Flush money down the toilet, throws dollar bills in the toilet, loss concept, close up, selective focus
“When bullied children stay home to avoid hurtful relationships, schools lose tens of millions of dollars each year, a new study says.” (Education Week)
According to The Atlantic (theatlantic.com) in a 2013 article by Eleanor Barkham, “160,000 kids stay home from school each day to avoid being bullied.” (https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp/.theatlantic.com/amp/article/280201/)
It adds up. Imagine those numbers per week, per month, and school year.
Each state funds each of its schools a specific dollar amount per day, per child in attendance. Therefore, when a student is absent from class on any given day, the school loses money for that particular student.
Many schools choose to sweep incidences of bullying under the rug. Even sadder is the fact that all too often, it’s the victims who get labeled the troublemakers, blamed for the incident, and punished while the bullies get let off the hook.
One hundred dollar bill on fire, male going bankrupt, losing money, inflation
This only encourages the bullies to bully the victim later. It’s the same cycle, which is why many victims begin skipping school to avoid their tormentors and the teachers and staff who continuously blame them for their own suffering.
I can’t say I blame these kids for staying home. Many times, I skipped class myself when I was in school and a victim of harassment. Who wants to be in an environment where they’re used and abused? You might as well stay home because you’re so busy watching your back that you don’t learn anything.
If bullying isn’t addressed at the district level, more bullied kids will skip school to avoid being tormented, and schools will lose more funds.
In my opinion, it serves these schools, right! It’s funny how things always run full circle!
With knowledge comes empowerment!
I pretended to be sick all the time and in high school I probably skipped a third of my classes…I almost didn’t graduate…people thought I was stupid 😓😓
I can relate, Jim! I did the same things! Missed seventeen days during freshman year and almost had to repeat the year.
I had to do a lot of make up stuff to graduate with a grade 12 diploma 😁😁
I completely understand! But you did it! 🏆🎉
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New realization is that now bullying contribute to economic issues…who would have thought 🤔
I know! It does contribute to money problems and sometimes bullies will try to black ball their targets.
Absolutely…🙏
Our school funding system didn’t work like this in 1970s or 80s here in 🇿🇦 South Africa. And, as I was a teacher’s kid, getting bullied was guaranteed and, of course, I couldn’t call upon Dad. Just had to take it on the chin and man up. The pent-up frustration is perhaps why I had brought bullying political leaders down, except for the idiot of 16 Jan 2021. Let God sort him out instead.
It seems that teacher’s kids get the worst of it. 💯 I’m so sorry you dealt with such vile treatment!
It made me strong 💪
I believe so. You can either let bullying make you or break you. It sounds like you let it make you and that is to be admired! 😊
It never was easy and one really has to choose between being broken, breaking things or breaking the cycle.
I know firsthand it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy for me to overcome either. But WE DID IT! 😃 Yayyy! And you broke the cycle so that makes you a winner!🏆 (ding-ding-ding!) 🥊🥊🥊
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And kids miss a ton of school because of bullying often faking illness or missing the school bus and hiding somewhere.
Absolutely they do! 💯 I did both of those things back when I was bullied in school!
I really think and I don’t know what the answer to it is but parents and concerned citizens have got to start taking a stand against schools that allow bullying. Everyone should do research and find out their school systems bullying policy. A few still don’t have them and many that do let’s just say is generic as all get out. Schools should have mandatory training for all teachers, staff, and administration on dealing with bullies and if a child is tormenting other kids they should become the parents problem. People need to start protesting against schools and school boards that do nothing but allow their kids to be tortured. We all have got to get our heads out of the sand and do more than complain but never take action and always want someone else to do the work.
Parents are beginning to stand up against bullying. However, if they’re are bullies in the school-system, they’ll only retaliate against the parents if they have a lot of power. But this doesn’t mean the parents should stop fighting for the rights of their children.
Also, anti-bullying policies are good but in most cases, only as good as the paper they’re printed on. Many school boards have bullies sitting on them, and as we know, are well connected. They only ignore the policies.
