David Blomstrom writes: I can't really answer your question, but I would like to comment on it. I worked for the Seattle School District for 16 years - 1985-2002. During that time I became a whistle-blower and political activist and investigated a number of school districts.
I have no idea if bullying in schools is more common now than it was, say, 50 years ago. However, I was shocked at how common it is - and how little is done about it. I saw bullies physically assault other students repeatedly with impunity, but when one of their victims finally defended themself, the victim would get in trouble. One morning when I went to work, we heard on the news that a teacher at a neighboring middle school had just been shot. It turns out he was a pedophile who was shot by a student he had abused years before.
Note, also, that children aren't the only victims. Teachers also bully each other, and school officials bully everyone - teachers, parents, etc. I spent my first five years as a substitute teacher, and I could write a book about that. Substitutes are treated like insects.
Again, I don't know how the situation compares to 50 years ago or 100 years ago, and I'm also not suggesting that every school district is as bad as Seattle. However, I'm now unloading trucks at UPS, and I consider it Club Med compared to education.
If you want to explore the subject in more detail, do some research on Eli Broad and the thugs he trained to infiltrate school districts. They're not nice people. On the other hand, there are some amazing similarities between public education and UPS (as well as the U.S. Postal Service). Corporate America thrives on tyranny.
