MRW Quiz 2

Reading Passage

The other day in class, we read a short story about an albino girl who was viciously bullied by her classmates for her condition.  They aggressively taunted her by calling her “chalkface,” and asking if she bathed in bleach.  This story took place about 40 years ago, but it reflects a harsh reality that many young people have to deal with even today.  Bullying is one of humanity’s nastiest traits and remains pervasive in our society.  It’s people in a strong position making another person feel weak by insulting and intimidating them.  It is something we must continuously strive hard to eliminate, and I believe the following steps are a good start at that.

First of all, before we can actually take steps to stop bullying, we must be aware that the bullying is taking place.  In schools, adults must be keenly aware of what is going on around them.  This is easier said that done as teachers and administrators have a litany of tasks they must complete on a daily basis, so monitoring kid’s behavior often falls by the wayside.  Nevertheless, people with positions of authority must keep their eyes and ears open to be aware of any bullying that may be going on around them.

If in fact bullying is taking place, then teachers, administrators, and people in charge must intervene to stop this.  Bullying flourishes where there is a vacuum of leadership, so it is essential that people in charge are doing things to show this behavior is never tolerated.  They can do this by talking to the people who are bullying and making it clear that this behavior is absolutely unacceptable.  The story we read in class highlighted how the teacher was in the back of the class perusing LL Bean catalogues while the albino girl was being tormented.  It’s essential that people who have the power to stop it stop it immediately.  

Then, the schools have to create programs to educate students about the evils of bullying and harassment.  I know many schools do this, but it is essential that the schools make it as clear as possible that this kind of behavior will never be accepted.  They should also add why treating people equally is an important part of life beyond the classroom.  Impressionable young people need to be instilled with values of respect for others.  

Bullying is something that will probably not be completely eliminated, but we can’t be passive.  We must actively try and promote good behavior among young people to make a society free of intimidation.  

Short Answers:

1. Does the writer think school leaders are responsible for dealing with bullying?  What tells you this? (5 points)

2. How does the writer feel the teacher in “White Lies” is responsible for the bullying that happened in that story? (5 points)

3. Who do you feel is most responsible for what happened to Connie in the White Lies story (P.208-209)? (5 points)