After three bullying offenses, middle and high school students may be shipped to a school for problem kids. That kind of heavy hand has its opponents. William Pollack, a psychologist who wrote Real Boys' Voices, an exploration of boyhood, contends that such a punitive approach criminalizes childhood behavior and fails to address the root causes of bullying. A deeper shift in school culture is required, she argues, because ultimately peer groups, not individuals, promote an ethic of aggression. That's what McNair Elementary in Hazelwood, Mo., attempts to do.
Victims fill out a form describing the incident to a teacher or counselor.
The issue is taken to peer mediation, and the offender is encouraged to sign an agreement not to bully. The younger children, for instance, are coached in how to walk confidently past older kids who are talking aggressively. The latter choice wins praise for the kids. Bullying is often performance art. The theater can't take place if there's no audience.