Big Bad Bullies are every where these days. What creates a bully? Is it genetics, culture, environment or criminality in infancy mode? This week’s society discusses the growing issues of why individuals wish to persecute their fellow citizens.

What should be done about bullying in
schools?

I believe that bullies are born and not made. Some people are just violent by nature. They have a craving to hold sway over their fellow humans. Actually, the bully is himself/herself-insecure and derives confidence by terrorizing others. The only way we can curb the very real and everyday problem of bullying is to provide psychological counseling to these disturbed and disturbing individuals.

Fana, School Secretary

This is a macho-man society which admires troublemakers be they of the schoolyard variety or the next door whako who tortures the neighbors cat until the kids get home so he can give them a couple of whacks. Girls especially, are for some reason insanely attracted to bullies. I believe this is more about having a bodyguard than from actual love but girls are girls and that’s a whole different subject.
Parents also enjoy the violent reputation their devil of a son or daughter have and attest their boorish character to “…his grandfather was also a handful…” Quaint, but vain.

T.K, Sailor

What can we really do about bullying in institutions of learning when we do not know what the major causes are? I would like to offer my humble opinion of what I perceive are the factors that contribute to bullying.
There is so much overcrowding in Ethiopian schools that students are already hot, flustered and short tempered. Couple this with teachers that hardly recognize their students. let alone offer guidance by being role models.
Bullying is here to stay unless classroom congestion is not addressed.

Takelle, Teacher

The bully adds necessary color to the human mix. Every classroom has its designated clown, dork and jerk. A classroom full of teenagers with roiling hormones has all kinds of weirdos – as it must. I believe schools are mirrors of our society – a classroom is a neighborhood. True, I also believe that over-zealous and even cruel bullying is worrisome as it indicates budding criminality. But as far as eliminating the act of bullying per-se, I don’t think it’s a practical idea.

Ronda – student

BBB-shame on you!

f the person reading these words has ever been a student, chances are you have either been bullied or perhaps even been a big bad bully (BBB), yourself – shame on you ! By the way and before progressing, let’s all settle on the derivation and evolving definitions of ‘Bully’.
Bovine insinuations aside, the term originally was used, believe it or not, for endearments such as “fine person’, ‘good friend’, and ‘sweetheart. This was in archaic English in the era when the word’s rosy reputation was intact. Then along came the age of a certain bard and ‘Bully’ become another word for ‘procurer’ and “pimp” and more pertinently, ‘a hired ruffian’. The most modern definition, according to good old Mr. Collins is, “ a person who hurts, persecutes or intimidates weaker people’. Note that the dictionary didn’t just say “…others; but narrowed it down to ‘weaker’ others.
Although bullying is most common in a school atmosphere where peer pressure is highest the crime of intimidation is all around us… at the office, in the streets, on air…
You the reader are either a victim of bullying or a practitioner preying on weaker individuals. Imagine then how your son or daughter may every morning be dreading having to go to school because they are terrified ofsome BBB… There is a lot of harassment of all kinds in especially our high schools that unless measures are taken to address the issue,it may confront us with more serious concerns in the future.
We have all read or seen news footage of several school massacres in the United States, Canada and Europe perpetrated by disturbed students on fellow students and their teachers. The most recent shooting spree – the worst ever, blasted away 32 lives at rvdely Virginia- Tech, a center of excellence shaking the calm of a center of excellence. Let’s act today before we witness such horrors in one of our schools.