The general decline in standards today

[jamespowers]

I was always the shortest and youngest in class until the last two years of high school when I grew to six two. Fortunately, I learned at an early age that a quick shot to the Adam's Apple put an end to aggression by others and rarely faced any more problems. At six four and two hundred sixty five pounds, I stopped seeing bullies.

Holy Crimony! Now you are the bully. lol lol

 

[Zombie_61]

...Fortunately, I learned at an early age that a quick shot to the Adam's Apple put an end to aggression by others...

Alternately, as someone once told me, a thumb in the eye will stop any fight. But that was long after my "schoolyard brawl" days and I haven't had an "opportunity" to find out whether or not it's true; I suspect it would be a deterrent at the very least.

 

[vintageTink]

I went to an elementary school where I was in the minority. I got beat up everyday for two years simply for the crime of being white. I was called numerous racial epithets and even a group of high schoolers shoved me down and tried to break my arm.
The principle refused to do anything even though it was on school property. I even went to one of the bully's houses and tried to talk to his grandmother.
My "parents" told me to ignore it and it would stop. Did it? Not for two years. (That principal is now a superintendent and I'm sure he's still letting it go on.)

It finally stopped after I grabbed one by his shirt, slammed one into a fence, and threatened to kill him.
I will not let my kids be bullied. Don't start the fight, but end it.

 

[Gregg Axley]

I was small as a kid, so I got teased a bit, but at the same time I had friends like me with the same height.
We'd just gang up together, so a bully would be outnumbered.
We also played Soccer, so kicking was an option because it really hurt in the shins.
I do remember someone's books being slapped out of their hands, and one of us "dribbling" them down the hallway.
Also, we had a lawyer in the family.
It paid to have someone that could tell me what my rights were, and how to put the situation in legal terms the principal would
"understand."
By HS I just ignored the bullies. Plus, I ran with the car guys or "hoods" as we were called.
Bullies didn't bother us because they couldn't put us into a category, hoods listened to Metal music, messed with cars, and could become
unhinged if you messed with them.
Some of the bullying was more snobbish because I went to a school where people had money.
My friends parents did the same as mine, made sacrifices in order to give their child a good education.
So it wasn't as much pushing you around, as people making fun of your clothes and your old car.
Fine, there were 10 other people around me that dressed the same and had old cars too.
Old cars weren't cool to them. A mustang Cobra, a cutlass 442, a trans-am with nitrous, a 66 GTO, a 68 Dodge Dart GT, and a 72 Nova were cool enough for me.
I wouldn't trade that for anything, because I learned from the experience, and along the way made some great friends that I still talk to today, 25+ years later.

 

[Touchofevil]

Holy Crimony! Now you are the bully. lol lol

A bully to the bully. I have zero tolerance for bullying (as well as disrespect to authority, racism, gangs,and fighting) at our school and let them know on Day One that the consequences may include law enforcement but definitely will result in suspension and removal from our program. We have lost three people in the past week.

 

[Touchofevil]

Alternately, as someone once told me, a thumb in the eye will stop any fight. But that was long after my "schoolyard brawl" days and I haven't had an "opportunity" to find out whether or not it's true; I suspect it would be a deterrent at the very least.

I learned how to fight from my best friends (twins) at an early age which made life much easier. Although I was a shy quiet kid, I had a reputation for crossing the line to end a fight; doing whatever was necessary to win. The twins taught me well and saved me from becoming a target.

 

[Edward]

The only real bullies I much remember from my state grammar school were the games teachers. That said, I was mainly looked down upon by one or two of those because they knew that I knew I was smarted than them, and I didn't do much to hide my contempt for the colossal waste of money that was their department when the cash could have been far better employed in academic subject which actually matter.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Seems like everybody here has experience on the wrong side of a bully. Mine stemmed from two things: being poor, and having divorced parents. The latter means nothing today, but at the time it was enough of a rarity here that kids seized on it as being some kind of freakish anomaly. There was a group of middle-class girls in my class who were absolutely brutal to anyone outside their circle, and I think my loathing of the bourgeoisie stems at least in part from my childhood experiences with them. Adults learn to hide their vicious side behind a veneer of civilization, but for children it's all right out in the open. That's something that's always been true, and I don't see it as ever changing.

 

[vitanola]

[video=youtube_share;RcyjA19-9bA]http://youtu.be/RcyjA19-9bA[/video]

 

[jamespowers]

I went to an elementary school where I was in the minority. I got beat up everyday for two years simply for the crime of being white. I was called numerous racial epithets and even a group of high schoolers shoved me down and tried to break my arm.
The principle refused to do anything even though it was on school property. I even went to one of the bully's houses and tried to talk to his grandmother.
My "parents" told me to ignore it and it would stop. Did it? Not for two years. (That principal is now a superintendent and I'm sure he's still letting it go on.)

