Of COURSE only a few kids get bullied in a classroom. The vast majority of kids don’t get bullied in dodgeball, only one or two per classroom. And it’s the same kids every time.
So if you allow dodgeball as a required activity in a classroom, you’re allowing those kids to be bullied every time, week in and week out. And if you think this is acceptable, I don’t know what to say to you.
^^^ How about saying ‘remove the bully and deal with THAT behavior’. Dare I say it…oh here it goes…PUNISH the bully. Isolate them from those that they are tormenting.
Do you think if you remove dodgeball as the bullying vehicle the bully won’t find another way. Let me tell you - they WILL.
Are you claiming the adults in today’s schools are unable to deal with bullying? The right of the bully supersedes the rights of those that enjoy - in this case - dodgeball. What about the art or math bully? What about those that torture their classmates in the locker room because they aren’t wearing the right underwear or shoes? Should we close all locker rooms?
Why are you accepting bullying as a form of behavior that can not be addressed and dealt with in such a way that the majority of kids can continue to enjoy an activity?
None of which will avail them in avoiding being bullied in dodgeball. How is this learning helping a bullied student? They discover that other students will try to hurt them, and then they have to go back to the same situation where other students are trying to hurt them, week in and week out for years. This teaches helplessness, not coping.
For those who enjoyed dodgeball, well and good. But too many don’t. This is not a skill to learn. Yes, when playing catch or baseball, you have a ball thrown at you. But the focus of the sport is not to throw the ball to hit you. It’s not a predatory type game. I see a huge difference between those games and dodgeball.
Your argument proves too much: it says that teachers should do nothing whatsoever in the face of bullying, because bullies will bully. Is that your position?
@“Cardinal Fang” wrote:
You must have missed these pearls of wisdom, as it relates to dodgeball bullies, from me just a couple posts above yours.
If more information about helping your kids deal with bullies in general, say for example in the workplace, then I’d use google. Lots of good info out there.
@“Cardinal Fang”
That’s what you took away from my comment?
Let me help. Deal with bullying. Each and every instance of bullying. The dodgeball bully will find another way because…they are a bully. REMOVE the bully. Separate classrooms, separate schools. Therapy. You choose. But remove them.
Do you think current adults employed by the educational system are unable to either identify bullies or to address the issue? Are they incapably of dealing with bullies? Are they not qualified to assist?
Take away the ball in the dodge and that same bully will trip the weaker kid in the hallways. They will steal their lunch, they will spill their organic vegan almond milk, they will threaten them in the bathroom. The bully will stay a bully. So, we can keep taking away opportunities (which are endless, bullies are creative). Or we can deal with the bully.
That’s tough. I know. Taking away a ball is easy.
@dietz199 Were people allowed to hit you in the face in art class? Were people allowed to throw textbooks or instruments at your head in your math or music classes? Were people allowed to punch you in the stomach while you were running? No? Then those are not comparable activities.
NO ONE in this thread has ever said that children should be protected from ever having to experience “not being good at something.” But there is a VAST difference between realizing that some people are better than you at math or science or art or music or PE, and being forced by your teachers to let other children HIT YOU IN THE HEAD.
Folks keep saying the focus of a sport is not to be bullied. Neither is dodgeball.
I’ve played, coached and watched sports. I’ve been a gym rat all my life. Bullies aren’t necessarily seen during the match, game or meet. I’ve run quite a few practices in my life and I’ve seen quite a few practices in my life, where I’ve witnessed sports bullies, soccer, b-ball, gymnastics, swimming, cross country/track etc. I’ve even witnessed bullying in club and school badminton.
@Corraleno Nope. they weren’t And they aren’t allowed to do so in dodgeball. Bullies break rules. What’s your point?
It’s not as though dodgeball takes place for the bully in tripping kids in the hall or other activities. It allows an additional outlet with great opportunity with little chance of consequences. After all, the whole object of this game is to hit a target with the ball. So, in ADDITION to all of the sneaky abuse that bullies tend to do, there is this direct, sanctioned, even directed activity.
Has anyone’s child played dodgeball as a requirement in the last 10 years where it was with balls thrown with great force? Mine never did. I haven’t in 50 years
I think I went to school with nicer kids. We didn’t pick teams, we counted off and you were a 1 or a 2 (or even a 3 or 4).
I don’t think this is about dodgeball any more.
“And they aren’t allowed to do so in dodgeball.”
Obviously they WERE, or this thread , and the reactions of those who WERE picked on by buliies in dodgeball, would not exist…
sheesh…
and as for this incredibly naive statement-
“Do you think current adults employed by the educational system are unable to either identify bullies or to address the issue? Are they incapably of dealing with bullies? Are they not qualified to assist?”
why dont you ask the teachers whether they have the training or ability to actually address the issue, and have it result in a difference being made?
Are you seriously asking this question? Do you genuinely believe that teachers and school administrators are totally on top of bullying in schools? Do you not read the news?
When I was in school some of the worst bullies WERE teachers. Administrators are still far too prone to dismiss physical bullying as “boys will be boys.” I have heard SO many stories from angry parents whose bullied children were told by administrators to “suck it up,” don’t be such a victim, etc., or who ended up being punished to the same degree as the bully simply for trying to defend themselves. Bullying in schools is extremely common — and often tacitly accepted by teachers and administrators who look the other way.
^^ Agree…
I never said ‘suck it up’. I said deal with the bully.
So then eliminating dodgeball is just a feel good measure since bullies will continue to be bullies. In way too many areas and in way to may parts of a school. Rather than pull a bully who clearly hit a kid in the head, let’s remove the game. Clearly that bully will be cured.Gosh forbid we should challenge a union teacher on their acceptance of bullies.
Whew. Now I get it.
BTW…the biggest bully teachers were those that coached sports. They loved their sports stars and in the classroom would allow those kids to get away with things others wouldn’t dare. Challenge that teacher an the poo-poo would hit the proverbial fan.
Hey…let’s just remove sports in general. They tend to be testosterone fueled gladiators rings.
Eliminating dodgeball eliminates an activity where it is MUCH easier for bullies to get away with victimizing kids who have no choice but to submit to it. Make it a 100% voluntary activity for people who enjoy hitting other kids and getting hit. Then if the bullies keep smashing people in the face they’ll either get smashed back or there won’t be anyone to play with because everyone else will drop out.
If schools start eliminating dodgeball I fear the downfall of USA dodgeball on the wold stage and the decline of skills in the US professional league. You don’t see badminton played in PE classes anymore and since then our country’s Olympic performance has been abysmal.
https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2018/08/05/gym-garden-pro-dodgeball/
In the infamous words of Patches O’Houlihan…if you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball.
And now I’m off to worry about something really important…like if my organic yak milk was harvested from willing yaks or if they were coerced or possibly hit with a dodgeball.
Carry on.
@csfmap Dodgeball is the only game I hated. I probably wouldn’t have hated it if we played with nerfballs. I probably would have hated tackle football or boxing if I’d been forced to play those sports, but I was not.