bullying?
One school in New Brunswick is trying something new: hiring a full-time bodyguard for a bullied student.
A seventh-grade student at the L'École Samuel-de-Champlain in Saint John was being bullied, punched, kicked, and taunted at the school because he was gay and overweight. When the bullying got to a point where it was affecting the student's well-being, the school assigned a full-time staff member to accompany the child throughout the day and help diffuse any potential bullying situations.
I'm not sure that this is the best strategy. Bullying results in isolation and stigmatization — forcing a student to be accompanied by a bodyguard all day doesn't stop that, but instead makes it worse. A student that has a full-time aide following them around will feel like their differences make them inferior and that they require special care because of those differences, instead of embracing their diversity.
Bullies won't be deterred by a staff member. They may not act out with physical violence if they are in the presence of that staff member, but that will not stop them from being verbally abusive and to antagonize the student. In fact, it may make it even worse.
What other anti-bullying programs has the school instituted? If the bullying got to this level of severity, are there not other issues that the school needs to figure out? While bullying may be part of the schoolyard experience, if it is negatively affecting the well-being of students, there seems to be a larger, systemic concern at play.
I hope I am proven wrong and that the full-time staffer ends up providing necessary solace for the bullied student. But I also hope that the school looks long and hard at the way it conducts discipline and works hard at making sure it creates an environment where this kind of behavior is not just discouraged, but unwelcome.