Bullying

This article on bullying emphasizes the truth about bullying. Bullying happens every day and most people experience teasing or slight harrassment at one point in their lives. However, one aspect this article explores is what happens when bullying goes too far. Any type of bullying is terrible, but when certain lines are crossed or an individual is tormented on a regular basis, it can have tragic consequences. The story of Tyler Clementi demonstrates that one individual's idea of harmless fun can drive another person to kill himself. Ravi and Wei invaded Clementi's privacy in their videotape of his same sex personal encounter. Clementi threw himself off a bridge, fed up with the bullying. It is difficult for me to comprehend how two stable human beings, Ravi and Wei, would go so far in their bullying? Friends describe the two as funny and caring, but they did not display either characteristic in their persecution of Clementi. It is apparent in this article that bullying has become an extreme nation-wide problem when such events occur. What is even more awful, is that Clementi is one of many who have committed suicide due to bullying. The article lists numerous young people who have been tormented at school  and see death as their only way out.

I thought the Phoebe Prince article was interesting as it also explored the fate of the bullys. The teenage girls and guys faced ostracization from their community, and, essentially, more bullying. While I do believe that these individuals should be punished for their torment of Prince, the treatment they are recieving shows that there is a much deeper problem in our society. The bullys do not deserve to be bullied. This only creates an endless cycle in which people become confused about when bullying is "wrong" and when it is "right." Bullying is never right. This fact becomes murky when respectable adults are sending mixed messages to their children. It is apparent that parent's, teacher's, and other school officials must take a stronger stance against bullying and make an effort to connect with the kids. If adults set a good example and hold conversations about the effects of bullying, the message would get across and bullying would, hopefully, decrease. This is proven by the last article in the packet-- "confessions of a bully." Daniel Harrison daily tormented a girl in his grade. He believed that it was all in good fun, as he never meant to hurt her. He only wanted to tease her as he enjoyed being in control. It wasn't until he talked to his parents and the mother of the girl he was tormenting that he realized the extent to which his bullying had effected Courtney. Being lectured by the school, his parents, and seeing Courtney's distress allowed Harrison to see his teasing from another side. Having this ability caused him to stop his bullying. In fact, he now speaks out against bullying and befriends kids who are bullied. This article gives hope that bullys can be reformed-- young kids do not have to die due to the hurtful words of another teenager.

Drug Testing in Schools

The presence of random drug testing in schools is commonplace now, but in the 1990's it was the subject of heated debate. The 1985 case of New Jersey v. TLO established a school's ability to warrantless search. The aftermath of this decision can be blatantly seen in our school handbook. Under Searches/Seizures it states that "students have no right of privacy in school property." Any student's belongings can be searched by authorized school personnel. This invasion of privacy was deemed necessary in order to counteract what many viewed as a serious threat to public safety that warranted screening--the prevalent use of drugs and alcohol. Schools experienced rising rates in the usage of these illicit drugs and attempted to combat this problem by removing student's rights. One such school in Vernonia instituted drug testing from 7th grade to 12th grade for anyone who wanted to play a sport. This policy came under scrutiny in Vernonia v. Acton. The Acton family prohibited their 7th grade son from participating in a random drug test so he could play soccer. They declared the policy unconstitutional and an encroachment on an individual's fourth amendment rights. The Actons stated that drug testing was punishing everyone, even those for which the school had no reasonable suspicion they were participating in illegal actions. I personally think that both sides have merit. The Acton's make a good point that it is unfair to punish those who are innocent. Drug testing in middle school seems a little extreme and unnecessary. It would seem much more cost and time-effective to drug test only those who are brought in on suspicion of using drugs or drinking. However, it is a blatant fact that a school's ultimate goal is safety. Therefore, this includes a reasonable expectation that privacy rights will decrease. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Vernonia stating that a school is an extension of the governemnt and must promote safety. In the face of illicit activity, this protection of safety can involve decreasing the rights of students. This brings me back to the statement in my handbook that "students have no right of privacy in school property." This is a scary statement. However, it is clear that schools and the outside world are very different and must, therefore, have different rules.