If you didn't read my original post on bullying, go here. The San Francisco Chronicle just published an update on this story yesterday. Read Another 1,400 Sympathetic Notes for Bullied Girl.More significantly, though, note in the comments of my original entry on this subject that the mother of Olivia Gardner has posted a comment.
Ms. Gardner: Thank you for stopping by and clarifying the circumstances under which Olivia has left school. I'm glad to hear people are letting her know she's not alone, but am equally disheartened to hear that neither the parents of nor the kids who have bullied her have stepped up and apologized.
Please let Olivia know that I send my best wishes her way.
Photo copyright: SF Chronicle; Olivia and Kathleen Gardner.
4 comments:
I don't get it. If I found out that a kid of mine had bullied someone like that, he'd have to go above and beyond mere apologies. I'm thinking community service, and donating allowance to an anti-bullying campaign.
Do parents think that if they avoid punishment, the punishable acts didn't really happen?
Liz: I don't get it either. And I'm with you--if a child of mine behaved this way, there'd be some serious discipline going on.
The problem with the parents of bullies is, it's quite likely many of them are also bullies, so it's just a repetitive, destructive, dysfunctional cycle of bad behavior all around.
I'm new here, but found your original post about Olivia's bullying so excellent, I thought I'd put in my two cents. The letter writing campaign does give me hope for the future, but a gang of bullies? And none of the parents have demanded their kids take responsibility for their behavior? Gaah! It makes me wonder what is going on at home with these kids. They are struggling with some demons from somewhere to make them behave in that way.
Anyway, thanks for the great post!
Kara: Welcome to Rush Hour!
I have to agree that kids who bully are likely fighting their own demons and bullies, but it still makes it hard to excuse their behavior. As one commenter said in my previous post on this subject, if people would take their negative energy and turn it around and channel it into positive energy, what a different world we would live in.
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