Bullying

Elementary and secondary schools around the country are beginning to actively address the problem of bullies. In your own opinion, is bullying an issue that should be addressed by the school or left to parents? Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

Bullying is becoming a very controversial issue, in American society. Although bullying begins at school, for most students, it does not end there. Students use social networking websites to verbally abuse each other or one particular person, which is known as cyber bullying. Realistically speaking, most teenagers do not like to discuss bullying with their parents, and are too afraid to tell an administrator or authority figure, at school. But, I do believe that school officials should address bullying, rather than getting the parents involved. Although parents do have the parental right to know what is going on with their child, parents do have a tendency to blow situations out of proportion, which can make things worse for their child. School officials should address bullying because the students are in their care, and when victims choose to take matters into their own hands, it generally ends in tragedy.

Children spend the majority of their day in school. With that being said, I believe that their learning environment should be one of the places they feel most comfortable. The staff and administration are responsible for the safety and well being of every child that attends the school, from the first bell, until the dismissal bell rings. Harassment from other peers usually takes place at school, which makes it the school’s responsibility to settle any disputes that occur on school grounds, before the situation reaches a climax. I am aware that teachers and staff are a small population, compared to their students and cannot be everywhere all of the time. But, if ever they suspect any kind of harassment, I think they should act on their instincts and talk to the victim. Teachers are more than educators; they are mentors and guardians, to a certain extent.

This country has seen some of the worst tragedies, due to bullying. In most cases, the victim decides to seek revenge on those who tormented them. For example, the Columbine High School massacre that occurred on April 20, 1999, was a result of constant harassment and bullying from other students. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a killing spree and held the entire school hostage for hours. 12 were killed, and some were injured. Not only was this a murder, but also a mass murder suicide. The two boys killed themselves, after all of the damage had already been done, leaving behind years of trauma and heartache for the victims and their families. This tragedy would have never happened if their peers did not constantly bully them. I am not trying to justify their approach to the situation, but the bullies are at fault, as well. The staff and administration at the school could have possibly prevented the situation from reaching that point. According to reports, their parents were negligent, which supports my stance on this issue. Some parents do not pay attention to their children, which is why the school should handle such situations, depending on the circumstances.

In conclusion, parents do have a right to be involved with certain situations, but I feel that the school should handle bullying because it more than likely takes place on campus. Children are in the school’s care for the majority of the day and when victims choose to take matters into their own hands, it generally ends in tragedy.