Bullying
Sandra Zisckind
Bullying is a subject near and dear to my heart. I do take some extreme bullying cases and sue school boards for their failure to intervene. That being said that is not the first course of action that I recommend.
Parents often call me irate wanting to exact revenge and punish those involved. I always tell them the same thing. Do not overreact. I know it is your kid, but take a step back and try to be objective. For the most part I believe that schools and teachers want to help. Are there insistences of egregious behavior and failures to supervise, absolutely. But if your child’s school is actively involved and trying to correct the behavior, a lawsuit is not necessary.
Exhaust all avenues in the school first. Then try local trustees. Have meetings with principals and vice-principals and map out plans that are reasonable. Throughout the process, try the best you can to take your raw emotion out of it. I know its hard I am a parent too. But you cannot go into these conflicts thinking your child is a perfect angel and 100% not a participant. That is usually not the case. Even our best angels egg people on, use horrible language and provoke.
I am not saying do not take your child’s side in a dispute, I am just saying keep an open mind. When people do call me and tell me their story I try to point out the other perspective. I gently suggest their child is not always forthright and perhaps we have to examine the matter objectively. Do not get me wrong, if necessary take all legal action to protect your child if the school is doing nothing. My only suggestion is try to work within the framework first, calmly and rationally. Then call for help.