The problem with bullying and the notion of victimhood extends well beyond the "jock/nerd" context - which frankly I have had no experience with. Either as a victim or perpretrator nor have I witnessed any of this kind of behavoiur.

What does trouble me (and others I'm sure) is the bullying that occurs for other reasons and the reactions to such bullying. These few examples are of the many incidents I have witnessed during my school years and after (in my capacity as a tutor), to give you folks an idea as to where I'm coming from.

The first example concerns race. When the bullying occurs because the victim is of a particular race. This happens frequently in most urban schools in my country but is not really talked about. It's a subtle occurence that everybody knows goes on but just one of those things that they believe has to take it's course.

Sometimes the kid - most times -realizes that his parents are working hard to sustain his/her family and does not report the bullying. Teachers are of no help - as is sadly usually the case(but they are some who believe this profession is perhaps still the noblest in the world and would probably do something about it) - and so, they just concentrate on doing well academically and moving on. Sometimes they defend themselves, sometimes they don't.

How about the bullying that occurs between students of the same race. I have seen bullying occur because some students thought that speaking English was a bad thing and that the speaker was somehow trying to be better then he/she was. This normally happens within students of the same race who belong in similar income brackets. The result is the same as the above. Keep your head down, maybe fight back (hope it works) but do well in school and leave this shithole.

There are many terms I could use to define their responses - victimhood is not one of them.

If stopping bullying was just a matter of changing the victims hygeine habits and appearence, that would be so easy. But I think stopping bullying is a much more complex issue and would involve more than just a make over(although in some cases that works) and to dismiss or frame it within a narrowly defined context, is not really appreciating the problem at hand.

Sorry if this comes of as angry. I know I will have to post a couple of apologies down the road.

Regards,
David R

Edit -(Okay, this post, is unproductive. You, folks are talking about your experiences with regards to gaming culture. Sorry, for the tone of this post)

Quote from: RPGPunditI mean, I play a lot of backgammon too, but does that mean I'm part of the "Backgammon Community" or the "Backgammon subculture"??

Maybe if you played every week, or went to Backgammon conventions and tournaments. Like some gamers do.

Look at it like pool, while loads of people play it occasionanly, some people go so far as to buy their own cue, some play every week/day, some play the occasional tournament, some make a living out of it, touring tournaments.

Gaming has different levels of involvement. To some people it is just a game, to others its a community, to others its a living.

QuoteWhereas I was somewhat short (5’6”), I was commonly considered pretty good-looking by girls in school (it can be good to have female friends who will tell you these things when the other girls say them, I tell you), was fairly quiet but didn’t take any shit, wore glasses but walked with a swagger that wasn’t fake, and could fairly easily have kicked the shit out of a good number of single bullies who tried to mess with me.

Some cheese to the whine? Are you a friend of wil wheaton?
Honestly, why do you feel you have to tell us this? You might want to start a LiveJournal that nobody reads, and where you talk about your sick dog, and the girl you didn´t get, like the others of your ilk.
Why in hell do some gamers harrass us with their private lifes and high school traumas? What happens in your high schools?
Sorry for picking on you, you are by far not the only one. Don´t feel singled out, I´m talking to the bunch of you whiners.

Quote from: SettembriniSome cheese to the whine? Are you a friend of wil wheaton?

I met Wil Wheaton briefly at a book signing where he read from his "Just a Geek" book*, and had a chance to speak with him for a few minutes after everyone left. He's actually pretty cool, a good guy, very intelligent and is actually a gamer.

*Oddly enough, it was just by pure random chance. I had no idea he was going to be there.

Quote from: SettembriniSome cheese to the whine? Are you a friend of wil wheaton?
Honestly, why do you feel you have to tell us this? You might want to start a LiveJournal that nobody reads, and where you talk about your sick dog, and the girl you didn´t get, like the others of your ilk.
Why in hell do some gamers harrass us with their private lifes and high school traumas? What happens in your high schools?
Sorry for picking on you, you are by far not the only one. Don´t feel singled out, I´m talking to the bunch of you whiners.

