Anti-Bullying Education at School --Not sure its really working...

[3boymthr]

This past week we went camping as a family and took along a friend of my middle son (15 yo). As we were sitting around the campfire the other night the friend says seemingly out of nowhere (they were talking about another friend and some things he has done) "I get bullied everyday at school". He then proceeds to make a very light hearted joking type comment about things that have been said/done to him. I was concerned but didn't say too much to him I didn't want to upset him as he had quickly passed the comment off with a joke and very quickly moved on. I DID call his mom today to discuss this with her. Turns out there has been a bullying problem in the past but he told his parents it was resolved. While I was talking with her my sons came into the room. They were like "Mom, why are you bringing this up, he was just joking, he makes jokes about being bullied all the time". They totally, for all the many DARE and health classes and special assemblies about bullying did not seem to understand that sometimes when a person brings up being bullied even in a joking manner that it may be a cry for help especially when its brought up more than once. They seemed to think that because it was not something they had witnessed and because the friend had consistently called it "typical school stuff, you know how it is" and was joking about that it was not something to be concerned about. We had a discussion about how they would feel if something happened to the friend and they didn't say anything and how it was important to say something to me or his mom if its brought up again. Right now according to his mom all that's being done is nasty words but some are particularly vicious and having been a victim of bullying myself I know how much words can hurt.

Please note my kids are not in the same school with the friend.

 

[Dizlvr]

I'm not sure why this is under the congrats and birthday wishes, but the title of the thread caught my eye so here I am.
I agree with you, its isn't working and I think its because the kids just become desensitized to it. We have a few anti-bully programs, people are always coming in to talk, there are all kinds of assemblies. I think year after year of the same thing, the kids just look at these as ways to get out of the classroom.
As my kids have gotten older they have also seen the hypocrisy of the schools. They ram all this anti-bully stuff down the kids throats, but when it comes down too it, the schools really do nothing about it. Bulies are given slaps on the wrist and chance after chance. Victims are punished even if things are done in self defense (and I know this because my ds lived this. He was bullied by a known bully who had problems even in the previous school). Its a joke.
When schools step up and do the right thing like kick the bullies out for good, then maybe the students will start taking things seriously.