I’ve talked about bullying in a number of my blog posts.  Whether it’s online bullying, a shove in the hallway, or relentless taunting in the classroom, bullying is rampant in our schools. It’s interesting to see that our government is now introducing some measures for schools to tackle the problem.

On Wednesday, Nov. 30 anti-bullying legislation was introduced – legislation that aims to keep our children safe from bullies and provide children and youth with a support system in our schools.

The legislation, if passed, will give school boards the power to expel bullies and will require all schools to support gay-straight alliances. With one in three students being bullied between Grades 7 and 12, Premier Dalton McGuinty feels that “this legislation will send a strong signal to all Ontarians, of all faiths and backgrounds, all places of origin, culture, ethnicities, in our province and our publicly funded schools — schools will be warm and accepting of all our children, regardless of their sexual orientation as well.”

Giving students a support group that makes them feel comfortable and allows them to connect with students with similarities and learn from others who are different is a commendable goal.  But I’m not sure expelling bullies will really send the right message or help bullies.

All laws include enforcement, and enforcement at its worst is a kind of bullying, which is one reason why putting laws and bullying together feels a bit odd.  And yes, all kids go to school so schools are an obvious place to target bullying.  But we know kids are impacted going to and from school; after school; on weekends; at home via the internet and texting – and so targeting only schools as a remedy seems a bit narrow.

Children and youth have the ability to change.  A bully becomes a bully as a result of his or her surroundings. Does kicking bullies out of school (“as a last resort”)and sending them home to play video games give them the tools they need to learn where they’ve gone wrong and help them learn the correct way to treat others?  Does it address the issues underlying the behavior?

For us adults who have been out of elementary and high school for quite some time, we may sometimes forget what it feels like to be bullied, or to see others being bullied. Reflect on your current situation at work, or at home with your family. Does it sometimes feel as though you’re still dealing with bullies?

On the front page of the Globe and Mail on Friday, December 9th, there was a picture of a young teenager with an accompanying article. Check it out -- the story begins to uncover the complexity of bullying. Two boys think they're being bullied by each other. So do their parents. School personnel have opininos on this relationships as well. 

What are your opinions about bullying?

Share your thoughts with me!