Editor,
Enjoyed your lead article on schoolyard bullies. As an elementary school principle for 20 years I spent long hours dealing with bullies and bullying. I learned three important facts.
One, record keeping is critical. Bullying is never a single incident, it is a pattern of behaviour involving multiple victims.
Two, the parents of bullies are frequently bullies themselves and good records of behaviour and administrative backbone become essential.
Three, once the case against the bully is made, the school's response must be immediate and harsh. Suspension and or transfer of the bully to another school is often necessary to protect the victim(s) and send a message to the up and coming bullies.
Being manipulated into shaking hands with your tormentor is the worst possible outcome.
Dealing effectively with bullying is difficult, time-consuming and often nasty work. It requires the support of parents, school trustees, all levels of administration and students. It also demands constant vigilance and time consuming record keeping.
School adminstration must also be prepared to stand up to abuse and threats from the bullies and their supporters. For these reasons very few school anti-bullying programs are effective, especially over time.
Thanks for keeping the issue in front of the public. Bullying is the ugliest and most destructive element of school life for too many students.
Michael Edwards
Garibaldi Highlands
