What really causes bullying?

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The Department of Justice is investigating bullying in a Minnesota school district.  Certain activist groups insist gay students are bullied because of the school’s neutrality policy towards sexual orientation, which forbids teachers from arguing either for or against homosexuality. The idea is that for this controversial topic, parents should decide what their children learn. But these activists think neutrality isn’t enough. They want the next generation to learn to fully accept the gay lifestyle.

Bullying, in any form and for any reason, is wrong, and should be stopped.  But pretending there should be no disagreement about homosexuality is not education. It’s indoctrination, and it fails to train students to handle deep disagreement. There is a long history of legitimate arguments and practice that should be considered.

Students need to know how to disagree respectfully. This is what grown-ups do. But forcing someone to change their positions by force is, well, another form of bullying, isn’t it?

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Further Reading Minnesota school district investigated after civil rights complaint Poppy Harlow and Emily Probst | CNN| July 21, 2011 Bullying Knows No Bounds Chuck Colson | BreakPoint.org | October 5, 2010 The Federal Government's Role in Preventing Student Harrasment on Account of Sexual Orientation Roger Clegg | Center for Equal Opportunity | May 13, 2011