The conversation veered into a discussion of bullies- ironically enough. A few people shared personal experiances, myslef included, perhaps in an attmemtp to add perspective to the discussion. Please put me on ignore, I have been known to share personal details with people on the internet without warning. for instance, I no longer have a cat. My best friends keeps her now and has ever since my second child was born.

Quote from: SettembriniSome cheese to the whine? Are you a friend of wil wheaton?
Honestly, why do you feel you have to tell us this? You might want to start a LiveJournal that nobody reads, and where you talk about your sick dog, and the girl you didn´t get, like the others of your ilk.
Why in hell do some gamers harrass us with their private lifes and high school traumas? What happens in your high schools?
Sorry for picking on you, you are by far not the only one. Don´t feel singled out, I´m talking to the bunch of you whiners.

Problem here is, I wasn't whining.  I was illustrating from where I spoke for the rest of the post.  Without that little blurb, I could easily have been trying to talk about kids getting bullied in school from the perspective of a 6'2" 210 lb. powerlifting jock for all the info I'd have given.  With that blurb, I put what I was saying in perspective.  
If I wanted to whine about shit no one cares about, I've got a much longer and more interesting list of stuff to whine about.  But I don't, because no one cares.  

Quote from: SettembriniWhat happens in your high schools?
Sorry for picking on you, you are by far not the only one. Don´t feel singled out, I´m talking to the bunch of you whiners.

Nothing happens "in our high schools," it's individuals that don't know how to get along with others that have all these sob stories. They're weak, and so like in any social environment, they're either ignored or their weakness is taken advantage of. It's not the system, it's them, and they just don't want to own up to it.

Quote from: CantankerousSaltbeardNothing happens "in our high schools,"
.

Nothing happened at Columbine, that's for sure.

Quote from: AosNothing happened at Columbine, that's for sure.

Right, that's not "in our high schools." That's two crazy people.

good thing they were the only  ones ever.

Quote from: CantankerousSaltbeardNothing happens "in our high schools," it's individuals that don't know how to get along with others that have all these sob stories. They're weak, and so like in any social environment, they're either ignored or their weakness is taken advantage of. It's not the system, it's them, and they just don't want to own up to it.

It is your weakness - a striking absence of compassion - that should be forcibly bred out of my species.

Quote from: pandiculatorIt is your weakness - a striking absence of compassion - that should be forcibly bred out of my species.

:bow:

This kid was so asking for it:
http://www.comcast.net/news/national/index.jsp?cat=DOMESTIC&fn=/2006/06/20/417629.html

Quote from: CantankerousSaltbeardNothing happens "in our high schools," it's individuals that don't know how to get along with others that have all these sob stories. They're weak, and so like in any social environment, they're either ignored or their weakness is taken advantage of. It's not the system, it's them, and they just don't want to own up to it.

While it is individuals, the weakness lies not with the victims...

But with sorry motherfuckers who excuse the actions of the bullies, saying "They deserved it for being weak."

I'm willing to bet you are weaker than me or unable to commit actions that I have no problem with.

Shall I take what I want?

Does that mean if I see a woman, I can smash one across her grill, drag her in the alley, and assfuck her? She's just weak, right?


It's the chickenshit system that refuses to acknowledge that some people are worthless assholes. It's lousy motherfuckers who excuse bullying with some bullshit excuse like "It's just boys having fun..." or "If they wouldn't be so weak..." and other fucktard lines.



Shouldn't you be in the shop for a compassion chip, Mr. Roboto?

Quote from: T-WillardWhile it is individuals, the weakness lies not with the victims...

But with sorry motherfuckers who excuse the actions of the bullies, saying "They deserved it for being weak."

I'm willing to bet you are weaker than me or unable to commit actions that I have no problem with.

Shall I take what I want?

Does that mean if I see a woman, I can smash one across her grill, drag her in the alley, and assfuck her? She's just weak, right?


It's the chickenshit system that refuses to acknowledge that some people are worthless assholes. It's lousy motherfuckers who excuse bullying with some bullshit excuse like "It's just boys having fun..." or "If they wouldn't be so weak..." and other fucktard lines.



Shouldn't you be in the shop for a compassion chip, Mr. Roboto?

Some people whine about the world being unfair, some people mold the world to their liking. I suppose it's just a fundamental difference that can't be explained. I'll leave y'all to your whining.