| ... |
47 % of sixth graders said
they were bullied at least
once a week, according to
Time Magazine, April 18,
2005.
they were bullied at least
once a week, according to
Time Magazine, April 18,
2005.
Of course, no
amount of bullying
is acceptable.
Does school culture
make it worse?
amount of bullying
is acceptable.
Does school culture
make it worse?
Does School Culture (and school lawyer culture) contribute to
bullying in schools?
bullying in schools?
"It would be a holy day if you
were shot dead by a sniper."
Principal in Virginia indicted
for perjury
Link: Article by Jay Matthews
of Washington Post
were shot dead by a sniper."
Principal in Virginia indicted
for perjury
Link: Article by Jay Matthews
of Washington Post
Schools regularly cover up
problems. Do they do it to
benefit children? Or to
promote a system that
keeps dollars flowing to
school attorneys without
solving school problems?
problems. Do they do it to
benefit children? Or to
promote a system that
keeps dollars flowing to
school attorneys without
solving school problems?
SDCOE lawyer Daniel
Shinoff denies that bullying
contributed to the meltdown
of Andy Williams, a small
15-year-old who shot two
fellow students to death at
Santana. His fellow
students said he was
bullied.
The district says there is no
evidence that Williams was
bullied. (It's strange that
journalists were able to find
out information that eludes
the district. Maybe the
district should pay more
attention to kids.)
Shinoff denies that bullying
contributed to the meltdown
of Andy Williams, a small
15-year-old who shot two
fellow students to death at
Santana. His fellow
students said he was
bullied.
The district says there is no
evidence that Williams was
bullied. (It's strange that
journalists were able to find
out information that eludes
the district. Maybe the
district should pay more
attention to kids.)
"What excuse would there
be for harming and shooting
others?" said Grossmont
High School District's
Superintendent. "There is no
excuse for that."
Of course not.
Nor is there any excuse for
tolerance of bullies and
covering up wrongdoing.
Taxpayers should not be
spending millions of dollars
a year on lawyers like
Shinoff and Bresee who
seek to avoid responsibility,
not to solve problems. The
money would be better
spent if different people
were in charge of our
schools.
And our children would be
safer.
be for harming and shooting
others?" said Grossmont
High School District's
Superintendent. "There is no
excuse for that."
Of course not.
Nor is there any excuse for
tolerance of bullies and
covering up wrongdoing.
Taxpayers should not be
spending millions of dollars
a year on lawyers like
Shinoff and Bresee who
seek to avoid responsibility,
not to solve problems. The
money would be better
spent if different people
were in charge of our
schools.
And our children would be
safer.
When parents of two students shot to death at Santana High School in
2001 offered to drop their lawsuit against the exchange for the
district's holding a conference on school violence,
the district refused!
The district would rather continue spending money on litigation than
accept his clients' offer to settle for no money, said attorney Kenneth
Hoyt.
(Associated Press report on September 9, 2005)
Daniel Shinoff called the shooting "unforeseeable" and said the district
WAS NOT CULPABLE. (School attorneys encourage districts to follow
a policy of "no investigation, no paper trail." Nothing is forseeable
when you keep your eyes closed!)
Link: Sept 6 2001 San Diego Union Tribune article
2001 offered to drop their lawsuit against the exchange for the
district's holding a conference on school violence,
the district refused!
The district would rather continue spending money on litigation than
accept his clients' offer to settle for no money, said attorney Kenneth
Hoyt.
(Associated Press report on September 9, 2005)
Daniel Shinoff called the shooting "unforeseeable" and said the district
WAS NOT CULPABLE. (School attorneys encourage districts to follow
a policy of "no investigation, no paper trail." Nothing is forseeable
when you keep your eyes closed!)
Link: Sept 6 2001 San Diego Union Tribune article
Grossmont School District failed its students in the lead-up to the
Santana High says attorney Kenneth Hoyt.
"Andy Williams exhibited signs and symptoms of a troubled
person...When you have a student who is missing excessive days and
whose grades have dropped remarkably, these are red flags and there
needs to be some intervention. We believe that the school should have
procedures in place."
"Based on the district's own review last year and information from the
District Attorney's Office, there is no evidence that Williams was
bullied at school."
March 13, 2002
San Diego Union Tribune article
Santana High says attorney Kenneth Hoyt.
