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Jayo
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Joined: 31 Jan 2011
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14 Feb 2015, 10:25 pm

So the other week, I saw the documentary film "Bully" for the first time.

The grim, and unfortunate truth of the movie that resonated with me, is that bullying is ingrained in the human condition, and can never be eradicated; it really depicts a Hobbesian state of nature in the school setting where there are no rules or consequences or administrative authority with any "teeth".

I was semi-shocked to learn of the case of Tyler Long, a teen with Aspergers who hanged himself to escape the torment, and none of the bullies were ever called to account for the "bullycide" - the school admins really covertly preferred a Darwinistic standpoint on the matter - I mean heck even in the days after Tyler's death, some of the idiots in the school wore a symbolic tie in a noose form to mock the tragedy. None of them got expelled. However, you can be 99.9% sure that if it was a popular sporty kid who killed himself for whatever reason and his former classmates pulled something like that, they'd be facing some consequences. Gotta love them double standards, huh. :evil:

The question it raised in my mind, which has likely arisen on some forums here, is whether students with Aspergers should be in a separate school with similar students for their protection, since it's basically like a targeted "pedophile in prison" situation at school (albeit undeserved). The downside being that they would have less of a chance of picking up NT social cognizance in any form.

The documentary also conveyed how "deliberately naive" the school authorities were about dealing with bullying accusations. There's no way any of them could actually believe the platitudes they spew, it's just a convenient way of dodging moral obligation. I recall the scene where the vice-principal got the bully and victim together and said to the victim "see, he's willing to shake hands, there was obviously a misunderstanding between you, and it's in the past now, so you need to make up now." I saw the bully's posture and rag-doll handshake and even *I* know he didn't give a sh*t, there was NOTHING sincere about the "making up".

Yet this silly woman, the Vice-principal, looked past it and said "There. Let's move past this, and (ushering out victim) if you have troubles with him, you need to stay away from him." Paraphrasing from memory:

Victim: "But he'll just find me."

VP: "Well, that shouldn't be a problem, you shook hands and it's behind you now. If he does or says something you don't appreciate, you need to tell him so."

Victim: "He doesn't care. "

VP: "Oh come on now. You know, I think you two will be good friends someday."

If I were the victim, I would have turned around and retorted to her: "Yeah? And by the end of the year, the Israelis and Palestinians will all join hands and sing Kumbaya."