Bullying a real problem, needs to be dealt with

In regards to Jennifer Bioche's Feb. 5 column, “Don't ride too far on anti-bullying bandwagon”:

Bullying is not the new “buzzword.” Bullying is a real problem and has been a real problem for decades in our public schools. The whole tone of Bioche's article is the same reaction I've heard from the parents of bullies called in for discipline conferences; “My bully is doing the bullied child a favor, it will make them tough.”

Bioche's flawed article compared verbal harassment to illegal hazing. Senior Lisbon High School students urinating and rubbing genitalia on freshmen is sexual assault. Jerry Sandusky is charged with crimes at Penn State.

Bioche's ludicrous attempt to compare apples and oranges blows any logic her article might have displayed. It's about time educators in authority work to educate students about bullying in a more precise and direct way. Educators can never be too “extreme” in their efforts to ensure the safety of kids in the public schools.

Frank E. Brigham

Oelwein