potential crime, teachers' roles change dramatically. She cannot simply say: stop it! Nor can she simply scold the perpetrator or propose such age-old solutions as 'shake hands and make up'. Her job is no longer to educate, but to investigate. Once a report is being made, the accused child's parents immediately - and quite naturally - become Jack's defence advocates. They tell their child to deny everything and challenge every accusation by demanding irrefutable proof. No one wants a bully stamp on their child's record. The process demeans the teacher's authority, eliminates arbitration and belittles personal responsibility, as it teaches children that guilt is dependent on proof and not conscience, and that sincere apologising is not honorable but contrary to self-interest. article continues after advertisement And children do learn. They soon learn that making accusations gives power, and zero tolerance means the presumption of guilt. Our current interpretation of bullying is entirely subjective, thus bullying occurs whenever someone feels he or she has been bullied. We have already had a case of bullying where Jack told Jill she has a nice hat. Jack thought he was complementing her, but Jill interpreted it as a sarcastic remark. In another case, boys who didn't allow a girl into their game were considered bullies by way of exclusion. So children no longer have the luxury of choosing who they play with. It was not systematic shunning; but a single incident was enough. In this Orwellian world, no good deed goes unpunished. Children learn