Bullying At Any Age Is Wrong

by Kristina Chew · 2009-04-24 14:22:00 UTC
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High school cafeteria from http://www.uplanddesigngroup.com/Cafeteria-2.jpg
My school district, like many others around the nation (if I may be US-centric, not knowing how this topic is being addressed in other countries), has a number of policies, initiatives, presentations, task forces, and the like against bullying. I'm glad these exist though (to be my cynical self), I have to wonder how much these sorts of programs accomplish as far as changing the hearts and minds and manners of children to "have empathy" and the like for their peers, and especially if those peers are different. Charlie, due to his needs, is never without a teacher or aide when he's at school, and does not have to deal with the social battleground (if you want to see it that way) of the school cafeteria. But I've heard plenty of stories from parents about their children on the spectrum (one mother noted how, whenever her son sat at a table in the cafeteria, everyone got up and left) and from adults who recall their own experiences. Reading about what happened to 23-year-old Theresa Murphy in Blackburn town center in the UK makes it clear, bullying can happen at any age.

Murphy, yesterday's Blackburn Citizen reports, has autism and epilepsy and had gotten off a bus when "when she was 'bullied' into handing over the cash to yobs." Murphy gave them the £70 that she had with her to make them go away and later had her first seizure in 18 months.

The Blackburn Citizen simply notes that there needs to be more understanding (well, obviously) and that police are investigating.

But until we accept that individuals with disabilities are not "abnormal" and "weird" and other unnecessary stereotypes, bullying isn't going to end.

Kristina Chew
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