A video of four seventh-grade boys mercilessly taunting a 68-year-old bus monitor in New York state that went viral has turned the victim into an international fundraising juggernaut and opened her tormentors to an onslaught of threats and abuse.
From around the world, small donations for Karen Klein poured into the crowd-funding site indiegogo.com, at one point crashing the site and pulling in a staggering $443,057 by early Friday.
At the same time, police in the Rochester suburb of Greece, N.Y., were stepping up patrols around the houses of the middle-schoolers accused of taunting her. Police didn’t name the boys but their purported identities leaked out on the Web.
Greece Police Capt. Steve Chatterton was compelled to warn against vigilante justice. One boy received more than a thousand death threats and commenters online were clear — and sometimes venomous — in their desire that the boys be severely punished.
“A threat for a threat does not make the situation better,” Chatterton said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The verbal abuse was captured in a 10-minute cellphone video recorded Monday by a student of Athena Middle School and later posted to YouTube. The video shows Klein trying her best to ignore the stream of profanity, insults and outright threats. One student taunted: “You don’t have a family because they all killed themselves because they don’t want to be near you.”
Klein’s oldest son killed himself 10 years ago.
Eventually, she appears to break down in tears.
The swell of support for Klein follows a recent surge in awareness of bullying that has brought the issue from the classroom to the stage and screen to the White House. Bullying expert Stephen Birchak, a professor of counseling at Albany’s College of Saint Rose, said the enormous flow of money for Klein is no surprise given the shame we feel as a society over the incident.
The stickier question is: How could the students be so cruel?
Birchak noted that the kids are growing up in a world of harsh political debates and reality TV shows in which berating people is part of the entertainment. Meanwhile, taking videos of people in humiliating situations and sharing the images has become all too normal among many adolescents, “Kids are growing up saying, ‘OK, this is how you treat your fellow human being and it’s OK to do those things,’” he said.
Police said Klein does not want the boys to face criminal charges, partly because of the storm of criticism leveled at them.
Klein told NBC’s “Today” show Thursday that it took “a lot of willpower” not to respond to the jeers from the four boys riding the bus operated by the Greece Central School District. Kleinsaid she was “amazed” at the support she received.
“I’ve got these nice letters, emails, Facebook messages,” she said. “It’s like, wow, there’s a whole world out there that I didn’t know. It’s really awesome.”
Klein did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
The fundraiser flew past its goal of $5,000, initially designed to send the grandmother of eight on a “vacation of a lifetime.” Some 20,875 people had donated by early Friday, many in denominations of $20 or less.
“You want to jump into that bus and you want to grab those kids and say ‘Knock it off!’ And you want to hold her,” said Amy Weber, a 43-year-old independent filmmaker from the Detroit area who pledged $100.
“I think we hear about bullying every day and we become a little desensitized to it. This puts it in our face” said Weber, who is making a feature film about a bully.
Slava Rubin, Indiegogo’s chief executive officer and co-founder, called the outpouring “an incredible campaign.”
“We’re seeing good Samaritans come together to support this brave woman, and we hope that this campaign contributes positively to the important national discussion about bullying,” Rubin said in a prepared statement.
The boys had not yet apologized to Klein as of Thursday afternoon, though police said they regretted their acts. The district will pursue disciplinary actions against all four students.
I would say the boys should learn the way to school on their own. Walking would be nice. 2 miles, each way, uphill, barefoot. They desperately need to gain an appreciation of riding to school.
What happened to respecting our elders??? Ignorance at an all new level. They deserve what is coming their way. Infamy and their new reputations. They thought they were “cool” kids. Now they are pariahs with police protection. Hopefully they will learn from this incident to be…human, but I doubt these animals will learn anything.
Their parents should march them right to Mrs. Klein’s house to apologize. The people threatening the boys are doing no better than they did on the bus.
That’s assuming the parents expect the kids to learn they need to be accountable for their actions. Most parents these days are quick to defend their children, but not to teach them or discipline them for their actions.
