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School Anti-Bullying Laws: Arkansas Needs to Protect Kids
By Ben | March 17, 2009
Why do we need federal laws to make bullying a crime and to require schools to have anti-bullying policies?
The saga of Billy Wolfe should be enough to convince you. Over a year ago, the New York Times reported that Billy was being bullied relentlessly by two bigger guys from his high school in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was beaten up in a bathroom at school and on the school bus and in shop class and in Spanish class. The bullies put up a Facebook page harassing him. A brother of one of the bullies even recorded on his cell phone camera, the bully getting out of a car, walking up to an unsuspecting Billy, who was waiting at a bus stop, punching him hard enough to leave a fist-size welt on his forehead and then showing the video around the school.
The authorities did nothing while the violence and brutality went on for three years. Billy’s parents tried to get the bully’s parents and the school authorities to stop the bullying but the assistant principal, Byron Lynn Zeigler, did nothing to stop it.
Oh, he said it was Billy’s fault and immediately suspended him. He blamed the victim. Days later Ziegler watched the recording and showed Billy’s parents that their son was innocent. But he didn’t stop the bullies.
Billy’s parents finally went to court. After almost a year, the court has ruled on whether to keep considering the motions on behalf of Billy.
Why do Billy and his parents need laws? Why do we need to require schools to have anti-bullying policies?
According to the story by Scott F. Davis in the Northwest Arkansas Times, although the court kept intact many of the charges, it ruled that the plaintiffs (Billy and his parents) failed to show that the school had an official policy that led to the alleged problems surrounding bullying.
Let’s put that in simple English. Assistant principal Ziegler argued that since the school didn’t have an official policy supporting bullying, it wasn’t the school’s fault that bullying occurred on school premises and they can’t be held liable for the bullying. Also, since the school didn’t have official anti-bullying policies, Ziegler didn’t have to stop the bullying; even that part of the bullying that occurred on school grounds. The court agreed.
Because there are no laws specifically about bullying and beating kids up, Billy’s parents had to try to use laws that are on the books against sexual harassment.
Now do you understand the need for laws that would require administrators to take proactive measures to prevent bullying on school grounds and also laws that would require administrators to stop bullying that’s brought to their attention?
The teenagers at school all knew what was going on. They saw the cell phone video. They knew that the legitimate authorities had turned their backs and given the bullies a free hand. When the responsible authorities allow bullies to control the turf, they allow violence and scapegoating, harassment and brutality.
Billy may have tried to fight back, but that doesn’t make him the problem. That just makes him one child against two bigger kids. And with the size disparity that often happens in middle school and high school, he can’t win without adult help. When his parents went to the school, way back at the beginning when it was only threats, the district wouldn’t act.
I’m sensitive to principals that don’t protect the victims because I’m from Denver. Remember Columbine High School.
Of course, the bullies’ parents are to blame for allowing their sons to act that way. But when schools tolerate bullying, the real problems are the administrators (principals and assistants) and teachers.
Have those ignorant, cowardly principals in Fayetteville not learned anything. There are many schools in the country which don’t tolerate bullying because the principals won’t tolerate it and, therefore, their teachers and staff won’t either. And the successful ones have no better statutes to back them. However, they do have consciences.
Whatever the court decides on the basis of law; shame on those adults. They have shamed themselves and their community. They are definitely not models who should be allowed to teach or administer for children.
On an individual basis, parents must teach children how to face the real world in which they’ll meet bullies all their lives, even if the children are small and outnumbered. That’s independent of the type of bullying – cyber bullying, physical bullying or verbal harassment or abuse. Help your children get out of their previous comfort zones and stop bullies.
True bullies will take empathy, kindness and tolerance as weakness. They’ll think we’re easy prey. It will encourage them, like sharks, to attack us more. Bullies will show you how far you need to go to stop them.
Read “Parenting Bully-Proof Kids.” Get coaching to design tactics that fit your specific situation. Take charge of your personal space.
Topics: Bullies at School, Coaching, Parenting Bully-Proof Kids Book, Public Speaking, parenting |
March 17th, 2009 at 9:30 am
People say that teachers are the problem today and the reason why are schools are failing faster than the banks… but it’s not them. It’s the administration’s – and this story is a good example of why.
Teachers are powerless because the administration makes them that way. But why would they do that? Because the admins are controlled by the School Boards which are controlled by the vote.
Rather than give administrators and teachers the power to bring the hammer down on bullies (and even cheaters and every other problem that arises), they instead become worthless tools, unable to govern properly because the school boards don’t want flak from parents. Parents would rather go to a school and start a belligerent escapade in defense of their kid, than discipline their kids as they should be.
Why the parents in the community aren’t outraged over this is on one hand shocking, but on the other hand just a very very sad sign of the times.
But once again, my argument hold true: bullying will NEVER go away UNTIL THE PARENTS OF THE BULLIES CARE TO STOP IT!
‘Nuff said. Good post, Ben!
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March 17th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Hi Ken,
You’re absolutely right. Stopping bullies and bullying begins with parents.
But, I think parents of most bullies won’t stop their little terrorists. They either think their kids are fine as bullies (bullying wimps or weaklings or kids who are different) or there are no penalties for their rotten bullies so the parents don’t care.
Therefore we need two things. One is the parents of the bullied kids must make an outraged, public stand. In order to do that effectively, we need laws with teeth so that:
1. The bullies and their parents will suffer consequences.
2. School administrators will be liable and suffer consequences if they let bullying continue. I agree with you; too many administrators (principals) won’t act unless they’re forced to. We need laws and penalties in order to force them.
Which brings me back to the parents of bullied kids leading the effort to insist on still laws.
Best wishes,
Ben
May 8th, 2009 at 9:58 am
[…] School Anti-Bullying Laws: Arkansas Needs to Protect Kids […]
May 28th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I agree, it’s the parents. I can’t count how many times one particular bully has been to the office telling on the kids she picks on so she doesn’t get in trouble. Her parents back her up 100%. Other kids have videoed her and gotten in trouble for making her do the things she was doing. It’s AWFUL.
May 31st, 2009 at 12:05 am
Hi Audra,
Yes, it’s the parents on many levels - as you see firsthand.
It takes a principal with courage to act. Many have befitted from coaching to design specific tactics that fit the situation in order to make a case that can withstand legal challenges from bullying parents. It may sound like work but it’s less brain-damage than letting a bully control the school.
Notice the blog post:
Post #31 – Teacher manipulated by ‘professional victim’, a stealth bully
http://www.bulliesbegoneblog.com/2008/11/25/teacher-manipulated-by-%E2%80%98professional-victim%E2%80%99-a-stealth-bully/
Sounds like a version of that is being used by a clever bully.
I’m always amazed when principals and teachers don’t see clearly even though the kids usually know what’s going on.
Good luck,
Ben