Bullying and general meanness are unfortunately present in our schools. Yes, it has to do with the immaturity of the students, but does it have to be this way? In a community that prides itself on good middos, what can we do to eliminate this harmful behavior?
We at the Where What When
received this poignant letter. We considered placing it in the Letters to the
Editor but decided that the topic is important and deserves special attention.
We therefore turn to you, our readers. The writer is asking for advice. Let’s
give it to her. We’re sure that many of you have a lot to say. Whether you are
a parent or a student or have been through a similar experience and come out
the other side – please write to us at adswww@aol.com. We will print your
opinions in the next issue.
Dear Where What When,
I am in sixth grade, and school
just started. I have always had a lot of friends, and I really hope I still do
this year. But in my class, there is a small group of girls who have been
making school very hard for me.
They make faces behind my back,
whisper about me right in front of me, and send notes to each other about me.
If I go near them, they sometimes laugh and run away. What bothers me the most
is that they are trying to get other girls to join in, too. I am scared that
girls who were always my friends will start acting differently because of them.
I always try to be nice to
everyone, so I do not understand why they are treating me this way. I try to
ignore it and act like it does not bother me, but it is making me very unhappy.
I do not want to be mean back, but I also do not know how to make it stop.
I am afraid to tell my teachers
because if the girls find out I told, they will make things even worse. I also
do not want everyone to think I am a tattletale.
What should I do? How can I stand
up for myself without making the problem worse? Should I tell an adult even
though I am scared? And how can I stop these girls from getting other people to
join in?
I am writing to Where What
When because I really want some ideas about how to make this situation
better. My sister, who is in high school, thought this would be a good place to
ask for advice.
Thank you,
A Sixth Grader
