Lance Winslow in preparation for a book he is writing stated that the number one reasons for Home Schooling was violence in schools. He stated this fact in an ezine article on http://ezinearticles.com/?Violence-in-Schools;-Number-One-Reason-for-Home-Schooling&id=457852
I'm not sure where he got his facts, so I can't vouch for the validity of this claim, however I do know at least two families in my own circle who pulled their kids out for this very reason. Parents vehemently complained to the school and to the district to no avail. Even after one child was physically threatened with harm before his peers, the school did nothing to punish the child for the ongoing threats and abuse levied at the other. Finally in frustration these parents pulled their child out of school. Sadly, in one of the very same districts, a teen committed suicide just a month later. Reason-the teen had been repeatedly and systematically bullied for years.
Now this same district is trying to push for ANti-bullying laws, when if they had just done their job in the first place their would have been no need to try to use this "advocacy" as a backdoor means to clean up their mess.
Other parents have pulled their children out simply so they won't be exposed to the viloence and threats of gang initiation. While others have complained of "grooming." Grooming is when a person of either the same gender, or even opposite gender, uses various methods to get kids involved in behaviors they normally would not participate in. These "groomers" are usually seniors or recent graduates who hang out at the school and target shy, weak, or otherwise lonely and needy kids. They feign friendship and concern, often showering them with gifts and attention. The kids is exposed and often becomes their next victim. If the kid rejects the attention, they may be stalked, harrassed, or intimidated.
This is bullying to the 9th power! If it works the groomer has a lover, sexual partner, drug partner, or partner in crime.
These are the kinds of things many kids are exposed to today in schools.
Now to be fair, there are many good schools out there, and not all kids are exposed to this sort of thing; so it would be wrong for me to put all schools in this box. Most schools do their best to keep kids safe and out of harms way. Most schools have strict policies against this sort of thing and they enforce them. But if you find out that your child is facing one of the above named potentially dangerous and harmful situations, and no one is listening to you-no one is helping you; THEN I IMPLORE YOU-please consider removing your child from the school and either homeschooling, or having them placed in another school.
Parents today have so many more options than they had in the past, so please do not feel like your only option is to leave your child vulnerable in a failing system.*
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PLEASE NOTE: THE OPINIONS OF THIS BLOGGER ARE NOT INTENED TO REPLACE COMPETENT ADVICE FROM A PHYSICIAN, THERAPIST, OR COUNSELOR. NOR IS IT INTENEDED TO REPLACE LEAGAL ADVICE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, SOCIAL WORKERS, OR ATTORNEYS. IF YOUR CHILD IS IN ONE OF THE ABOVE NAMED, POTENTIALLY HARMFUL SITUATIONS, PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP.
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Lena Arnold is an award winning author and publisher of several books, including “In the Absence of My Father,” “Strong Black Coffee: Poetry and Prose to Enlighten, Encourage, and Entertain Americans of African Descent,” “For This Child We Prayed: Living with the Secret Shame of Infertility;,” dealing with black Christian infertility, and “For This Dream I Prayed: Companion Journal.” She is currently collaborating on a children’s book entitled “Jackie’s’ Way” dealing with childhood anger with nationally renown artist Michael Fields. Lena was endorsed by the late CBS News Correspondent Ed Bradley for “…being a thoughtful writer who goes beyond…”
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