"Andy Williams exhibited signs and symptoms of a troubled
person...When you have a student who is missing excessive days and
whose grades have dropped remarkably, these are red flags and there
needs to be some intervention. We believe that the school should have
procedures in place."
"Based on the district's own review last year and information from the
District Attorney's Office, there is no evidence that Williams was
bullied at school."
March 13, 2002
San Diego Union Tribune article
| Link: SDCOE lawyer Daniel Shinoff Loses Case Poway High School students win $300,000 Why didn't the SDCOE JPA settle this case? Neither taxpayers nor students benefited. How much did taxpayers pay Shinoff for a case he should have settled? |
Joanne Jacobs writes,
"...Americans are seeing the
sharpest decline
in teen crime in modern
history. Schools today are
as safe as they were in the
1960s..."
(March 9, 2006
joannejacobs.com)
"...Americans are seeing the
sharpest decline
in teen crime in modern
history. Schools today are
as safe as they were in the
1960s..."
(March 9, 2006
joannejacobs.com)
Do San Diego County lawyers instruct school administrators and
teachers to cover up bullying by teachers and students?
teachers to cover up bullying by teachers and students?
Lots of people want a
bully for their lawyer.
But should schools be
run by lawyer-bullies?
bully for their lawyer.
But should schools be
run by lawyer-bullies?
Schools and violence; Santana High School shooting
School district was negligent in Santana shootings,
claim says
By Greg Moran
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
March 13, 2002
EL CAJON – The families of two students killed during a shooting rampage at
Santana High School have sued the school district, saying officials failed to detect
warning signs in the behavior of Charles "Andy" Williams.
The lawsuit, filed last week by the families of Bryan Zuckor and Randy Gordon,
accuse the district of negligence and wrongful death stemming from the March 5,
2001, shootings.
Zuckor, 14, and Gordon, 17, were killed during a 10-minute shooting rampage that
began in a boys bathroom on the Santee campus just before 9:30 a.m. Williams,
who had just turned 15, was arrested after he was subdued by three police officers
who rushed into the bathroom.
Thirteen other people were wounded in the shooting spree. Williams is facing
charges of murder, attempted murder and assault with a firearm. He has pleaded
not guilty and has been held at Juvenile Hall since his arrest after the shootings.
The suit contends that the Grossmont Union High School District did not
observe that Williams was having behavior problems and that it was
negligent in failing to intervene and address those problems.
Kenneth Hoyt, the attorney representing the families, said that in the
weeks and months before the shootings Williams was missing classes and
his grades were slipping.
"Andy Williams exhibited signs and symptoms of a troubled person," Hoyt
said. "When you have a student who is missing excessive days and whose
grades have dropped remarkably, these are red flags and there needs to
be some intervention. We believe that the school should have
procedures in place."
Williams, who was a freshman at the time, had just moved to Santee and had been
in school for only a few months. His defense attorneys have said he was the victim
of frequent bullying by others at the school.
District Superintendent Granger Ward disputed those claims, saying the attack was
a criminal act by someone who brought a gun to campus and shot students and
staffers, and that's where the ultimate responsibility lies. "It is unfortunate that the
perpetrator of this crime is not the focus, and that's where the focus should be,"
said Ward, adding that he was limited in commenting about the allegations
because of the lawsuit.
Based on the district's own review last year and information from the
District Attorney's Office, there is no evidence that Williams was bullied at
school, he said.
"What excuse would there be for harming and shooting others?" Ward added.
"There is no excuse for that."
The lawsuit was filed one day after Hoyt filed a separate suit against Williams and
his father, Jeff Williams. That suit also made wrongful-death and negligence
allegations.
Staff writer Jill Spielvogel contributed to this report.
claim says
By Greg Moran
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
March 13, 2002
EL CAJON – The families of two students killed during a shooting rampage at
Santana High School have sued the school district, saying officials failed to detect
warning signs in the behavior of Charles "Andy" Williams.
The lawsuit, filed last week by the families of Bryan Zuckor and Randy Gordon,
accuse the district of negligence and wrongful death stemming from the March 5,
2001, shootings.
Zuckor, 14, and Gordon, 17, were killed during a 10-minute shooting rampage that
began in a boys bathroom on the Santee campus just before 9:30 a.m. Williams,
who had just turned 15, was arrested after he was subdued by three police officers
who rushed into the bathroom.