These are the Kids liberal policies have created ,congratulations.
Bullies come in all shades. I’d suggest you take a look at the conservative occupant of the Blaine House, for example.
Impossible for you to resist a chance for another jab, ehh.
Name one.
All of them.
NEA
DHHS on speed dial
Anti spanking movement
Everyone’s a winner, participation award folks.
School Psychologist
zero-tolerance policies
The Civil Rights Team Project (CRTP) (s)
Kids Are Just Small Adults
Time-outs vs corporal punishment
I could go in for a week, but work calls.
Anti spanking doesn’t mean you can’t do it. I don’t see how a psychologist would make a kid be a bad kid. Same thing with Zero tolerance polices? Time out vs corporal punishment?
Do some reading, then think on these subjects and it might come to you how these things are harmful to our children and society s a whole.
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” The conservatives who post here are the *cruelest bunch of bullies* I’ve
ever heard from in my life…… they also have kids in real life who
repeat their words I bet.”
What a silly statement, it’s a joke really. Look to who the real bullies are, not Conservatives. Look to see which group is the quickest to pounce when any dare to challenge them. Look to see who is the first to cry and get contrary speech banned, not Conservatives. Look at liberal policies and notice that all of them have some sort of enforcement arm to them, some way to make sure everyone is kept in line. There is always one special group that gets to decide for the rest of us. The funny thing is most Liberals think they will some how be a part of this special caste, exempt some how.Man , are they wrong.
The heart of Conservative beliefs are the want to be left alone, to be free of Government intrusion and control. The heart of liberal beliefs, A strong all powerful Government, that they foolishly believe they will always be able to control.
….
good for you, you have managed to avoid addressing anything pointed out and then was able to go ahead and blame this on LePage, the Gov. of a State miles and miles away from these Monsters some of you are calling children. It is an impressive display of common sense avoidance and Lepage Derangement Syndrome, or just plain ole derangement.
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No Gadael, you are wrong. I taught public schoolers at all levels. I now work with kids and families as a licensed master social worker. I stll go into many schools. Also work with corrections.I used to be a liberal (hardcore). Then I saw the actual results of my way of thinking—just how it plays out in real people’s lives.
Most of today’s ills, including things like this, can safely be laid at the feet of liberals. After all, the definition of modern-day liberalism (as opposed to classical) is “anything goes”.Right, boys?? It’s fun when it’s fun!
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Your problem is that -“schools have to remain neutral” , sadly they have not.
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As long as you agree with the liberal agenda, otherwise it is hate in the name of love and bully in the name of tolerance. Only a fool would believe today’s educational environment is ” neutral”. We now even have students and adults who roam our schools in groups called “The Civil Rights Team Project” if you dare voice any opinion that is counter to the lib/progressive agenda you are toast. So talk all you want about this fantastical “neutral ” school, but any who cares to look knows this is a joke.
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Our Civil Rights are a wonderful,unique offer this Country has afforded us, some of are proud to have served to protect them for the rest of you. But to have a group/faction use the term as a weapon against those who oppose their plans or have differing world views is a disgusting recent development. You seem not to be troubled by student groups empowered with the ability to destroy others, bully them , all in the name of diversity and inclusion. We have seen the left,time and again, attempt or succeed in destroying people for the crime of disagreeing. It is shameful and discussing to see it sanctioned in our schools, with our children used as tools.
It is sad that of those bullet points you listed, how little they mean to some when Conservative views or interest in need of protection.
> freedom of speech-Unless we don’t like it and lable it hate speech.
> the right to vote, Eligibility be damned
> due process of law- equal protection of the laws,with special exemptions and provision when agenda dictates.
> protection from unlawful discrimination, unless you are Conservative or ,God forbid, a religious institution or individual with an opinion.
