Interventional policies and practices needed to prevent bullying and its harm [ScienceDaily.com]

NOT ENOUGH! When bloggers only point out that students bully, s/he is tacitly inferring that with age comes the maturity to not bully. The blogger is perpetuating a myth by failing to look at other **already extensively researched** forms of bullying, such as workplace bullying. Workplace bullying has been studied extensively around the world, and in virtually all other western countries,  laws have been enacted to prevent it. We here, in America??? ... well our blinders are still on, and the earplugs stuck in. Employees have gone through every bit as intense bullying as that meted out in the school yard; adults, however, know how to 'do it' with subtlety. 

Teachers (at the same schools with anti-bullying policies) have completed suicide from bullying. In La Puente, CA, an administrator publicly yelled at teacher Jennifer Lenihan in front of her students. After enduring months of bullying, Ms. Lenihan went on medical leave. Despite the obvious infliction of emotional distress, the district denied her claim for workers compensation, and then terminated her for not returning to the classroom.  That same administrator who bullied Ms Lenihan also called the county sheriff to interrogate high school leaders (without parental knowledge and consent) for posting stickers promoting a board of education election at 'back to school night'. The administrator threatened to personally contact any college those leaders applied to, in order to label them 'terrorists' for posting stickers. Another teacher, who publicly questioned improper school finances at a Board meeting was then placed on administrative leave - that same administrator said the teacher was 'bullying' him. 

And this is but one brief snapshot of just one school's short term experience. Much much more happened. After an external investigation, thirteen administrators were either fired or reassigned. And there are more teachers across America who've completed suicide, plus many more whose health has markedly suffered, and countless others who've left teaching entirely. 

WHEN WILL PEOPLE BEGIN TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE? We can't reduce bullying in the classroom if we don't start looking in the work room, the office... We are using a sprinkling can when a fire hose is needed.