Thirteen other people were wounded in the shooting spree. Williams is facing
charges of murder, attempted murder and assault with a firearm. He has pleaded
not guilty and has been held at Juvenile Hall since his arrest after the shootings.
The suit contends that the Grossmont Union High School District did not
observe that Williams was having behavior problems and that it was
negligent in failing to intervene and address those problems.
Kenneth Hoyt, the attorney representing the families, said that in the
weeks and months before the shootings Williams was missing classes and
his grades were slipping.
"Andy Williams exhibited signs and symptoms of a troubled person," Hoyt
said. "When you have a student who is missing excessive days and whose
grades have dropped remarkably, these are red flags and there needs to
be some intervention. We believe that the school should have
procedures in place."
Williams, who was a freshman at the time, had just moved to Santee and had been
in school for only a few months. His defense attorneys have said he was the victim
of frequent bullying by others at the school.
District Superintendent Granger Ward disputed those claims, saying the attack was
a criminal act by someone who brought a gun to campus and shot students and
staffers, and that's where the ultimate responsibility lies. "It is unfortunate that the
perpetrator of this crime is not the focus, and that's where the focus should be,"
said Ward, adding that he was limited in commenting about the allegations
because of the lawsuit.
Based on the district's own review last year and information from the
District Attorney's Office, there is no evidence that Williams was bullied at
school, he said.
"What excuse would there be for harming and shooting others?" Ward added.
"There is no excuse for that."
The lawsuit was filed one day after Hoyt filed a separate suit against Williams and
his father, Jeff Williams. That suit also made wrongful-death and negligence
allegations.
Staff writer Jill Spielvogel contributed to this report.
Daniel Shinoff denies that bullying contributed to the meltdown of Andy
Williams, a small 15-year-old who shot two fellow students to death at
Santana. His fellow students said he was bullied.
The district says there is no evidence that Williams was bullied. (It's
strange that reporters can find out information that eludes the district.
Maybe they should pay more attention.)
Dan Shinoff refused an offer by parents of shooting victims to settle for no
money, if the school district would hold a conference on school violence.
"What excuse would there be for harming and shooting others?" said
Grossmont High School District's Superintendent. "There is no excuse for
that."
Of course not.
Nor is there any excuse for tolerance of bullies. And the taxpayers should
not be spending millions of dollars a year on lawyers like Shinoff who seek
only to avoid responsibility, not to solve problems..
Williams, a small 15-year-old who shot two fellow students to death at
Santana. His fellow students said he was bullied.
The district says there is no evidence that Williams was bullied. (It's
strange that reporters can find out information that eludes the district.
Maybe they should pay more attention.)
Dan Shinoff refused an offer by parents of shooting victims to settle for no
money, if the school district would hold a conference on school violence.
"What excuse would there be for harming and shooting others?" said
Grossmont High School District's Superintendent. "There is no excuse for
that."
Of course not.
Nor is there any excuse for tolerance of bullies. And the taxpayers should
not be spending millions of dollars a year on lawyers like Shinoff who seek
only to avoid responsibility, not to solve problems..
A 2nd victim's family files claim in fatal Santana High
shooting
By Jill Spielvogel
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
September 6, 2001
The family of a 17-year-old student killed during the March shooting at Santana
filed a legal claim against the Grossmont district yesterday, saying it should
have taken measures to prevent the rampage.
Mari Gordon-Rayborn, the mother of slain senior Randy Gordon, filed the claim
for the "irreplaceable loss of a son and brother." She seeks the maximum
amount the district's insurance will allow in damages.
The claim does not make specific allegations other than the assertion that the
district should have taken action to prevent the accused student from opening
fire on the Santee campus. Charles "Andy" Williams, 15, is charged with
shooting and killing Randy Gordon and 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor and
wounding 13 others.
Gordon-Rayborn declined to comment.
Grossmont Superintendent Granger Ward said, "We had an unfortunate
incident this past March where a young man was involved in a criminal act, and
that's where the responsibility lays." He declined to say more, citing pending
litigation.
On Aug. 22, trustees rejected a claim filed by the family of Bryan Zuckor, which
also asked for the maximum amount allowed under the district's insurance and
did not make specific allegations of wrongdoing. With the board's decision, the
Zuckor family has six months to file a lawsuit.
Trustees have 45 days to act on Gordon-Rayborn's claim.
