It's hard to watch the video of middle school bus monitor Karen Klein being bullied by a crew of nasty kids and not get angry. Like many Americans, the imagery of a 68-year-old Klein brought to tears by their disgusting taunts sent me hurtling back in time to my own days in the torture chamber that is a bus ride when you're the bullies' favorite target. But folks, angry isn't going to fix this.
Death threats aren't going to fix this. Let me repeat that. Death threats are being hurled at a bunch of 11- and 12-year-old children. Because as cruel and vile as these kids were acting, every bully on that Athena Middle School bus is just that. A child. And the bullies who have taken over the conversation about what happened to Karen Klein do more to explain how this horrific incident happened in the first place than they do to fix it.
It doesn't take a whole lot of digging into kids' psyches to understand that kid bullies pick up their bad behavior from somewhere. And that somewhere is the adults who role model poor attitudes. So what happens when adults respond to a bunch of middle schoolers bullying their bus monitor with more bullying?
The bad behavior is multiplied tenfold. This hurts the kids in Greece, New York, but it goes much further. Thanks to the cruel people on the Internet, kids around the nation are getting the message that the best way to react to a bad situation is with anger, threats ... essentially with MORE bullying.
There are no lessons learned, no positives, at least not for society. Sure, some of the kids have apologized to the bus monitor, as they should. I'm glad to hear that their parents and the school district seem to be taking this whole incident seriously.
But let's remember, these are just kids. Even Klein herself said she wanted an apology but did not think they were bad kids, at least not deep down. She doesn't even want to press charges against the middle school bullies, despite the fact that they dredged up the pain of her child's suicide.
This doesn't excuse their actions. But it does put them in the proper light. Remember when you were a kid and you did something stupid? You learned more from some firm discipline from a calm, collected parent than from someone screaming in your face, didn't you? These middle schoolers need to see someone acting like the "bigger person," rather than sinking to their level if they're going to unlearn their bad habits.
We have a chance here to teach the kids on that bus, and kids around the world, that the kind of verbal abuse delivered on Karen Klein is not acceptable. We can't make what happened to her go away -- no matter how much money we throw at her -- but we can catch kids while they're still young, while their minds are still pliable, and teach them how to treat one another.
But as long as we approach these kids with anger and vitriol, they aren't getting that message. We are just creating more bullies.
Take a look at some of the aftermath of this story:
What is your response to the kids on that bus? What would you like to say to them?
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Comments 41
I say screw that, the DA has the right to pick up charges, and the school district needs to offer her a settlement. What happened to was uncalled for, and I am sorry, all my older kids knew what they were doing at that age. Those kids aren't stupid.
And it is a learned behavior to be cruel to someone. I dont understand this. This is why there should be a zero tollerance policy and i still say the bus driver was at fault too for not stopping that bus and getting a handle on it.
I have to say she's a better person than I. I would be at the school district and city's throats over this. Oh man would I ever be. Also food for thought, this is our next generation of lawyers, doctors, police , and EMS not to stay also our military. They should be made accountable and with parental permission thier sentences need to be made public.
I for one as a parent am deeply conerned. My daughter wouldnt havent hessitated to stand up to these kids. I can't beileve no one helped her. Actually no one helping her really disturbs me, whatever happened to respect your elders. *sigh*
she probably doesnt give a dam anymore. now everyone dislikes thoses kids AND she might be a millionair soon shes done good now she doesnt need to press charges or hate them or anything.
We need to change the tone of this completely. I am glad Ms. Klein declined to press charges and that the boys have begun to deal with the results of their behavior with public apologies, but that isn't enough. They should be denied the privilege of riding the bus and with Ms. Klein's cooperation should be required to do community service with her having the right of first refusal for their time. Perhaps if they spend time doing her gardening or painting her garage or cleaning her basement they will start to identify with her as a fellow human being. So often in our society people are marginalized; by their looks or by their job or by the fact that they are "different," they are the other and not deserving of our empathy. Why was this woman, ostensibly on the bus as a monitor not given the authority and support necessary to do the job? Why did these children think that they could do and say the things they did? So often children in this country are not taught that every single person, no matter how they look or who they are or what they do are deserving of respect. Perhaps if they had been so taught they would have gotten to know Ms. Klein and discovered the things that they had in common and understood that she deserved to be respected.
And a good swat.
Okay these aren't preschoolers! They are still children, but they are old enough to know better. They knew what they were doing. They aren't innocent little babies! That being said, I don't agree with them or their families getting death threats (the people making these threats are just as bad as them IMO) but they do need to be punished severely.
This was down right cruel, & unexceptable, I hope they punish these kids some how to let them know that they can not get away with this, & to let other kids know that there will be a punishment if this happens., & No!!!! IT's Not O>K>!!!!! Very Sad!!!!!!
i vote you let them tour juvie and dress in the orange garb and walk around in handcuffs so they can see what can happen if they continue to act in such a way.
Down here where I live they would have been sent to ISS in the VERY least...if not ISS AND community service OR the STARR program (which is simular to juvi but you are only there from 7am to 6pm).