Bullies Off

‘HAVING dealt with those nasty Flashman-type bullies who torment our poor foxes, the Government now turns its attention to bullying at school.

‘Look out! He’s got a bracelet!’

The message to the poor youngster - guilty of being too small, too geeky or too clever - who’s having his head pushed down the lavatory, has long been to “stand up to them”.

The best way to deal with a bully, says the advice from upstairs, is to give them something back. Bullies are all cowards at heart.

Problem is so are many of their victims and, given that they’re being routinely set upon and tormented, standing up to the bully has less appeal than running away.

But now comes a brilliant new plan that will stamp out bullying once and for all. The Guardian says that the victim can now wear a simple green protective wristband (it’s blue everywhere else).

“Wearing the band will give young people the opportunity to make a visible commitment that they are not prepared to tolerate bullying and stand by their friends,” says Stephen Twigg, the schools minister.

All very well and good, so long as the victim has any friends and the bully is as scared of the green band as Superman was of a stick of Kryptonite.

But this is Anti-Bullying Week, and the call is for students to help protect the victims from systematic abuse that can destroy lives.

(If it’s such a great idea, why hasn’t the Government made it Anti-Bullying Month, Year or even Decade?)

And don’t worry if the big boys or spiteful girls keep taking your bracelet, because you can always get another one - or offer to buy your old one back from them as they hold you upside down and shake the change from your pockets at break time…’

Posted: 22nd, November 2004 | In: Uncategorized Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink