Bullying at BS...

[seekers]

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@ThacherParent

There are bullies who go to boarding schools. And then there are boarding schools whose soil is ripe for bullying. There are also boarding schools where the culture does not allow bullying to take root…

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<p>Absolutely! </p>

<p>You have to look closely at the culture at each school. Often the “traditions” that ostensibly facilitate bonding, can devolve into hazing… And under those auspices bullying can take root and flourish.</p>

<p>I was at a party recently where freshman boys from an Acronym School showed up with bizarre hairstyles. I was told that “some of the boys” cut their hair to show support for their team a couple weeks before… They looked ridiculous, and it was obvious hazing, which they submitted to in the name of “team spirit.” My wife looked at them, and thought DS needn’t bother applying there next year…</p>

<p>At another Acronym School, the tour guide touted the class unity that was promoted by structures that divided the grades (where they ate, relaxed, or sat in auditorium). But to me it seemed to foster more divisiveness within the student body than bonding (and giving the freshmen the least desirable options in all cases… promoting a culture where you have to earn status). It was just a red flag.</p>

<p>In contrast, I believe that any whiff of hazing, bullying, systemic divisiveness, or simply excluding others would be abhorrent to students, faculty, and administration alike at DD’s school. </p>

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@GMC2918

Any thoughts as to which boarding schools “practice what they preach”? Which ones have a particularly strong anti-bullying culture?

** St. Andrew’s School**, FTW
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