Diary of a schoolteacher: Mean boys and girls become mean men and women [Independent.ie]
- Published: 18 May 2011
There are so many nasty people in the world that hone their cynical skills while in school. We all know that bullying in schools is a very serious problem and that even if we think it doesn't happen in our school, it almost definitely does.
We teachers bear the onerous responsibility of having to fight the insidious culture of bullying in our schools as a child on the receiving end can be scarred for life. If we don't get it right, little bullies will grow up into big bullies.
Mean Boys and Girls at school become Mean Men and Women. I know an overgrown Mean Boy who is in his forties and delights in intimidating his seriously ill neighbour every time he thinks the neighbour somehow infringes upon his rights as a property owner.
It seems to me that Mean Boy hasn't developed much since he was probably the Meanest Boy in the Class, 30 years ago.
I'd lay a bet that he went to the local boys' rugby school where on the pitch and then in class he was encouraged to speak up for himself and not let anyone get in his way. I know the school in question hasn't changed much down the years because I've seen how their yearbooks never fail to praise macho achievements in business and sport but never mention former pupils who have become successful musicians, writers or actors.
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