The truth is, it is verbal abuse- sometimes even sexual verbal abuse. School violence is less often physical abuse. School officials do not recognize that verbal abuse is violence and therefore do not count verbal abuse in their violence tally. School officials merely count the end result - the less common but impossible to ignore physical abuse in the single form of school shooting. It appalls me that no one recognizes the countless numers of students who are forced to tolerate years of daily verbal abuse.
Verbal abuse is ignored until a student reacts severely inappropriately, i.e. school shootings.
No one seems to notice the variety of reactions to verbal abuse in our schools. I can not understand why no one seems to make this connection. Sadly, it seems that the majority of victims of school violence are are the unseen and unheard victims of school verbal abuse. They are victims without a voice. It is a fact that more often than not, high numbers of individuals are aware of long-term daily harrassment and bullying in the schools and yet nothing is done.