Bully For You
Is America really in the midst of a “bullying crisis,” as so many now claim? I don’t see it… There is no growing crisis. Childhood and adolescence in America have never been less brutal. Even as the country’s overprotective parents whip themselves up into a moral panic about kid-on-kid cruelty, the numbers don’t point to any explosion of abuse… Now that schools are peanut-free, latex-free and soda-free, parents, administrators and teachers have got to worry about something. Since most kids now have access to cable TV, the Internet, unlimited talk and texting, college and a world of opportunities that was unimaginable even 20 years ago, it seems that adults have responded by becoming ever more overprotective and thin-skinned.
Entire Nick Gillespie Wall Street Journal piece worth reading.
The uproar over cyber-bullying is where people have taken their concerns too far.
I disagree. Bullies can leave horrible, invisible scars and I am thrilled that bullying is finally getting scrutinized and there is more peer pressure to cease these sadistic actions by kids.
People should not be cruel to other people. Cyberbullying might be going too far. Physical attacks are one thing. Teasing and jokes can be mean, but at some point, people need to toughen up. People will not be kind all your life.
Bullying is problem, but I wonder if it’s not overblown. Kids will be kids, which is often cruel but not lethal. It’s part of the growing up process as long as it’s not excessive. Now experts are complaining about cyber bullying. Next thing you know they will be worrying about hurt feelings.
The only bullies I’ve seen in my son’s middle school are the administrators who tell him where to sit, what to eat, who he is allowed to talk to, whether he is allowed to go to the bathroom, and when he is required to attend multiple compulsory anti-bullying assemblies throughout the year.
Most of the bullying I see is by government officials and is aimed at private citizens. EPA comes immediately to mind.
As someone who was bullied as a kid, I see both sides of the issue. On the one hand, it was a awful experience that could have been much worse if I had chosen different mechanisms for handling it. On the other hand, I’m not sure that I would have been better off if there was a web of laws and regulations “protecting” me from tormentors.