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Kids are kids. The problem is that adults need to be adults and know when to intervene and how to spot signs that a kid is in trouble. That applies both to bullied and bully. If it goes unchecked and the 'code of silence' prevails whlst young, then it sows seeds potentially for later bullying or aggressive and controlling behaviour in adulthood.
Learning how to interact and survive in groups is an important part of growing up and being human. But the environments in which we expect our young to acquire those social skills is quite an artificial one. 1200 kids gathered in one building, loosely grouped in 30s and 40s. It's very easy to get lost in there. As an adult I can walk away. A co-worker makes my life hell, a boss unreasonably focuses on my faults to the exclusion of others, the culture I find myself in doesn't really fit my personality...I can walk away. I have the ultimate sanction on any bullying behaviour in the workplace because I am not legally obliged to remain.
Wtf does a kid do? When they just don't fit into a 1200 strong community. What do they do, if a teacher hates them and keeps picking on them, what do they do if their classmates don't like them, or if they hate going into the building so much it makes them feel physically sick? What if they just can't get past the overwhelming rage they feel and theyre stuck with people who look down on them and call them stupid; maybe they keep getting into trouble, beating up on younger kids and have no idea why theyre doing it. Unless they have parents able and willing to homeschool them, or with the money and resources to try out different schools, they are stuck. Legally bound to be in a place where they are tormented.
If we as adults are expecting them to spend five years or more in an institution with no right to refuse or to argue for terms, we damn well have a duty to ensure they aren't undergoing huge psychological stress whilst there.
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