Why do schools ignore bullying? If you suffer constant bullying at school every day, you’ve probably asked yourself this question many times. As someone with firsthand experience, I’m giving you the most common reasons every target of bullying should be aware of.
Photo from Canva
It’s bad enough when you’re a kid in school, and bullies use you for target practice. However, when the school continues to ignore it, even when you report it, it only makes things exponentially worse.
If you’re like I was, you’re probably desperately searching for answers. As someone who has experienced this firsthand, I’m sharing the most common reasons schools ignore bullying.
In this post, you will learn the seven most common answers to the question, “Why do schools ignore bullying?”
Once you learn these common reasons, you will be able to address the situation more appropriately and relieve any confusion.
This post gives you the answers to the question on the minds of every bullying victim: “Why do schools ignore bullying?” These are the answers that every target should know.
why do schools ignore bullying?
All too often, schools ignore reports of bullying and leave targets to fend for themselves. Moreover, this happens far more often than we realize. This can cause schools to develop a culture of bullying- more often, you’ll be ignored when you report your bullies to them. Maybe they trivialize your experiences or, worse, blame you for your bullies’ behavior.
They may ask you what you’re doing to make them mistreat you. As a result, you probably feel victimized twice, once by the bullies and again by those who are supposed to protect you.
But realize that schools tend to sweep incidents of bullying under the rug, and sadly, they do this all the time.
Therefore, here are the seven reasons schools do nothing about bullying.
1. They’re lazy.
Investigating a bullying case is extra work. Therefore, most school officials do not want to make any extra effort to resolve a bullying case. It’s much easier to pretend that bullying isn’t happening in their school.
Often, they take the easy way out by either denying that there’s a problem or blaming you. And when your parents or guardians get involved, the school staff may often label them as “the unhinged mom/dad,” which is only a cop-out.
2. Why Do Schools Ignore Bullying? They’re afraid the bullies’ parents will retaliate.
Bullying is a learned behavior. Consequently, many bullies have parents who are also bullies themselves. Many of these parents are self-entitled.
Also, your bullies may have powerful political connections in the town or on the school board. Therefore, the school staff knows all too well that disciplining “the wrong kids” could mean the end of either their jobs or their entire careers.
3. They’re afraid that the school’s reputation may be tarnished.
Schools often hide cases of bullying to save face. In other words, the school’s reputation seems to take priority over your well-being.
Therefore, most schools know full well when a child is being bullied. However, they may consider that child a threat and, in worse cases, ostracize the poor kid and tell them to “keep your mouth shut” to cover their own behinds.
Moreover, bullied kids also have less power than other kids. So, it’s much easier for the school not to take action on bullying when you report it.
4. Why do schools ignore bullying? They either don’t like you OR may even hate you.
Sadly, many teachers and school staff either dislike or hate their bullied students. Although these are supposed to be adults who were supposed to protect you, they don’t because of their personal feelings and emotions.
Moreover, when people bully you for a long period of time, they spread many lies and ugly rumors about you to defame you and destroy your reputation. It’s just another unpleasant aspect of bullying.
Teachers, principals, and school officials also hear the lies and rumors. And they aren’t beyond making judgments based on what they’ve heard.
Additionally, school staff may even join in on negative gossip about you. Understand that although you may be one of the most goodhearted people around, the rumors and lies supersede the truth.
Therefore, in the minds of those at school, you’re “trouble.”
Lies and rumors are powerful, and they keep you locked in a prison of scrutiny and suspicion. As a result, you cannot be your true, awesome self due to the stress of being marginalized.
5. they didn’t like the way you responded or reacted to the bullying you suffered.
In other words, because of having been bullied for so long, you may have reacted out of self-defense and exhaustion. You were so tired because bullies harassed you for so long that you really couldn’t help but react.
Your bullies slyly used the reaction as further proof that you’re either trouble or you have a mental imbalance. Therefore, teachers and staff may think the worst of you.
Moreover, they may also think that because everyone else hates you, there must be a reason that justifies it. And so, they believe you deserve what is happening to you.
Consequently, when a teacher does not like you, they may either refuse to help you or secretly take pleasure in seeing you suffer. Realize that teachers and school staff are just as capable as the classroom bullies of hating and hurting students they deem undesirable.
6. Why Do Schools Ignore bullying? The bullies are athletes or cheerleaders
Understand that these kids make the school look good. Star athletes on sports teams win games and help their teams reach the playoffs. This only further bolsters the school’s image. The same thing goes for cheerleaders.
They enter regional and state cheer competitions, and if they win, the school’s reputation goes up. Therefore, the cheerleaders appeal to the self-interest of the school and school district.
7. The bullies excel in studies and are candidates for college.
Again, these bullies make the school look good. Schools desire to crank out graduates that are high achievers and go on to college. The more college-bound students they have, the better the schools look, and the more parents will want to send their kids there.
Moreover, the more students a school has, the more funding they get from the government. Therefore, these schools aren’t going to mess this up.
Why Do schools ignore bullying?
What parents can do
This is why parents must stay proactive in protecting and advocating for their child even when it seems that the school isn’t listening.
Let them know that you will not leave until they solve the problem. Go to the media if you have to.
Therefore, gather your own evidence. Get a journal and have your child document each incident of bullying, using the 5W method. And, depending on the laws in your state, you can have your child wear a hidden body camera or hide an audio recording device on them to get evidence of bullying.
Moreover, you must save any email correspondence with the school on three different flash drives. Then hide them in different locations to keep the evidence safe.
Be there for your child. Assure your child that their reputation does not equal character and that the bullies have the issues.
Know there will come a time when your child will escape their tormentors and have true friends who love them for them. Constantly tell them that they are worthy of having friends and being loved.
You might keep your child’s self-esteem from completely tanking and even save their life!
What you can do if you’re the victim of school bullying
When schools do nothing about bullying, it’s up to you to protect yourself.
Document each incident of bullying when you get home from school. Do this while the incidents are still fresh in your mind.
I can’t stress this enough. Keep your documents at home. Never take them to school because bullies are nosy and they will rummage through your stuff when your back is turned. The last thing you want is for them to find your documentation.
Wear a hidden body camera or hide an audio recording device on you. However, be sure you know what your state’s laws allow before you do this.
If you live in a one-party consent state, cameras and recording devices are legal to use. On the other hand, if you live in a two-party consent state, you must have the permission of the people you record before you can use them.
Therefore, it’s important to know the laws before you carry this out.
Another way you can gather evidence is to take screenshots and save any incendiary messages and comments on your social media pages. Moreover, save any bullying emails and text messages.
The more proof of bullying you collect, the stronger case you’ll have if you must take it to the school board or to court.
Therefore, gather your own evidence because schools will make lousy excuses for bullies.
This post is all about the question, “Why do schools ignore bullying?” so that you can have the answers you’ve been looking for and be better able to decide what your recourse should be.
Related posts you’ll enjoy:
1. How to Stop a Bully from Bullying You: 7 Powerful Strategies
2. Important Facts About Bullying: 3 Truths You Must Learn
3. Setting Boundaries: 3 Powerful Practices to Hold Your Ground
4. Know Your Enemy: 7 Reasons to Gather Intel on Your Bullies