After posting about the bullying incident where the bus monitor got bullied by a bunch of middle school students, it got me thinking. What punishment would they face for bullying. Is it enough? Would it be too strict, or not enough to make an impression.
One thing that I kept coming across in reading the articles that progressed was that instead of some of these KIDS apologizing to the bus monitor for what they did, their PARENTS are apologizing for them instead. What is that teaching your child when you apologize for them, or make excuses for their behavior? One father was even quoted as saying that his son was sufficiently embarrassed by the publicity of the event and that he felt that was "enough" of a consequence for his son.
Where did the responsibility go? The father certainly did not make his son own up and apologize directly. Instead the "embarrassment" was enough. I was glad to read that the school district is taking this incident into consideration and has delivered an "appropriate" punishment. However, this punishment, in my opinion, has nothing to do with WHERE the incident took place. The punishment in question is suspending the boys from school for one year, allowing them to attend an "alternative" school, and then eventually, if they show good behavior, they can re-integrate into "regular" school earlier than the one year suspension.
What about a bus suspension? Losing their bus riding privilege? Or what about having the boys write apology notes to the bus monitor? One father even went so far as to apologize to the bus monitor FOR his son. What ever happened to the responsibility falling on the shoulders of the student? Heaven forbid any of the responsibility falls directly on the child for the wrong doing. Instead lets all make excuses and give them what they want anyways.
Frustrated,
The Bus Driver