The last person I need or will take a lecture on the rights and liberties this fine Country has offered its Citizens is from a Liberal/progressive.Your perverted view of our founders and founding documents is directly responsible for the sad state of our society.
I really don’t think that is a fair statement. You rant about free speech or being labeled as a hater, but you end your statement with a snide remark like “The last person I need or will take a lecture on the rights and
liberties this fine Country has offered its Citizens is from a
Liberal/progressive.Your perverted view of our founders and founding
documents is directly responsible for the sad state of our society.” How can that be taken as anything other than an unkind, self-righteous remark? I have noticed a lot of conservatives don’t seem to realize insulting and degrading another person, because of your personal politics, is being hateful. Religious conservatives take it a step farther by commonly referring to people as evil, perverts, pedophiles, mentally challenged, the downfall of society and on and on, but that isn’t hate speech to you? Those are words you see thrown around by conservatives all the time, but that isn’t a form bullying to you? It is one thing to have an opinion and disagree, but completely another to attack someone because they believe differently from you. As Gadael said, It only takes 5 minutes of browsing through a few hot button articles, to see some of the awfully hateful, attack laden statements, made by conservatives.
” It only takes 5 minutes of browsing through a few hot button articles,
to see some of the awfully hateful, attack laden statements, made by
conservatives.”……. While over looking the 10 fold made by liberals. Lib/Progressives pretty up their insults and think themselves clever when they can demean the other person or be dismissive, and somehow avoid being called out on it. It is funny how Liberals seem to get to redefine “Hate” “Bullying ” and other such words when it helps further their cause .
“insulting and degrading another person, because of your personal politics, is being hateful”. Liberal/progressive will take that a step further and demonize, ridicule and/or otherwise attempt to destroy any who dare disagree with their world view. It happens all of the time.
I am sorry if ,pointing out that the failed social experiments and attempts to apply intellectual exercises to the real world have failed miserably when self proclaimed “Intellectuals” attempt to venture into the real world, have failed miserably and that our County has paid dealer for it. Stop, and leave the rest of us alone.
P.S I’m not a religious person , by any definition. Not sure how that fits into your narrative.
Actually, Gadael, I happen to love ambivalence as well as thinking outside the box. I think society’s failure to embrace them is one of our biggest flaws.
But that doesn’t mean “anything goes”, at least in my book.
“Schools have to remain neutral”?? I’m just going to suggest that you become a little more realistic. Public schools are indoctrination centers in 2012.
Oh, and just so you know……some campaigns I worked for: Bernie Sanders, Jesse Jackson, Jerry Brown (for Prez), Amnesty Int’l, Green Party, union representative etc. etc. etc. Guess I qualify as an ex-moonbat, huh…….lol
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Yes, Larry, the death squads in Syria were created by liberal policies too, right?
Upstate New York is hardly a bastion of liberalism.
Most every aspect of every child’s life is filtered through liberal policies.School and Media make up most of a childs day, and when parents might have differing ideas, the liberals have put together a rather intimidating enforcement machine that can come jumping in at a drop of a hat. If your kid is in a public school, and you care at all and bother to look, you will see how little parent are thought of by those folks. They truly believe they know whats best, always, for you child and that parents rarely do.
Yes because a parent has not control over there child. Yes parents should just throw there hands up because they have no control how there kid turns out. Its all the school and teachers fault that a kid is bad. No the problem is when issues are raised to parents they just shrug and say Kids will be kids.
“Paranoia strikes deep; into your life it will creep….” (And, of course, it couldn’t possibly be at home that kids learn to be bullies! ;-))
Perhaps that has been your experience of the public school system.
Did you ever for even one split second consider that they might have some good ideas to help your children flourish?
No, but public schools are. Duh.