The school district's attorney, Dan Shinoff, could not be reached for comment
yesterday.
When the Zuckor family filed a claim, Shinoff called the shooting an
unforeseeable criminal act and said the district was not culpable.
There would have to be evidence of liability for the district to pay
damages, he said.
The district must pay the first $100,000 on any settlement or judgment from its
own budget and has insurance coverage of up to $14 million beyond that.
State law allows six months to file a claim, and yesterday marked six months
since the March 5 incident. So far in the aftermath of the Santana shooting, the
district has only received claims from the families of the two students who were
killed.
The family of a Granite Hills freshman injured when a student opened fire there
March 22 filed a claim against the district in May alleging the school was
negligent in allowing the shooter to come on campus with guns. Trustees
rejected the claim, which sought $250,000 in damages.
shooting
By Jill Spielvogel
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
September 6, 2001
The family of a 17-year-old student killed during the March shooting at Santana
filed a legal claim against the Grossmont district yesterday, saying it should
have taken measures to prevent the rampage.
Mari Gordon-Rayborn, the mother of slain senior Randy Gordon, filed the claim
for the "irreplaceable loss of a son and brother." She seeks the maximum
amount the district's insurance will allow in damages.
The claim does not make specific allegations other than the assertion that the
district should have taken action to prevent the accused student from opening
fire on the Santee campus. Charles "Andy" Williams, 15, is charged with
shooting and killing Randy Gordon and 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor and
wounding 13 others.
Gordon-Rayborn declined to comment.
Grossmont Superintendent Granger Ward said, "We had an unfortunate
incident this past March where a young man was involved in a criminal act, and
that's where the responsibility lays." He declined to say more, citing pending
litigation.
On Aug. 22, trustees rejected a claim filed by the family of Bryan Zuckor, which
also asked for the maximum amount allowed under the district's insurance and
did not make specific allegations of wrongdoing. With the board's decision, the
Zuckor family has six months to file a lawsuit.
Trustees have 45 days to act on Gordon-Rayborn's claim.
The school district's attorney, Dan Shinoff, could not be reached for comment
yesterday.
When the Zuckor family filed a claim, Shinoff called the shooting an
unforeseeable criminal act and said the district was not culpable.
There would have to be evidence of liability for the district to pay
damages, he said.
The district must pay the first $100,000 on any settlement or judgment from its
own budget and has insurance coverage of up to $14 million beyond that.
State law allows six months to file a claim, and yesterday marked six months
since the March 5 incident. So far in the aftermath of the Santana shooting, the
district has only received claims from the families of the two students who were
killed.
The family of a Granite Hills freshman injured when a student opened fire there
March 22 filed a claim against the district in May alleging the school was
negligent in allowing the shooter to come on campus with guns. Trustees
rejected the claim, which sought $250,000 in damages.
Concluded
Massachusetts therapist
and author Lauren
Slater: "We have to
judge the individuals
who committed the
horrible deeds, but we
can't judge them
through the lens of
saying, 'I would never
have done that,' ...
because the Millgram
experiments show that
under orders, most of
us will do that."
Massachusetts therapist
and author Lauren
Slater: "We have to
judge the individuals
who committed the
horrible deeds, but we
can't judge them
through the lens of
saying, 'I would never
have done that,' ...
because the Millgram
experiments show that
under orders, most of
us will do that."
A Few Bad
Apples--
Or Normal
Human
Behavior?
Apples--
Or Normal
Human
Behavior?
It could have turned out differently if...adults hadn't
been ignorant about desperate children
been ignorant about desperate children
 |
 |
 |
 |
Should school districts protect kids from bullies?
Not according to San Diego County Office of Education's Favorite
Attorney Daniel Shinoff.
Not according to San Diego County Office of Education's Favorite
Attorney Daniel Shinoff.
A Culture of
Contempt?
Contempt?
Is your child safe from
bullies?
bullies?
Is your child safe from
victims of bullying who
have acquired guns?
Absolutely not.
victims of bullying who
have acquired guns?
Absolutely not.
Why did Grossmont Union High School District
refuse to have a conference on violence?
San Diego Source
(Online Daily Transcript)
News briefs from San Diego County
September 08, 2005
EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) -- The parents of the two students killed in the
Santana High School shooting in 2001 offered to drop their lawsuit
against the school district if it agreed to hold a conference on school
violence. The district has refused, saying it already has held forums on
the topic and beefed up campus security. Kenneth Hoyt, an attorney
representing the parents, said the district would rather continue spending
money on litigation even as his clients agree "to settle for no money."
