By now, you've heard the story of Karen Klein, the school bus monitor from Rochester, NY, who was viciously bullied by her charges. When I watched the story on The Today Show, and then watched the You Tube video, I cried. I was sick to my stomach, all the while trying to imagine what these youngsters were thinking when they said the vile things they said. Then there's the latest incident, involving the 9/11 Memorial : http://www.newser.com/story/148814/nyc-teens-trash-911-memorial.html
We strive to teach Murray to have respect for all (humans and animals), good manners, and most importantly, compassion and acceptance. At the tender age of four, we still have some control over how he behaves. But what happens when he's six? Or ten? Or fifteen? We obviously can't control his behavior when we're not around.
I can only pray that the lessons we teach Murray now will carry forward...and beyond.
What do you think? Are the parents to blame? Or, were they just being typical teens and pre-teens acting out?
4 comments:
I'm not sure if the parents are to blame completely. I know that it is important to talk about being kind, about being a friend, loving and standing up for people. I'm not sure if those parents did talk about that. I know that kids in groups can bend to peer pressure and that they can go along with terrible things. I know that this is just one thing that tells me I don't ever want to let my kid ride the school bus and that I am still not sure I can turn her over to the public school system.
I think you make a good point, Mel. When I think back to my childhood, I know that I didn't always behave in a way that would make my parents proud. The phrase, "we taught you better than that" comes to mind.
I heard about this while I was in Buffalo this past week but didn't get a chance to watch it. I finally did this morning but couldn't make it more than a minute or so into it. I am appalled and sickened by this behavior. I'm not sure who to blame. Obviously the parents are accountable for their children but I remember well mine own junior and senior high school days. It's a cutthroat environment, kill or be killed, and I think a lot of children react to that. We're not teaching them to be strong and respectful, to feel safe as individuals and as a result I think things like this occur because that sense of needing to belong escalates. No one wants to be the hero, no one wants to step away from the crowd and risk the torment that all too easily comes. I think we need to look at the social settings of the school environment and begin to build from there.
I do not believe these were typical teens, but do think kids are ruder then ever before. Sad...and there is no excuse for this behaviour!
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