These are the kids their parents created, congratulations
Why do you folks on here have to turn every darn article into a political debate? Cant it just be about this poor woman, who has already faced so much tragedy in her life? She has done the ultimate pain any parent has to deal with by burrying one of her children, save nothing from the fact that he actually committed suicide. A parent shouldnt have to bury a child. My mom has had to bury three of her children and let me tell you that it’s a pain that nobody can ever understand unless you have actually been there. Please, lets try to get along enough to make our comments about the actual story in these instances and leave the political party bickering to the articles where that is actually appropriate.
When I was a kid I was taught to respect my elders. If I had acted like those heathens did to that poor lady the punishment I would have faced from my parents would have been severe (and rightfully so). I’m also sure that I would have been kicked off the bus and faced a suspension from school.
I hope those little ingrates are taught a lesson they’ll never forget……
These children are the reality that we face in schools today. This isn’t just bus behavior or targeting of an elderly lady. This kind of thing goes on all day at school. Is there any wonder that our schools are failing? Why can’t such behavior be disciplined on a regular basis? I think it could have something to do with why the problem exist in the 1st place. Schools don’t want to offend angry parents because school leaders have about as much power or spine as such parents have interest in raising quality human beings.
What goes around comes back around, the kids will no doubt remember and regret their stunt. It’s a good thing the event went viral, everyone on earth will see it. This is the time now to address bullying and replace it with respect.
This is really terrible. I tried to watch the video here and on another news source, but could only get through about half, before I become too upset. Some parents are, apparently, incapable of teaching their children common decency and respect. I can’t imagine how much worse they probably are to the other students. Imagine a gay student suffering that kind of torment and ridicule everyday they go to school, and maybe some people will understand why so many are resorting to suicide. This is just another example of why we need anti-bullying legislation. Hopefully, the boys, and their parents, learn that you cannot get away with treating people this way.
When I went to utube yesterday morning, I too made it about 4 minutes of the 10 minute clip. Had to shut it off.
At that time I was happy to see that there was $98k in donations and look at it now! Americans open their wallets when they see a true wrong!
Oh ya: When I rode the bus in the 60s, we’d never even heard of a bus monitor.
I hear ya. I would have thought a 68yo grandmother would also be the last person they would put in that position. It was nice to read about so many people that have come out to give her support. If I had ever pulled a stunt like that, I would have seen the back of my mother’s hand so many times I would be seeing stars. In another story I read that the boys have made an official apology, and Southwest airlines is going to fly her and 9 people to Disneyland for a free vacation. If only every case of bullying got this kind of reaction. When asked if she thought the boys were bad kids, she said “Not really, not deep down”. They are lucky she has some true character.
008
Oh so true ! And if we got too rowdy, the bus driver cooled us down very quickly. Bus drivers have to concentrate on driving the bus safely.
Brutalizing a 68 year old monitor by crude and uncivilized louts would have been shut down within the first minute or two by our bus drivers (in the 60’s)
The last thing I needed to see on the anniversary of my Mothers passing. I too, had to stop it (video). I cannot believe what I am seeing, yet as other posters have stated this is comonplace all over the globe. What a sad commentary on society as a whole. This is not only the case with kids of this age, it is permeated our society. I had a man in his 70’s cuss me out at the grocery store the other day because the clerk was having difficulty completing a transaction with my debit card. It was neither of our falt, just an eletronic device not acting properly. People cut you off in traffic, act as if a stop sign is a mere suggestion and pull out in front of you, when in a crowded venue, people walk two and three abrest and challenge you to move aside or run into you, been to an airport lately and gone through security? It is like WWF wresteling getting through the TSA checkpoint. It has not a thing to do with one’s politics, it is selfishness, self centeredness and arrogance. Those of us raised in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s learned different from our elders, and they were held in high regard as our mentors. When your parents both have to work, and are absent from the process of child rearing for whatever reason be it employment, crack smoking, promiscuity, or in prison kids figure out their own personal ethics. I was fortunate to have two loving, caring parents in the home during my upbringing, and grandparents on the next farm over to assist in my rearing. Yes, there were transgressions on my part as with any child, but they were dealt with in a firm, fair and consistant manner up to and including corperal punishment. I was never abused at any point, although what was commonplace in the late 50’s, early 60’s would have most likely incurred the visit of a social worker in today’s mindset. I went on to serve my country, grace the halls of academia and in turn impart the same values in my kids, which they have done with theirs as well. I do believe we are witnessing the decline of civilization as we know it. I am glad I will not be around to witness.