Perhaps because the truth might come
out?
refuse to have a conference on violence?
San Diego Source
(Online Daily Transcript)
News briefs from San Diego County
September 08, 2005
EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) -- The parents of the two students killed in the
Santana High School shooting in 2001 offered to drop their lawsuit
against the school district if it agreed to hold a conference on school
violence. The district has refused, saying it already has held forums on
the topic and beefed up campus security. Kenneth Hoyt, an attorney
representing the parents, said the district would rather continue spending
money on litigation even as his clients agree "to settle for no money."
Perhaps because the truth might come
out?
Who are the
bullies?
Studies show the bullies
are likely to be the popular
kids.
bullies?
Studies show the bullies
are likely to be the popular
kids.
The Bully Blight
The Bully Blight
Apr. 11, 2005
By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK
Like most of her classmates at
Washington High School in
Milwaukee, Wis., La Shanda
Trimble, 18, is attentive to
fashion trends; it's the
particular trend she chooses
that sets her apart. She's a
Goth, wearing black lipstick
and nail polish, listening to
bands like Linkin Park and Rob
Zombie rather than rapper
Nelly or R&B star Ciara. She
likes to wear her hair in pigtails
instead of the more popularly
accepted braids. The other
kids don't approve. "They think
I should act like them,'' says
the 11th-grader. "They like me
to listen to rap and pop and
wear, like, brand-new shoes."
For these stylistic
transgressions, Trimble is
routinely punished. "I'd be
walking down to a class, and I'd
hear murmuring, and
somebody would say, 'She's
going to put a spell on you.'"
One boy rode a broom into
class to mock her; another
called her ugly and crazy.
Finally, one day last month,
she couldn't take it anymore. "I
started crying uncontrollably,"
she says. She's behind in her
classwork now because she
avoids going to school
whenever she can.
Bullies have lurked in hallways
and on playgrounds ever since
history's first day of school,
and until recently, dealing with
them was considered just
another painfully useful life
lesson. But that attitude is
changing. In 2002 the
American Medical Association
warned that bullying is a
public-health issue with
long-term mental-health
consequences for both bullies
and their victims. Just last
month UCLA researchers
published two new studies
showing that bullying is much
more widespread and harmful
than anyone knew.
During a two-week period at
two ethnically diverse Los
Angeles middle schools, says
Adrienne Nishina, a
post-doctoral scholar at the
UCLA Graduate School of
Education and Information
Studies, nearly half the 192
kids she interviewed reported
being bullied at least once;
even more said they had seen
others targeted. Also
important, says Nishina: kids
are frequently as distressed by
witnessing bullying as by being
bullied.
Why bullying exists isn't entirely
clear, but another study
published last week in the
Archives of Pediatric and
Adolescent Medicine attributes
it at least in part to excessive
television viewing. (Perhaps
time spent in front of the tube
is time spent not learning social
skills.) But bullying existed long
before TV, and while this may
help explain the persistence of
the problem, it doesn't do much
more.
Whatever the reason for
bullying, the consequences are
clear. Nishina found that
victims feel sick more often
than their classmates do, are
absent more often and tend to
have lower grades. They are
also more depressed and
withdrawn--a natural reaction,
says Nishina, but one that "can
subsequently lead to more
victimization." The studies also
indicate that schools take too
narrow a view of what
constitutes bullying. Physical
aggression is forbidden, as are
such forms of verbal bullying
as sexual harassment and
racial slurs. But the rules are
generally silent about less
incendiary name calling.
"You're probably not going to
get into trouble if you call
someone fat or stupid," Nishina
says. "But our research
suggests victimized students
felt equally bad."
She also classifies nonphysical,
nonverbal behaviors, including
gestures and making faces, as
bullying. "They happen quite a bit
and can have an effect as well,"
Nishina says. "But they're very
subtle and very difficult for us to
capture and assess well." Even
tougher to assess is the growing
phenomenon of
cyberbullying--vicious text
messages or e-mails, or websites
on which kids post degrading
rumors. A recent survey of more
than 5,500 teens found that 72%
of them said online bullying was
just as distressing as the
face-to-face kind.
The damage from bullying
doesn't stop after graduation.
