In the 1970s, when the Gorilla was just a young chimp, there were strict rules in school and whether you were attending private or public school, you knew the rules. You knew you couldn’t get away with swearing, chewing gum, or talking back. You knew you couldn’t smoke, talk back to the teachers, or horse around (an old school term). And, you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if you broke those rules, your mom and dad would break your neck! (At least that was the threat), and for all intensive purposes- it worked! This strict code of conduct that basically scared everyone straight, worked back then. It made kids want to behave; after all, the stern face of that hard-nosed principal sitting in front of you when you had been remanded to his office was too much to bear. For that reason alone, following the rules seemed like a good alternative. Unfortunately those golden days of kids fearing the wrath of their teachers is a thing of the past. Teachers no longer have the upper hand in schools, and for the most part, many of the teachers the Gorilla spoke to said they actually “fear” many of their students. This limits them as to what they will and will not say and do to the students when they act up, putting them in the precarious position of vulnerability, rather than authority. The president of the Baltimore Maryland Teacher’s Union, Marietta English, say’s that she normally receives two to three complaints a day about assaults on teachers. An art teacher was recently assaulted and beaten by a student at her school after she told the girl to sit down and behave. The assault was recorded on one student’s cell phone and posted on the Internet, further proving that some kids actually seemed to enjoy watching the attack. Now the teacher says she is just “too afraid” to return to the classroom. The student was suspended, but what happens to the next teacher who might make this girl angry? And what about the group of third graders at a Georgia Elementary school, who actually plotted to attack their teacher for about a month, but were luckily tipped off by a student and arrested before they could do any harm. Baltimore mayor, Sheila Dixon, says the problem is getting out of hand and stern discipline is needed, but how? State School Superintendent, Nancy S. Grasmick, called for increased character education, community partnerships, and parental responsibility. Local schools in the Gorilla’s town have implemented zero tolerance programs, which teach kids to adhere to a strict policy of telling teachers about anyone they suspect is causing problems, bullying, or breaking rules. And the great part is they can do it anonymously. Many schools throughout the U.S. are adopting this zero tolerance program in hopes that it will cut in half the number of threatening incidents and violence in the schools.
But, what about the parents of these kids? What is their role in preventing their kids from doing this? Do they even care? Dr. Fabian Redler, a child Psychologist, says that “parents need to pay attention to their kids behavior at home.” He says that how a child acts at home towards other siblings, friends, and their parents is a crucial indicator in pinpointing and preventing acts of anger and rage in school. But sadly, many parents are too embarrassed by their kid’s behavior at home to tell anyone, including the schools, fearing that it will be a reflection of poor parenting on their part. What a shame!