I grew up pretty much the same way in The County with the same values. Even after 30+years in Mass, I’m still shocked by the increasingly uncivil ways of people of all ages.
Thank you for expressing my thoughts (with your superior typing skills!). :)
Buzlno, thanks, I am not sure about the typing skill part though! I need spellcheck on here! When I swiched from Firefox back to Brand X, the spell check went as well.
If I’d written that piece, I would’ve repeated myself at least twice!
I lost my autocorrect when I want to Apple, but at least the misspells are underlined. Keeps my spelling sharp. A friend wanted to give me the ‘Dragon’ speech to text software, but if I used that my verbosity would explode! Better this way. :)
I guess I should start using my I-Pad I bought a few months ago!
They Had NO RIGHT To Put Their hands on her and should be arrested!! as far as their mouths the parents have to deal with that…I have a few suggestions!!
It’s their parents who should be arrested.
Parents? Sounds to me like they’re being brought up on auto-pilot.
So, the student who took the video and posted it perhaps did not realize he was creating a firestorm of sympathy for Mrs. Klein; he/she wanted to preserve this to show the “braveness” of the middle school students? Guess all of the bullying mentor programs have not been working.
If any of those kids were mine, they would wish they were in jail. I can’t imagine how any of their parents could watch this video and not make their kid apologize. I feel so bad for that woman. She’s almost 70 years old, probably doing that job for extra money and has to deal with those little assholes. The one on the right side whos head kept popping into the video needs to be slapped. I was never bored enough at that age to keep harassing somebody for 10 minutes staright. I never harassed anybody at all. I have 4 kids and I have taught my kids to be nice to everybody if they like them or not. They are aware that everybody is different..some are short, tall, fat , thin, black, white..I don’t understand how some parents let their kids become so cruel, but the parents should be embarrased and the kids should be ashamed. I hope she uses the money that has been donated and lives the rest of her life happy and NOT doing that job.
What these little jerks need is some counseling. “wall to wall counseling” as my DI would like to say…
Straight to military school for these little SOBs.
My children go to the Holbrook Middle School. The bullying there is unbelievable. I hope this is not the norm in most schools. Bullys are very smart. They only bully when no one is watching. You can not take your eyes off kids, they will take full advantage. I hope my kids’ school saw this news article and wake up to reality.
They ought to make those 4 little punks go clean her yard, and scrub her toilets. While she looks on and laughs. Punks. And, their parents should be ashamed!
One of my questions in all of this is why did’n the bus driver do something? He or she could have stopped the bus and called the school for someone to come and remove the boys off the bus.
School bus drivers are now limited in what they can do and or say to the jerks and creeps who occupy their buses on a daily basis. Bus drivers can’t touch their passengers. The threat of litigation by the jerks and creeps parents is an imminent menace hanging over the bus driver’s head.
The bus drivers are also on a time schedule, Quite often, they have to make a return trip to another school in their district for a second run. Parking their bus on the side of the road and waiting for officials to remove the jerks and creeps from the bus would cause alarm and chaos for the driver’s 2nd run, parents waiting to pick up very young students and grandparents, waiting at home to take care of the little darlings until their parents get home…..etc.
So, let them wait. There have been times when I as a parent have had to wait for my kids to be dropped off. What if the bus were to break down? Then they’d have to wait. Any parent with any sense would rather have the bus stopped and have to wait for their kids than to see this kind of thing going on. I know I would.
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RIGHT THERE!!! Parents blame everyone else…let the blame lay with those who are guilty and suffer the medicine!!