According to Dr. William
Coleman, professor of
pediatrics at the University of
North Carolina School of
Medicine, bullies are four times
as likely as the average child to
have engaged in criminal
behavior by age 24; they also
grow up deficient in social,
coping and negotiating skills
and are more likely to engage
in substance abuse. Victims
have similar problems; they
also have fewer friends and
are more likely to be
depressed.
Since most bullying takes place
furtively--in hallways,
bathrooms, the back of the
school bus--teachers have a
hard time controlling it. It's not
impossible, though: with the
help of Nishina's UCLA adviser
and study co-author, Jaana
Juvonen, a local elementary
school put together a program
in which teachers, parents and
students review antibullying
rules at the start of each year.
The students do role-playing
exercises and sign contracts
promising not to bully.
Teachers incorporate lessons
about bullying and coping
strategies into classwork. The
school has also hired extra
staff to monitor places like
lunchrooms and playgrounds.
A program like that might have
saved a lot of trouble for the
Darien, Ill., public-school
system. Last October an
eighth-grader who was
allegedly harassing Joey
Urban, now 14, wound up
rupturing Joey's eardrum with a
poke from a lollipop stick. The
Urbans are suing, complaining
that the attacker received only
a three-day suspension. The
school district says that the
boys were friends and that the
injury was an accident that
occurred while they were
roughhousing.
La Shanda Trimble won't have
to resort to the courts. Next
year she'll be attending the
Alliance School, founded to
create a safe atmosphere for
students who feel unwelcome
in traditional settings. Says
co-founder Tina Owen, an
English teacher: "A lot of adults
think 'Sticks and stones may
break my bones, but words will
never hurt me.' But these
students seemed to be hurting
really bad."
--Reported by Elizabeth Coady/
Chicago, Avery Holton/Austin,
Sora Song/New York and Sonja
Steptoe/Los Angeles
The Bully Blight
Apr. 11, 2005
By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK
Like most of her classmates at
Washington High School in
Milwaukee, Wis., La Shanda
Trimble, 18, is attentive to
fashion trends; it's the
particular trend she chooses
that sets her apart. She's a
Goth, wearing black lipstick
and nail polish, listening to
bands like Linkin Park and Rob
Zombie rather than rapper
Nelly or R&B star Ciara. She
likes to wear her hair in pigtails
instead of the more popularly
accepted braids. The other
kids don't approve. "They think
I should act like them,'' says
the 11th-grader. "They like me
to listen to rap and pop and
wear, like, brand-new shoes."
For these stylistic
transgressions, Trimble is
routinely punished. "I'd be
walking down to a class, and I'd
hear murmuring, and
somebody would say, 'She's
going to put a spell on you.'"
One boy rode a broom into
class to mock her; another
called her ugly and crazy.
Finally, one day last month,
she couldn't take it anymore. "I
started crying uncontrollably,"
she says. She's behind in her
classwork now because she
avoids going to school
whenever she can.
Bullies have lurked in hallways
and on playgrounds ever since
history's first day of school,
and until recently, dealing with
them was considered just
another painfully useful life
lesson. But that attitude is
changing. In 2002 the
American Medical Association
warned that bullying is a
public-health issue with
long-term mental-health
consequences for both bullies
and their victims. Just last
month UCLA researchers
published two new studies
showing that bullying is much
more widespread and harmful
than anyone knew.
During a two-week period at
two ethnically diverse Los
Angeles middle schools, says
Adrienne Nishina, a
post-doctoral scholar at the
UCLA Graduate School of
Education and Information
Studies, nearly half the 192
kids she interviewed reported
being bullied at least once;
even more said they had seen
others targeted. Also
important, says Nishina: kids
are frequently as distressed by
witnessing bullying as by being
bullied.
Why bullying exists isn't entirely
clear, but another study
published last week in the
Archives of Pediatric and
Adolescent Medicine attributes
it at least in part to excessive
television viewing. (Perhaps
time spent in front of the tube
is time spent not learning social
skills.) But bullying existed long
before TV, and while this may
help explain the persistence of
the problem, it doesn't do much
more.
Whatever the reason for
bullying, the consequences are
clear. Nishina found that
victims feel sick more often
than their classmates do, are
absent more often and tend to
have lower grades. They are
also more depressed and
withdrawn--a natural reaction,
says Nishina, but one that "can
subsequently lead to more
victimization." The studies also
indicate that schools take too
narrow a view of what
constitutes bullying. Physical
aggression is forbidden, as are
such forms of verbal bullying
as sexual harassment and
racial slurs. But the rules are
generally silent about less
incendiary name calling.
"You're probably not going to
get into trouble if you call
someone fat or stupid," Nishina
says. "But our research
suggests victimized students
felt equally bad."
She also classifies nonphysical,
nonverbal behaviors, including
gestures and making faces, as
bullying. "They happen quite a bit
and can have an effect as well,"
Nishina says. "But they're very
subtle and very difficult for us to
capture and assess well." Even
tougher to assess is the growing
phenomenon of
cyberbullying--vicious text
messages or e-mails, or websites
on which kids post degrading
rumors. A recent survey of more
than 5,500 teens found that 72%
of them said online bullying was
just as distressing as the
face-to-face kind.
The damage from bullying
doesn't stop after graduation.
According to Dr. William
Coleman, professor of
pediatrics at the University of
North Carolina School of
Medicine, bullies are four times
as likely as the average child to
have engaged in criminal
behavior by age 24; they also
grow up deficient in social,
coping and negotiating skills
and are more likely to engage
in substance abuse. Victims
have similar problems; they
also have fewer friends and
are more likely to be
depressed.
Since most bullying takes place
furtively--in hallways,
bathrooms, the back of the
school bus--teachers have a
hard time controlling it. It's not
impossible, though: with the
help of Nishina's UCLA adviser
and study co-author, Jaana
Juvonen, a local elementary
school put together a program
in which teachers, parents and
students review antibullying
rules at the start of each year.
The students do role-playing
exercises and sign contracts
promising not to bully.
Teachers incorporate lessons
about bullying and coping
strategies into classwork. The
school has also hired extra
staff to monitor places like
lunchrooms and playgrounds.
A program like that might have
saved a lot of trouble for the
Darien, Ill., public-school
system. Last October an
eighth-grader who was
allegedly harassing Joey
Urban, now 14, wound up
rupturing Joey's eardrum with a
poke from a lollipop stick. The
Urbans are suing, complaining
that the attacker received only
a three-day suspension. The
school district says that the
boys were friends and that the
injury was an accident that
occurred while they were
roughhousing.
La Shanda Trimble won't have
to resort to the courts. Next
year she'll be attending the
Alliance School, founded to
create a safe atmosphere for
students who feel unwelcome
in traditional settings. Says
co-founder Tina Owen, an
English teacher: "A lot of adults
think 'Sticks and stones may
break my bones, but words will
never hurt me.' But these
students seemed to be hurting
really bad."
--Reported by Elizabeth Coady/
Chicago, Avery Holton/Austin,
Sora Song/New York and Sonja
Steptoe/Los Angeles
 |
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 |
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Are teachers
with weak egos
more likely to
be abusive?
"Teachers' perceptions
of student threat to
teacher status and
teacher pupil control
ideology"
by Donald J. Willower
James D. Lawrence
" ...a direct relationship
between teachers'
perceptions of student
threat to teacher status
and custodialism in
teacher pupil control
views."
with weak egos
more likely to
be abusive?
"Teachers' perceptions
of student threat to
teacher status and
teacher pupil control
ideology"
by Donald J. Willower
James D. Lawrence
" ...a direct relationship
between teachers'
perceptions of student
threat to teacher status
and custodialism in
teacher pupil control
views."
Why This Website SDCOE CVESD Castle Park Elem Law Enforcement CTA CVE Stutz Artiano Shinoff Silence is Golden Schools and Violence Office Admin Hearings Larkins OAH Hearing |
| San Diego Education Report |
| SDER |
San Diego
Education Report
Education Report
| SDER |
| SDER |
| SDER |
The following case shows why it was very wrong of CVESD NOT to investigate
reports by two teachers about their fears that another teacher might become
violent. It turned out that the accusations were false, but still, there were
teachers--the accusers--who were constantly talking about someone coming to
school and shooting people. This is bizarre, threatening behavior in itself. The
accused wasn't thinking about violence, but the accusers were. All involved should
have been carefully investigated.
People v. Pearson (Cal. Supreme Ct. - March 21, 2013)
California Appellate Report
March 21, 2013
This is why you take seriously a person's threats -- at a workplace or anywhere
else -- to go on a killing spree. Because sometimes they're not kidding.
