My experience 11/01/2013 21:39 - Introduce Yourself (Locality: Dublin South) ----------------------------------- Hi, I am not a parent but when I came across this website and discussion board I just thought I would share my experience of bullying at school when I was a kid, in the 70s and 80s - there are some interesting facts that nobody ever seems to talk about but everyone should be aware of.
In a nutshell, I went to an all-girls primary and secondary school. My experience was that, yes there will always be one or two bullies or students that are more volatile than others, but it wasn´t really that in itself that was a problem for me.
Time and time again I found that it was actually the teachers who initiated the bullying in the first place. For example - when I was in 2nd class I had this very intimidating teacher (she was to an 8 year old) and when she asked me a question I was so intimidated and afraid of giving the wrong answer that I would speak very quietly. This seemed to enrage her and she began to berate me in front of the class day after day, until eventually one day she called me up to her desk and asked me open my mouth wide and to make "Ahhh" sounds over and over in front of the whole class - I guess she thought she was being very smart in trying to demonstrate that there was nothing wrong with my voice and that I could actually speak loudly if I wanted to. This was very humiliating and upsetting. When she finally let me sit down again, my best friend made a face at me and turned away in disgust and never spoke to me again. The whole class then proceded to turn against me. Now I know this was a bunch of 8 year olds we´re talking about, but you see what I mean ?
Similarly, a few years later in secondary school, I had a PE teacher who used to stop a hockey match or basketball match we were playing to humilate me, because I hated PE and had no idea what to do or any interest in it (a whole other story). The class then thought it was their right to turn against me for the rest of the year.
These are just two quick examples of my experiences. My point being that teachers have no idea of what devestating consquences there can be when they treat a child like that. Parents need to be aware of this scenario.
