School fight caused by bullying?

[kweerwolf]

Sunrise police are investigating whether a student who slashed a schoolmate with a razor blade on Tuesday did it in retaliation for being bullied about his sexual orientation.

''We are considering that as a motive, in addition to other possibilities,'' said Lt. Robert Voss. Broward County Schools spokesman Keith Bromery said he was unaware of whether the Bair Middle School seventh-graders were feuding because one had harassed the other about possibly being gay.

The Tuesday afternoon attack outside Bair Middle School, 9100 NW 21st Manor, was witnessed by at least 20 students, Voss said.

The student who slashed the forehead and leg of his classmate was charged by police with two felonies: aggravated battery and possession of a weapon on school grounds, Voss said. The boy was taken to the county Juvenile Assessment Center. A school official said he will be suspended for at least 10 days and likely will be expelled.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13604723.htm

[boobooday]

1. Attacks with razor blades are not defensible

However, I, and many others, can totally relate to the feeling of the student who is being harrassed.

This can be so relentless, and pervasive, and so sneaky, that a child can only conclude that they must act to protect themselves, because no one else will.

I was sexually harrassed by another student (a bully) when I was in the sixth grade. However, this was like 1975, when the term sexual harrassment wasn't even really used too much, if at all. Every day he waited for me, and assaulted me, for nearly a year. I could get no relief, until I finally snapped, and beat the holy hell out of him. All I can remember is that I was holding both his ears and bashing his head into the asphalt of the playground. I had been pushed so far over the edge, I'm sure I could have hurt him bad, without even being fully conscious of what I was doing if someone hadn't finally pulled me off of him.

And that was a boy harrassing a girl, so I can only imagine how cruel boys are to other boys.

When my kids went to Middle School, it was hard to believe the stuff that went on when the teachers weren't looking. And it's mostly because there just aren't enough adults to supervise.

I hope that both of these kids get through this okay, and that the bully has learned a little something too.