And that is exactly the mentality that gives us these little bullies.
SEVENTH GRADE isn’t that about 13? The overreaction here is incredible, but in our ever-so-politically-correct nanny state not unexpected.
So go ahead take these little boys out and stone them to death and show all of us who passed through middle school without expatiation of civility (from either teachers or classmates) that the civilization has advanced since our time.
The truth (which no one wants to hear) is that middle-schoolers require specialized personnel, and obviously the “victim” was unequipped to deal with her charges.
The challenge of stopping a large rock from rolling down a hill is to stop it BEFORE it gains speed. I would say the bus monitor on this bus needs to be between 23 and 28 years old, , over six feet tall, with a good sense of humor, and the ability to stop large rocks before they get rolling.
I’m not diagreeing with you..maybe someone else would have been better suited for this job. However, if someone “needs to be between 23 and 28 years old and over six feet tall” to be the bus monitor on that bus, what chance do other kids that age or younger have with dealing with these kids? And that is the problem here…those kids have no respect, compassion or sense of right or wrong.
ok, pal, I dont care if you have a degree or just watch a lot of Dr. Phil….You sir dont have a clue. I have over six years of working directly with Juveniles who are troubled. These kids have no excuse for their behavior. I have kids who have been victims of bulling. The only specialized personal attetnion these “little darlings” deserve is a pat on the butt, months of chores, no video games, tv or any fun until they realize that behaviors like these can have long lasting and somtimes fatal effects on their victims.
six years? You must know-it-all.
You have your right to your opinion.
Nanny state? When should kids be punished for thier behavior? What should kids have to do to be punished? This is simple treating humans with respect.
Why should they treat ANYONE with respect?
Our Governor turns his back on the President of the USA, and works on his laptop while the President talks.
People continually flash hand signals at other motorists on the highway.
The guy below this post calls me “pal” although we do not know each other, and I am surely not his friend.
So you are welcome to your view. I do not share it. You perfect folks of age to be parents to these children have reaped the crop you planted and nurtured.
When adults stop giving me the finger, and pushing in front of me at the Hannaford, I’ll listen to their complaints about the children. Till then, my view will be unaltered.
A bit self-possessed, Mark??
I’m absolutely sure your comment has some deep meaning. I just don’t get it. Probably my fault.
I agree, if a bus monitor is needed, it should be a more intimidating one. However, these boys did do wrong.
I mean, we’ve all probably made fun of an adult as a kid with our friends. But never have I ever seen multiple kids ganging up on one victim, particularly an adult, for so so long. It’s disgusting behavior that we can’t accept as a society.
What are you talking about?? Stone them to death??
Weird.
And any decent parent of any of those brats should have marched their child to that woman’s house and made him apologize. These parents are probably defending their little angels. And that is why those kids are the way they are.
Karen Klein held her composure in a barrage of cruel and vulgar invective hurled at her for 10 long minutes. I was repulsed when I watched and listened to the cruel and brutal slurs launched at Karen Klein by “12 and 13” year olds.
Mrs. Klein has received $443,000 in an outpouring of support from the part of the world that is still civilized. She could donate a portion of it to the Greece Public School District to establish mandatory classes to teach adolescents proper etiquette, manners, public restraint and decorum.
Parents, for the most part, are still teaching civilized behavior to their children at home….but for those who aren’t teaching acceptable social behavior to their children, the schools they attend should fill in the omission and neglect (via required social behavior classes) that is absent from the home environment. These negligent parents expect teachers to raise their children anyway.
The quality of these kid’s parents are demonstrated in one simple sentence: “The boys had not yet apologized to Klein as of Thursday afternoon…”
When I was these kid’s age, I tried bullying once. I thought I could get away with it– The moment my parents found out, I was immediately dragged right to the kid’s house and had to knock on the door and apologize to the kid and to both his parents face to face. I never bullied another kid ever again.
