Where the time goes

Early adolescence has many challenges. If you wonder why your child’s teacher or dean always seems to be working, part of the answer can be found in the little events that suck time, minute by minute by minute. Here’s the text of an incident report. Incident location: lunchroom.

“They are taking pictures of me without asking me this is happening during lunch time every single day.” The girl then gave three names of photographers. She reported this to a teacher who had to deal with the issue, an issue that had to be passed on to a dean, who had to investigate the possible bullying.

Where does teasing end and bullying begin? The answer to that question’s not simple, and that answer varies depending on the kid. If the girl making the report had just made a few funny faces, the problem might have vanished. As soon as she looked upset, though, she set the train in motion. We take possible bullying seriously. That results in a lot of discussions with teen-age girls and boys who can’t tell where teasing ends and harassment begins.