Opinion

Bullying At School: Domestic Terrorism Without A Solution

~Commentary~

By ED HOWARD

April 06, 2004

It seems that America can do about as much to stop bullying in its public schools as it can to stop the spread of violence in Iraq.

Less, actually.

Ever since Columbine there have been well-intentioned, much ballyhooed efforts around the country to curb the torment that some young people are subjected to at the hands of other young people.

The word “Columbine” conjures images of distraught, frustrated kids, inflicting bloody retribution on those around them; and not just on those who tormented and otherwise abused them.

Fed up with bullying ~ and brought up in a society in which violence is an integral part of the entertainment industry ~ why not?

Some victims of unending abuse, no longer able to cope, commit suicide. They are victims of a disgusting thing that ought to be recognized for what it is: a form of domestic terrorism.

A touching story, reported in the Norfolk Daily News, provides an insightful look at the life of Jamie Schmit of Randolph. We commend it to your attention.

At 14, Jamie had been tormented in and around school for at least three years by the same bunch of bullies.

He was punched and chased and verbally abused.

Last October, just two days after a close friend died in an automobile accident, Jamie committed suicide. He laid down on the couch at home and shot himself.

Some of Jamie’s acquaintances at school were interviewed by the Daily News, and talked about the torment they knew Jamie suffered.

Wade Robinson, the young man who died in the traffic accident, didn’t torment Jamie. Some speculated that, without his friendship, Jamie simply didn’t want to face life at school.

Lots of kids knew that Jamie Schmit was endlessly bullied by the same bunch of jerks, which endlessly got away with it.

Some of the kids said Jamie was too timid to stick up for himself. One suspects the more likely reason was that Jamie lacked the physical gifts and temperament that would have allowed him to give those scum the beatings they deserved.

What is made clear in the Daily News story is disappointing, but not new.

For all the high-minded, anti-bullying programs, the promises from administrators to crack down on the cretins who bully, not much changes.

Reports from around the country show the same things. If a youngster complains about bullying to “the proper authorities” he or she is often targeted for more torment and bullying ~ because they reported the situation to the proper authorities.

One might liken it to shopkeepers, tormented by gangs, who are hesitant to testify against them. The cops promise to protect them. “Sure you will,” the victims say. “Twenty-four hours a day, right?”

A bit of research by StatePaper.com indicated that one approach sometimes works when it comes to bullies:

If parents who mean it confront school authorities and promise that a lawsuit is headed their way if the bullying doesn’t stop, it sometimes works. The effectiveness can be enhanced when accompanied by a promise to sue the parents of the thugs involved. The latter result is disappointing in itself, reflecting that parents who don’t care about their responsibilities sure as hell care about their wallets.

Quotes from some of the children in the Daily News story are chilling.

One girl said that Jamie’s death has given her the courage to confront bullies who have long tormented her autistic brother.

“Sometimes it's easier to get along than to stick up” for someone who is bullied, said one girl.

One boy said: “They outnumber you . . . and they outpower you. It makes them feel better about themselves. It gives them something to do."

Two other kids piped up.

“It puts them higher in the social scale,” one said. “Their heads and egos keep getting bigger and bigger."

And, there you have it. Tormenting someone, perhaps tormenting them to death, is an everyday feel-good thing for a bunch of ill-bred, ill-mannered, cowardly sons-of-rotten parents.

Their actions amount to no less than another form of domestic terrorism.

And what’s good for one terrorist is good for another.