But still, parents should keep fighting and many do even at the risk of themselves and their children being doxxed by the school board. That happens a lot these days.
We have a granddaughter who is going through this right now. She is biracial and the bully is calling her derogatory names. Her mother has been to the school numerous times, but nothing happened. The last time she stayed home playing sick, we went as the grandparents. I think the only soltion will be to change schools next year.
My heart breaks for your granddaughter, Molly! 💔 And sadly, in many cases, the target usually has to change schools before things get better- especially if the bullying has gone on for a long time and the bullies have become comfortable with mistreating their target. Please let her know that none of their rotten behavior is her fault and that there’s nothing wrong with her. Please tell her that she is enough and that she has value no matter what her classmates tell her. 💖💐🌹
It seems to be only the one girl. The other kids aren’t playing along with the game. This makes her fortunate.
She’s very fortunate! If it’s only one girl, chances are that bullying will die down fairly quickly because if the kids aren’t going along, the bully will pick up on that and go pick on someone who has less support. I just feel terrible for the next kid too.
It’s a good starting point for Asian countries.
Absolutely! 💯🎯 It’s something everyone needs to consider.
I had no other choice, I couldn’t have skipped school. The truant officer was everywhere. Furthermore, any attempts to feign sickness was just seen by mother and grandmother as just an excuse to not go to school and nothing to do with bullies. I just had to endure it.
Wow! I hate that for you, Michael.
Girl Cherie, now ain’t this the truth that I have heard other parents mention:
“Many schools choose to sweep incidences of bullying under the rug. Even sadder is the fact that all too often, it’s the victims who get labeled the troublemakers, blamed for the incident, and punished while the bullies get let off the hook.”
It’s almost the same with a whistleblower. Report the atrocity and you are the problem. 😱 That’s pretty screwed up. Thanks for bringing attention to that point girlfriend. 😯👍🏼🤗
Absolutely right on both points. 💯🎯 And the reason bullies get let off the hook is because, many times, theory have powerful connections at work or they excel in sports and grades at school. In other words, they make the school look good!
Ah ha! And if you’re a bully and you make the school look good and receive a lot of financial support, you get several “Don’t worry about serving any time” let alone several FREE reoccurring “get out of jail” cards! SMH 😤😖🤨 Oh yeah, justice is really being served huh??? 🤔
Amen, sistah! You hit the nail on the head with this! And it’s why many bullies think they’re untouchable!
How tragic, sad, and outrageous! Such a menace to society! UGH! 😝😠😫
You bet it is! 💯🎯
I hope this comment lands on the correct post. My techno-equipment is glitching. Good entry. Schools lose big dollars when they mishandle bully events. Our schools lose about $60 dollars, per child, when kids are out of school. Times that times hundreds of days each year, you have huge $ loss to the public school system. Schools, centers, colleges & senior centers need to get smarter when bullies are reported to them. Also, great book review… sounds like a good book on a very important topic.
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Thank you so much, Linda! And you’re so right about everything you mentioned here! 💯 It all adds up to huge losses!
The school system right now is definitely not addressing bullying how it should, like many other issues. There is a pervasive problem of not really administrating fitting consequences, if there are any consequences at all. As a teacher, we put up with admin not really backing us up with effective consequences, and at times we end up needing to fend off terrible student behavior alone in the classroom.
My heart goes out to you. 💔 And you’re right! Schools have never really addressed the problem I don’t think. And school boards and teacher’s unions are a joke and a waste of taxpayers money. They don’t care about the students or teachers. They only care about power and money. That’s it. Teachers don’t have any rights anymore and the boards of education nor teachers unions back them. School boards and teacher’s unions are all about politics, that’s it.
There is definitely a lot of politics involved, but I wouldn’t say the union have not supported me at all. There is some support.
I’m so glad to hear this. 💖🙂 Some teacher’s unions get some good people who truly want to help. However, most are terrible. There are good teachers who get no support whatsoever. It takes a special person to teach these days. Teaching has become a dangerous profession these days.