Kids like this need an ex-Marine drill Sargent for a school bus monitor not a grandmotherly lady.
Patom1 had the right idea: walk each way to school, 2 miles all uphill, barefoot and in the snow, like the old folks like to say.
THis is society today. Kids arent held accountable. No Punishment. Just give them a 10 minute time out and everythings good.
These bullies needed a palm to their butts when they were younger! I know there will be some that say oh no….that is abuse! They will claim the children need time outs! BS! I saw a young mother in the Sams parking lot the other day….a 6 month old in the cart, and her 4 (?) year old daughter throwing a tantrum. The little girl was screeching, hitting her mother, jerking away and running around out of control. Someone offered to help her with the cart so she could control her daughter…she refused, stating the child was “having a moment” THAT child needed a slap on the rear! She will grow into a monster, just as the bullies in the bus
I agree with your statement wholeheartedly. Unfortunately today’s society has made it a crime to punish your children, and while there was 1 in the parking lot willing to help with her cart I’m sure there were at least 10 others waiting to call the police or DHHS if she disciplined the child.
I believe my mother raised me right and I am trying to do the same with my children. They get love and discipline. But I’ve had so many neighbors/friends/professionals/etc. along the way question every decision I make. I’ve had the police knock on my door to check on a “domestic disturbance”…my daughter was throwing a tantrum and I smacked her rear and put her in her room. I believe discipline is a needed part of love for a child to grow into a respectful and productive adult, but every “professional” out there tells me I am wrong.
I am made of sterner stuff and will continue to do what I feel is appropriate to keep my children from turning into kids like in this article. I wish I could say that most other parents are also made of sterner stuff, but I know I would only be kidding myself. Until people who want to be parents stop listening to everyone else about how to raise a child, this will continue.
With 12 and 13 year old boys, threatening to take away electronics (TV, video games, internet, cell phone, ALL of it) for a long but believable duration (a month) works wonders.
Does a slap on the rear more often cause a child to be quiet or cause them to cry more?
In my experience (yes, I have spanked) it tends to make them cry more. If you spank them so hard they suddenly get quiet, that’s probably because it hurt and they are scared of Mommy or Daddy.
Just my opinion.
I hope those kids are severely punished… my school would not tolerate this one bit at all
If my kids EVER, and I mean EVER, treated a human being like this, they would not for one second forget where they came from once I got hold of them. It is absolutely horrifying and disgusting that these children are filled with such hatred and find amusement in attacking an innocent woman like this. What is this world coming to?!
Nothing the return to public caning wouldn’t cure!
And these are the kids Liberals think are our future? I think not!
So only kids of Liberals, are bullies? I think not. These kids bullied this women, because they thought themselves better then she. They came from a well to do neighborhood, they did it because, it made them feel powerful, from my experience, poor kids as a rule do not bully, it the rich ones.
This does not just happen in schools or on the bus. I know, as I was bullied at work, right here in wholesome little Bangor, Maine. It got so bad, that I had to leave the job. The bully faced no consequences, the bosses brushed it aside as “office politics” and the other (four) employees were too frightened that they would be the next target, to stand up to her. Three actually joined her “game” and participated. I had a small taste of it, but I know exactly how anyone who is bullied feels. I can see why some young children and teens resort to hurting themselves just to escape the pain and depression.
We as a society have a huge problem on our hands, as it is generational. The person who bullied me has two young daughters, a husband, and she rules them with an iron hand. How sad that they will probably grow up to perpetuate the cycle.
Don’t write that bully’s kids off yet! She probably had a really tough mom too.
If we are always saying that a child of a bully will become a bully, I’m willing to bet that a child of a bully wouldn’t feel much like trying.
We should encourage kids like that to become the change they want to see in the world.
^^^^Birchak noted that the kids are growing up in a world of harsh political
debates and reality TV shows in which berating people is part of the
entertainment.
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It applies as well to the comment sections of online publications as well.