It finally stopped after I grabbed one by his shirt, slammed one into a fence, and threatened to kill him.
I will not let my kids be bullied. Don't start the fight, but end it.

Holy Crimony! That was horrendous! If it was a guy then a well placed knee would have fixed him too.

 

[jamespowers]

A bully to the bully. I have zero tolerance for bullying (as well as disrespect to authority, racism, gangs,and fighting) at our school and let them know on Day One that the consequences may include law enforcement but definitely will result in suspension and removal from our program. We have lost three people in the past week.

That is the way to crack down on them!:whip:

 

[GHT]

What a can of worms is that of school bullying. So many responses.
At school, I may have been a puny kid, but I had a way of dealing with bullies. Our school didn't have football, (soccer) on the curriculum, instead we played Rugby. It's an intense, physical, contact sport, not something that you might expect a smaller boy to enjoy. Yeah right! Rugby was my saviour, there was nothing more satisfying than to lunge at one of the bigger lads, arms wrapped around his legs, just below the knees, get your shoulder into his gluteous maximus and the side of your head into the small of his back. The resulting crunch, with his expelled wind, making an ooomph sound, as he hit the deck, was pure music.

They could of course retaliate, but that would have meant a sending off. They could have gotten their own back in the playground, but fighting was immediately stamped on, it not only brought corporal punishment, but the protagonists would be deselected for their house team and, the school team. It was possible to bully someone outside of school, but being in the school team, and seeing me bring down the bullies of visiting schools, earned me some kudos. On the Rugby field, I was fearless.

Our school was mixed, at the end of a school year, we were allowed to attend the last day, out of uniform. On that day, we would have someone play records in the assembly hall. It was the era of Elvis, Bill Haley and Buddy Holly. It seemed to me that every girl was born with knowledge of dance, whilst the lads might have liked to, they couldn't be seen to do so, because dancing was for girls.
Well I took that Rugby field confidence to the dancefloor. My parents enjoyed latin & ballroom dancing, and it was at their dance school that I learned to jive. How satisfying it was to see the so called big men, eyeing up the ladies, but not having the nerve or skill to dance, then the apple of their eye comes over and asks me, Mr. Puniverse, to dance. No problem.
But school was still about survival.

 

[scottyrocks]

Bullying isn't learned in a vacuum. I'd assume that most bullies are the children of bullies. Hence such behavior is either OK or actually rewarded. That's one of the reasons why I am always hesitant to give teachers more power in punishment... I've known a few teachers in my life that shouldn't be teaching, mainly because they were bullies.

That's the problem with people - we're human.

 

[Touchofevil]

That is the way to crack down on them!:whip:

And then everyone realizes that although I like to joke around, I am a man of my word when I say that today will be a good day and those who do not want to come along for the ride can find a new place to call their school.

 

[scottyrocks]

I learned how to fight from my best friends (twins) at an early age which made life much easier. Although I was a shy quiet kid, I had a reputation for crossing the line to end a fight; doing whatever was necessary to win. The twins taught me well and saved me from becoming a target.

I guess I'll join the crew. I was bullied as a kid, too. I was small. Picked on, left out, taunted, teased. I never fought back.

That all ended when I had had enough one day, picked up a metal garbage can lid, and proceeded to play timpani with another kid's head. I was left alone after that.

When I was older I took up a little martial arts. My status became elevated from 'leave him alone' to 'one of the group' when I sparred the leader to a draw one night in a local intersection. I didn't tell anyone that I was holding back. I didn't need a whole 'nother set of troubles.

Hockey was my sport for fitting in and getting back. I could move with the best of the group. We played in the street, and our 'boards' were parked cars. Nothing elevates status faster than making a few good plays, not to mention laying into someone who deserved it for prior indiscretions.

 

[jamespowers]

And then everyone realizes that although I like to joke around, I am a man of my word when I say that today will be a good day and those who do not want to come along for the ride can find a new place to call their school.

Yeah, reform school.

 

[Stearmen]

I can't complain much about being bullied. I had one, when I was twelve, he would punch me in the right arm, he got real mad when my arm quit bruising. He would also, push us in front of cars at the intersection. But, to show that karma is a you know what, at the end of that year, he was run over by a cement truck! I will confess, I did not morn his passing at the time. Now, over four decades latter, I know he probably had a lot more problems in his life then I did!

 

[Stearmen]

Yeah, reform school.

Hay, us reform school drop outs need love to!

 

[Matt Crunk]

That's the problem with people - we're human.

Yep, everywhere I go, there's people. Which is a good thing because some day when there's no more people around, the folks that ain't made friends with animals are gonna be awfully lonesome.

 

[MikeBravo]

Do they still have all the old Battle Axe Nuns? It is amazing, how many ex motorcycle gang members I have known, that went to Catholic school. My knuckles still hurt every time it turns cold!

Man, those nuns could hit!