Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

The madness of bullying. Is it finally the end?

By

Charges are being filed against the bullies who terrorized Phoebe Prince during her days at South Hadley High School.  It’s stunning that the faculty did not understand how to manage this situation.  It’s terrible that there may have been teenage witnesses who felt powerless to help.

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

  1. heinous behavior of the South Hadley bullies should be punished to the full extent of the law.

    <

    p>As an educator, however, my contempt is for the administrators. There was no excuse for their inaction. Barbara Coloroso, a national expert on bullying issues, had appeared in South Hadley in September. The school had the rules in place to deal with bullies. Principal Dan Smith, according to District Attorney Betsy Scheibel, clearly knew about the bullying that seems to have led to Phoebe Prince’s death. It was his lack of leadership and disciplinary negligence that led to Phoebe’s death.

    <

    p>As sorry and sick as I am about her death, I have some professional sympathy for the bullies. Although they are responsible for their behavior, it was the high school’s job to protect, not just Phoebe from the bullies, but the bullies from themselves. Effective discipline would have kept her safe and the bullies out of trouble.  

    • the principal should not be allowed to walk off without any repercussions for his inaction, as well for any teachers who ignored situations that they witnessed.  It’s a disgrace that they will not be held accountable for their role in this horrible incident. I have sympathy for the bullies in the sense that they weren’t given the guidance and discipline when it could have made a difference. Ignoring this behavior is essentially encouraging it, because unfettered bullies then control more than just the bullied individuals.  Others will cater to them as well, in the hopes of not becoming their next victim.  They are learning that all you have to do is hurt a few to control many.  It can become a lifelong manner of interacting with people in their lives.

      <

      p>This incident, and the ones before Phoebe, are just so tragic.  We can only hope that this is the end of the acceptance of emotional and physical abuse in our schools and neighborhoods.

Archives