More accurately, they may be "joking" at the time, but the statement may reflect an
underlying desire or intent. Particularly when, as here, the statement is repeatedly
made.
Pearson gets fired for telling his coworkers that he might go postal. Immediately
upon being told that he was fired, he indeed goes postal.
He's sentenced to death, by the way. A decision that's unanimously affirmed in an
109-page opinion.
Posted by Shaun Martin
reports by two teachers about their fears that another teacher might become
violent. It turned out that the accusations were false, but still, there were
teachers--the accusers--who were constantly talking about someone coming to
school and shooting people. This is bizarre, threatening behavior in itself. The
accused wasn't thinking about violence, but the accusers were. All involved should
have been carefully investigated.
People v. Pearson (Cal. Supreme Ct. - March 21, 2013)
California Appellate Report
March 21, 2013
This is why you take seriously a person's threats -- at a workplace or anywhere
else -- to go on a killing spree. Because sometimes they're not kidding.
More accurately, they may be "joking" at the time, but the statement may reflect an
underlying desire or intent. Particularly when, as here, the statement is repeatedly
made.
Pearson gets fired for telling his coworkers that he might go postal. Immediately
upon being told that he was fired, he indeed goes postal.
He's sentenced to death, by the way. A decision that's unanimously affirmed in an
109-page opinion.
Posted by Shaun Martin
Notable mass shootings in the United States
Mass murder
1800s
Dawson Massacre
Mountain Meadows massacre
New York City draft riots
Haymarket affair
1900s
Ludlow Massacre
Battle of Blair Mountain
Columbine Mine massacre
Kansas City massacre
Memorial day massacre
Peoples Temple massacre
San Ysidro McDonald's massacre
GMAC massacre
Luby's massacre
Waco siege
US Postal workplace killings
2000s
Beltway sniper attacks
Indianapolis mass murder
US Postal workplace killings
Westroads Mall shooting
Kirkwood City Council shooting
Knoxville Unitarian Universalist church shooting
Covina massacre
Geneva County massacre
Carthage nursing home shooting
Binghamton shootings
2009 Pittsburgh police shootings
Fort Hood shooting
2010s
Hartford Distributors shooting
2011 Tucson shooting
2011 Grand Rapids, Michigan mass murder
2011 Copley Township, Ohio shooting
2011 Seal Beach shooting
2011 Carson City shooting
2012 Tulsa shooting
2012 Aurora shooting
Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting
2012 Minneapolis workplace shooting
School shooting
1960s
University of Texas massacre
1970s
Kent State shootings
Olean High School shooting
California State University, Fullerton massacre
Cleveland Elementary School shooting
1980s
49th Street Elementary School shooting
Hubbard Woods School shooting
Cleveland School massacre
1990s
University of Iowa shooting
Lindhurst High School shooting
Bard College at Simon's Rock shooting
East Carter High School shooting
Wickliffe Middle School shooting
Blackville-Hilda High School shooting
Richland High School shooting
Frontier Middle School shooting
San Diego State University shooting
Bethel Regional High School shooting
Pearl High School shooting
Heath High School shooting
Westside Middle School massacre
Parker Middle School dance shooting
Thurston High School shooting
Columbine High School massacre
Heritage High School shooting
2000s
Buell Elementary School shooting
Lake Worth Middle School shooting
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville shooting
Santana High School shooting
Granite Hills High School shooting
Appalachian School of Law shooting
John McDonogh High School shooting
Red Lion Area Junior High School shooting
Case Western Reserve University shooting
Rocori High School shooting
Red Lake Senior High School massacre
Campbell County High School shooting
Roseburg High School shooting
Platte Canyon High School hostage crisis
Weston High School shooting
Amish school shooting
Virginia Tech massacre
Delaware State University shooting
SuccessTech Academy shooting
E.O. Green School shooting
Northern Illinois University shooting
Central High School shooting
University of Central Arkansas shootings
2010s
University of Alabama in Huntsville shooting
Deer Creek Middle School shooting
Millard South High School shooting
Martinsville West Middle School shooting
Cape Fear High School shooting
Chardon High School shooting
Episcopal School of Jacksonville shooting
Oikos University shooting
Perry Hall High School shooting
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza,
20, fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members
Taft Union High School shooting
Massachusetts Institute of Technology shooting