Ever notice how chickens and turkeys pick on injured or ill members of their flocks?
Children and adolescents do the same thing, bullying vulnerable victims who are younger, fatter, geekier, handicapped or simply deemed different or unworthy.
Frequently, the victims commit suicide--just as Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old freshman, did in Massachusets last January.
The Irish immigrant hanged herself to escape three months of relentless torment from classmates after she briefly dated a popular upperclassman.
Two boys and four girls aged 16-18 now face felony charges of harassment, stalking, statutory rape and violations of civil rights with bodily injury.
Some staff members of her high school knew about the harassment but did not stop it. They are not being prosecuted, unfortunately.
And many other students knew about the harassment but did not report it.
Hey, bullying and being bullied are rites of passage. Right?
Just like hazing, which also frequently leads to death or injury. Just part of life. Right?
Wrong and wrong. Today's educational institutions are not settings for Lord of the Flies. (4 APRIL 2010)
