Briar MacLean made a split-second decision at school last week.

Sitting in class in Calgary, he heard some students start to bully another student. Briar told Canada’s National Post that he saw one boy put another boy in a headlock. Then Briar, who attends Sir John A. Macdonald Junior High School, heard the flick of a knife.

He wasn’t trying to play a hero when he pushed the knife-wielding bully away from his classmate. But school officials accused him of exactly that. His mother, Leah O’Donnell, said that the school’s vice-principal told her that the school doesn’t “condone heroics” and a teacher should always be called in such situations.

Briar was reprimanded for helping out his fellow student. The bully was suspended and the police were called.

Some bullying experts say that the school should be commending—not punishing—Briar for his actions.

“By reprimanding Briar, the administration is demonstrating to bullies that students who intervene will be reprimanded,” Richard Brenner, author of 101 Tips for Targets of Workplace Bullies, told TakePart. “This can only encourage bullies.”

Brenner said the school appears to have its own problems since it was possible for “a bully to engage a target with a teacher in the room.”

He added, “This administration is sorely in need of some education about bullying policy.”

Areva Martin, a lawyer, is the founder and president of Special Needs Network, Inc., a Los Angeles-based organization created specifically to raise awareness of issues that impact individuals with autism and related disabilities. She says that as many as two-thirds of a classroom may be bullied.

So what should kids do if they are confronted with a similar situation to Briar’s?

The federal website Stop Bullying states, “There are a few simple, safe ways children can help the person being bullied get away from the situation. However they do it, make sure the child knows not to put themselves in harm’s way.”

It recommends that a child create a distraction. “If no one is rewarding the child who is bullying by paying attention, the behavior may stop,” the website states. “Bystanders can help to focus the attention on something else.”

The website also adds, “Remind children to intervene only if it feels safe to do so, and never use violence in order to help the person get away.”

In Briar’s case, he may have felt like he had one option—to step into the situation.

When we encourage others to advocate for those in need, we in effect ostracize those that bully.

“Was it the safest option? Perhaps not,” said Patti Criswell LMSW, a clinical social worker and instructor at Western Michigan University. However, in these instances, she said, “We don’t always have time to think. I think he’s a hero because his decision was to take action to help someone in trouble. How can anyone discourage that?”

Martin said that children like Briar need to feel empowered and taught about bullying. She recommends teaching and reteaching the difference between telling and tattling, starting in preschool and in every grade afterwards.

“We need to empower kids to stand up for themselves by setting boundaries without being mean and to stand up for others,” she said. “When we encourage others to advocate for those in need, we in effect ostracize those that bully. When this is achieved, relational aggression plummets.”

http://news.yahoo.com/teen-punished-stopping-knife-wielding-bully-attacking-s...

Where is the "Zero tolerance" for bringing a knife to school?


--Steve

If only there was a National Knives Association the kid would have got a special college scholarship.

Not the guy who stopped the bullying, but the guy who used the knife in the correct application. Like headlock first, then thingy knife ... perfect.

Cool.
Srinath.

No? well they sure as hell advocate making illegal acts legal, not to mention advocating stupidity.

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The NRA advocates for ever weakening gun laws. Open carry and concealed carry for every American, no background checks, 30 round magazines, guns in bars, schools, playgrounds, hospitals, sporting events, churches, and Democratic political rallies...

They advise keeping a loaded gun in every child's bedroom (in case of an intruder), They say the slaughter of kindergarteners and their teachers in their schools is because there were not enough guns at the ready...

And this:

[i]NRA Board Member Ted Nugent claims troops committing suicide because they don't like Obama.
In an appearance on the Alex Jones' radio show, NRA board member Ted Nugent blamed the epidemic of suicides among veterans and active duty military on frustration with President Obama for supposedly "violating" the Constitution.

Nugent, who has appeared on Jones' show several times, told the host that the military is frustrated with Obama for "violating his oath of office" which is leading to an unprecedented increase in military suicides.
TED NUGENT: I'm going to hit you with something even more ugly, and just heartbreaking, and anti-American than anything else -- I bet you've covered this, Alex.

We have an epidemic, an unprecedented increase in heroes of the U.S. military committing suicide, and I'm going to tell you why. And I'm sure the leftist blogs are going to attack me, misquote me, but I'll tell you why more and more warrior heroes of the military are killing themselves: Because they are in absolute frustration and heartbreak that their boss, their Commander-In-Chief violates the Constitution that he has made an oath to while their hero warrior blood brothers are committing suicide because of him.

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WTF?? Why does he suddenly care about members of the military? Remember, this is the guy who sh!t his pants and wore them for days on end so the draft board would reject him during the Vietnam war. Big tough guy now...coward back then. More phony talk about "hero warrior blood" from a pants-crapping draft dodger.

Do any of these NRA advocates care that Nugent spent the better part of 2 decades raping little girls all over the world- He says he prefers them very young and calls his pedophilia a "sweet tooth".

Anyone that maintains a membership with the NRA with Nugent as a board member is supporting the arming and rewarding of pedophiles. there really is no other way of putting it. No one forces them to join an organization with Klan members and child rapists for their board. The scum that support the NRA are supporting them of their own accord. Freedom of association is a pregnant dog, huh?[/i]

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Nugent,  who writes a column for birther website WND, recently backed down from a claim that he would be "dead or in jail" after Obama's re-election. He also recently compared Obama to a Nazi while appearing on a radio show hosted by a Sandy Hook shooting conspiracy theorist.

Despite his long history of outrageous comments Fox News have praised Nugent and invited him on-air as a guest numerous times.

I don't see how the Nuge gets away with it. He's personally threatened the president several times. If it were me I'd be behind bars.

I don't know if they have reform schools anymore. That might be part of the problem. No one is allowed to yell at or touch your kids anymore. A good ol assbustin kept me out of a lot of trouble.

"Lifter, your twisted rants are still twisted. OHHH do explain how NOT wanting to get sent to Nam to be used as canon fodder to make someone else rich has ANYthing to do with NOT caring about our men & women in uniform?"

JOG, I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here, but if you are defending Mr.crappypants. I think you are out on a limb all by yourself on this one.