I agree. Go to any popular song on Youtube and look at all the bickering there. It’s worse than on here. And every young person (6-36) knows to go to Youtube if you want to hear a song.
My question is why have the parents not made these children apologize to this woman. They should be made to write a written apology as well as a public one. (not that this would make it any better but at least take some responsibility for their actions) I tell you what if this was my child or even my grandchild he or she would not be allowed any sort of fun or activity for a very long time. Suspension from school would be too easy. Maybe make them walk to school for awhile would be a good thing. My grandson told his teacher he didn’t like her and was made to apologize in person and also written and he has never done anything like that again and actually likes his teacher. Some parent and I am not saying all allow their children to get away with way too much now. I would probably have never seen the light of day until I graduated from High School if I did something like this.
No electronics for a solid month.
TV, video games, computer, phone. All gone.
THAT is the sort of punishment a lot of kids respond to.
It’s often said we should leave a world thats better for our children but I think we should focus on leaving children who are better for our world.
I think what these kids did is outrageous and it disgusts me. But what I dont understand is why she is getting money let alone half a million and a trip to Disney World.
She didnt lose anything financially by the bullying…so I am curious…She did not deserve to be treated with such disrespect and I am sure she is the sweetest lady in the world but where was that Airline hiding at when it came/comes to other people who are bullied but just not video taped? Where were/all the donations when a teen commits suicide and begged the school for help, or the parent who begged for help? Her story is not the only one we hear about on a daily basis. Or the teen/adult who is brave enough to get through such tragedy..where are their rewards?
I hope she donates what she doesn’t need to anti-bullying charities.
It seems to me that besides blaming the parents of these children it might behoove us to take a look at the people working in the Congress of the United States! We all know them; they’re the ones trying to make a big name for themselves by belittling anything and everything they don’t like. There used to be a code of ethics in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and because of that, we were able to hold those people in high regard. They had INTEGRITY.
As we all know, those days are long gone now so it makes me wonder: how can a lowly Bus Aide, trying to eke out a supplemental wage in the twilight of her years, ever again get the respect she so richly deserves?
Isn’t it a sad commentary for our future as a people, when men and women who work for (or are trying to work for) our government, can be viewed on the evening news any night of the week, disrespecting not only women, the elderly, gays and the poor, but also the President of the United States?
Are we willing to become the “Do As I Say; Not As I Do” Society? Or can we somehow muster the fortitude to fight this problem head-on, so that our country might someday regain the cordial and respectful society we once were? You know, the USA that had people who worked side by side WITH each other for the betterment of this country and as a result, for the betterment of all who lived here. The USA that stood for something good rather, than fighting to get to the head of the line by slandering anyone and everyone in their way.
If not, then what hope is there for any of us to ever be respected again?
as i sit here watching this i must thank my mom and dad although they are divorced they were the ones who taught me to respect elders , now my 9 year old son just walked up and listened to what those kids were saying about her and his words thats just not right at all , so i am proud to say my kids have manners i feel for her so bad
Kids like that need to have charges pressed against them, they do not learn easily. These kids are low class to talk that way. It is even worse that they are doing it to an adult, kids usually act different to adults. Wonder how that act around their peers, it makes me cringe thinking about it.. Stupid to video tape it, morons. Hope she retires and lives a happy life.
I am curious as to the level of authority bus drivers and bus monitors have in situations like this? As an adult Karen made the choice to keep her cool but what if the adults witness a child being bullied? Do they have any authority to stop and kick them off . . .call police. . .what? My concern is growing!
“When I was a kid I was taught to respect my elders.” …………………….. Your statement says it all right there.
The biggest problem in today’s society is that in the big push against children abuse, the consequences is that it has made such a grey area, that Parents and Adults are afraid to discipline kids and the kids know it.
It is the bus monitors job to notify the driver of misbehavior by
students. That she did not do this but instead allowed the behavior to
continue makes this incident at least partially her own fault.