Bullies - this would teach 'em

By CELESTE KATZ
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Hey, you big bully! Hands off that kid's lunch money. And hands off that kid, while you're at it.
A proposed revision to the disciplinary code for city students includes a new category that specifically makes bullying, stalking and threatening punishable offenses.

"Our whole goal is to make school safe. One of the ways to do that is to focus on behavior that is going to be disruptive, and bullying is certainly in that category," said Ben Tucker, head of the Education Department's Office of School Safety and Planning. "It's [bullying] very similar to stalking someone."

Kids who opt for an overly muscular approach to classmates can face sanctions ranging from a ban on extracurricular activities to suspension or expulsion for students 17 and older.

Committing arson, inciting a riot and using lewd, vulgar, offensive or abusive language also would be added to the proposed code, which provides escalating penalties for repeated offenses.

Tucker said the new code is not just about crime and punishment. "We want people to recognize that inappropriate behavior may be symptomatic of underlying issues," he said.

According to a new national survey released yesterday by the nonprofit group Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, about 3.2 million children in grades six through 10 fall victim to bullies each year. Another 3.7 million children play the part of the bully.

The study also found that children who are bullied are five times more likely to be depressed than other children, and are more prone to suicide. Bullies are more likely to carry weapons to school.

"Certainly, kids are very reluctant to go to adults to say they're being bullied, so it's important that adults [be] on the lookout for it," said group President Sanford Newman. "It's even more important that schools be proactive [by] implementing [programs] that have been shown to dramatically reduce bullying and other misbehavior," he said.

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten applauded the proposed code changes - with a caveat.

"On paper, this disciplinary code is a lot better than the previous ones, but the rubber will really hit the road in enforcement," she said. "The worst thing that can happen with a kid is that they report something and nothing happens."

YAAAY!!! I was TERRORIZED in middle school! Why the FUCK couldn't they have had this when I was 13?? No...instead I had to run to the teacher when I got picked on--like my parents TOLD me to--then get a rep as a squealer. Even WORSE than having my ass kicked.

If my kids come home in tears saying that they've been bullied, they have my permission to KICK THE BULLY'S ASS. If the principal tries to punish my kid...I will kick the principal's ass.

doomboogie said:

Overly Muscular? :LOL: