Why do people defend bullying?

[Free Palestine]

Seriously.

[Rooney]

I have found among my own fellow teachers that many adults view bullying as, "Something every one has to go through." An English teacher once told me that it was okay to have bullying in a school because it was, "Natural" and "life is hard." There was a history teacher at my school who actually aided in the torment of a student, thus becoming a bully himself. When the principal and I confronted him on this he explained, "Bullying is good for boys because it makes them stronger." Needless to say he was transferred from the school district but he is still teaching, which is a scary thought. I know most teachers are not like this and report bullying, but it certainly plays into the question well.

A lot of the kids I have seen picked on are more "effeminate" or "nerdy" males and shy girls and these are people who simply are the "forgotten" students at schools. I teach students with behavior issues so you might think that they are all big, tough and angry dudes with leather jackets and bad attitudes. I have found the opposite. They are mostly misunderstood kids who don't "play school" well and are picked on by everyone. They are bullied non-stop and I see that everyday. The reason few people care is because they are special education students and can easily be forgotten by general education.

So why do people defend bullying, Twilight, the reason is because the students effected are not visible. The teachers who defend them are not powerful and the administrators are overwhelmed by other work. Thus, people can defend bullying and no one will care because no one "important" is being harmed. This is sad and sick, but it is what happens. That is why it is the duty of people with empathy to report bullying and to fight against all those who defend it.     

[memphis]

Because it's what Jesus would do.

[traininthedistance]

Seriously.

Because they're authoritarians.

[© Tweed the Younger]

I don't think we do, we just oppose its criminalization.

[Torie]

Is there some conflation here between being a bully (which sucks of course), and learning skills as to how to cope with a bully, which may entail some sort of cross intimidation, if deflection or whatever fails? 

[rwoy]

Because a large # of people have been bullies at some point in their life.  It is very hard to admit you were ever wrong.  So they argue that bullying "just happens" ... it is "part of life" ... it "builds character".

[Frodo]

Presumably because they think kids need to be 'toughened up' to deal with the real world. 

[realisticidealist]

While bullying is reprehensible and evil, I do think that being bullied myself has made me a better, more humble, more empathetic person. I'm sure there are better ways to instill these things, but it is possible to make good things out of bad situations. That's about the only positive thing I can say for it though.

[CathKhan]

I wasn't the most popular guy at a point in my life. But I never killed myself and I never sunk into a bottomless pit of depression either. Nor did I ever run and tell someone and ask for the intervention of authrotiy (I prefer to bitch to my peers while getting little done). So for me, I understand that this horrible sh**t happens but there's a part of me that just goes "Inks it, I had to go through this sh**t too and I survived. Deal with it." probably not the kindest attitude and morally probably wrong, but there's the explanation.

[I'm JewCon in name only.]

I don't defend bullying. Yea, there's an age where a lot of it occurs (Middle school), but people have to start realizing that what they are doing is wrong.

It can't always be blamed on youthful mistakes...

[Free Palestine]

I've heard the excuse that bullying enforces social norms or whatever, by getting kids to stop doing socially unacceptable things.  Which is totally bull[inks].

[ChairmanSanchez]

I wasn't the most popular guy at a point in my life. But I never killed myself and I never sunk into a bottomless pit of depression either. Nor did I ever run and tell someone and ask for the intervention of authrotiy (I prefer to bitch to my peers while getting little done). So for me, I understand that this horrible sh**t happens but there's a part of me that just goes "Inks it, I had to go through this sh**t too and I survived. Deal with it." probably not the kindest attitude and morally probably wrong, but there's the explanation.

This. From 1st to 6th grade, I was bullied and I became depressed. I cried, b*tched, moaned, and got parents involved.  That did not change anything. So, I became a hermit. I stuck to my selected group of friends, and that was that. I just entered a new school for 9th grade, and did not know a soul. I picked out the people who I thought I would get along with, and hung out with them. And I slowly expanded my circle of friends using this "strategy". I have never been happier. Im either liked or unknown. And as far as I am concerned, thats how it should be.

[anvi]

People are mean to one another.  From beginning to end.

[Former Moderate]

Because teachers and administrators are too effing stupid to understand that it leads to people killing themselves.

[fezzyfestoon]

I don't personally know about defending the act of bullying, but I would defend bullies in a lot of senses. They need just as much help from bullying as those being bullied. They're certainly not doing it out of happiness or satisfaction with themselves. Deriving positive feelings from physically or emotionally abusing another human being is not a healthy behavior on any level.