At this point, a school administrator can do little beyond picking up the pieces. Recent school shootings seem to bear this out. For Wessler, the loss of spirit experienced by students who have been harassed is the greatest tragedy. Too often these students, hurt and lost, drop out of school and engage in self-destructive behaviors. Some do not survive.
Words can create a culture and an environment that appear to condone prejudice and violence.
But we can begin to change the culture in which the use of degrading language and violence appears acceptable to our students. Adults must intervene when degrading language is spoken. Students hope adults will say something. The students who are most devastated by degrading language are those who believe a teacher heard but did not intervene. Intervention is necessary, even when there is no visible target of the slurs.