I am now back on the bullying issue since Casey Heynes made a bit of a mention in my previous entry, A wake up call we truly need: The issue of bullying. Before I start, I would like to say many thanks to those who had their say about bullying. Today, I want to share some very recent articles which have happened post-Casey Heynes and once again, put bullying in the media and public spotlight.
This time around the bullying happened at a girls’ school in Wanganui, New Zealand and here is the article. That is not all, here two more articles, Article 1 and Article 2, that not only highlighted the severity of the bullying incident but also left many readers, young and old alike, shocking, appalled and concerned all at the same time. As a blogger, I agree that what the girl was subjected to is not only horrific but also left me appalled at the actions of the bully who stomped and kicked her. Again, I cannot help but feel sorry for the victim having read this on The New Zealand Herald knowing that her ordeal is not over for her as the bully has become more monstrous than ever by giving the victim no choice but to leave the town and start afresh out of her safety.
As a result of the bullying incident, many in New Zealand have begun to question whether kids need to fight back or just turn the other cheek when they are bullied like what is written in that updated article which also made a mention about Michaela Blaauw’s ordeal, which happened last year, with a bunch of mean bullies at her previous school, Howick College, in Auckland. Therefore, I want to question if we, in New Zealand and around the world, are really doing enough to put a stop to bullying and making sure that all kids are safe in school.
Before I go on further, I want to say to the victim (I may not know you but if you are reading the blog post) and her family this: stay strong and I am sorry to read about what you had been through. And I wish you and your family all the best wherever you will be starting anew outside Wanganui. As for the bully from Wanganui Girls’ College (you know who you really are), shame on you being for a mean bully and you got no right to pick on someone who has every right to be safe in school from any harm. No thanks to you, your victim is living in fear and pain and because of you, she is given no choice but to move away from Wanganui for her safety’s sake. That is not all, you truly need therapy and counselling before you become tomorrow’s monster of society who will have to face the legal court and answer to God for your bullying antics. To Wanganui Girls’ College and all schools in New Zealand and around the world, I hope you will not only take a stand against bullying so that the same incident will never repeat again but show those bullies that you will not condone their actions.
Last but not least, a read-worthy opinion from Kerre Woodham has said it perfectly well about what she thinks towards bullying.
Living in Indonesia, I haven’t read about the bullying incident in Wanganui Girls’ College. But whatever it is, I wish the victim well, and as for the bully, I wish she would come to her senses.
Thank you for your input, crustabakes. You do make a great point that bully needs to come to her senses.
In my opinion, there’s not much effort done to contain this issues. People only speak up when it becomes a “real” problem meaning either someone get injured, killed or committed suicide. It’s sad. The issue should be handle from the very beginning. Some parents seems to be “encourage” this behaviour too. I once come accross a kid at McDonald’s playground who call every girl a bitch, he’s only around 8 years old and his parents were laughing each time they hear him say it. How crazy is that.
Thank you for voicing out, Sendie-Lou. You are right that some people will only speak up when bullying is already a ‘real’ problem which I believe it is wrong to sweep a matter under the rug until it is too late. I believe bullying needs to be tackled at the earlier stage than when the worse sets in. Again, you are right that some parents encourage bullying behaviour in some of their kids. By the way, my frenemy, my ex-flatmate from hell, is a product of her mother turning a blind eye on her where she thinks her favourite little girl does no wrong ever (Sorry ma’am, your daughter is a real monster towards people who have qualities that she doesn’t have).
Sendie-Lou, you are not the only one feeling concerned at how the little boy you mentioned is calling every girl the b-word and I cannot help but feel appalled at how his parents are raising him because they are truly raising a future male chauvinistic pig who will end up treating females like rubbish. I may not be a parent but if that little boy was my son, I will drag him kicking and screaming and see that he apologises to those girls followed by a long but meaningful ‘lecture’ that I condemn his bad attitude and will not allow him to grow up to be a disrespectful man as long as I am alive.
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I didn’t realize that the bullying is such a big issue in New Zealand as well. It is bad in Japan. I believe it is the society that create monsters who bully. In Japan some kids commit suicide under the emotional stress. It is the saddest phenomena. The bullies seem to have some issues at home. Bullies are usually not born from a warm, happy home where parents raise kids to be a caring individual. I hope that those kids who are bullied will find strength and support. Being a parent of two children, I worry about the issue. My heart is crushed to hear about children/youth suffering from such emotional distress.
Kaho, thank you for your input and you have a point that society sometimes does create bullies. It is true that some bullies come from unhappy home but let me point out that some of them come from happy homes yet think that bullying is a way for them to show themselves to be more superior than their peers (which means these kind of kids need help and be taught that bullying is not a proper way to show how strong and confident they are). Kaho, I may not be a parent, but I truly understand that you have every right to be concerned about your kids’ well being in school especially when bullying is so common in our time now.