Why Some Kids Grow Up To Be Bullied | Newsweek Health

TELEVISION
Linda Ellerbee: The Kids Are All Right
Sarah Ball 10/9/2008 12:00:00 AM
From an 11-year-old's point of view, the difference between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama is almost nil. The war? Both candidates want to end it. Health care? They'll give you subsidies. Global warming? It's really, really bad. And their favorite childhood Halloween costume? Argh, matey—both were pirates.
EDUCATION
It Makes Teachers Touchy
Matthew Philips 9/13/2008 12:00:00 AM
Teachers are conditioned to tolerate a lot of abuse—it's a professional hazard—but what faculty members at Sir G. E. Cartier Elementary School in London, Ontario, went through last spring seems beyond the call of duty: a few of them agreed to be duct-taped to a gym wall while students hit them in the face with pies. Why on earth would they do that? To raise $3,000—enough cash for an interactive whiteboard, the most coveted piece of educational technology on the market right now. These Internet-age chalkboards are essentially giant computer touchscreens, and they're all the rage among teachers. But with little room for them in school budgets, many educators are doing whatever it takes to raise the money themselves. "We're a desperate breed, aren't we?" says Sharon Zinn, one of three teachers who volunteered for Cartier Elementary's whipped-cream-flavored firing squad.
FACTCHECK.ORG
Off Base on Sex Ed
Emi Kolawole 9/10/2008 12:00:00 AM
Obama, contrary to the ad's insinuation, does not support explicit sex education for kindergarteners. And the bill, which would have allowed only "age appropriate" material and a no-questions-asked opt-out policy for parents, was not his accomplishment to claim in any case, since he was not even a cosponsor – and the bill never left the state Senate.
EDUCATION
Struggling School-Age Boys
Peg Tyre 9/8/2008 12:00:00 AM
Every other week it seems a new study comes out that adds to our already-formidable arsenal of parental worries. But even by those escalating standards, the report issued last week by the federal government's National Center for Health Statistics contained a jaw-dropper: the parents of nearly one of every five boys in the United States were concerned enough about what they saw as their sons' emotional or behavioral problems that they consulted a doctor or a health-care professional. By comparison, about one out of 10 parents of girls reported these kinds of problems. (See the study here.)
PROJECT GREEN
Getting an Early Start
Daniel Stone 9/6/2008 12:00:00 AM
Pine Jog Elementary School in West Palm Beach, Fla., seems more like a green-themed educational resort than a captivating old schoolhouse. The brand-new $30 million facility, built last year to accommodate overflow from area schools, was planned with extreme sustainability in mind: classroom design maximizes fresh air and natural light, solar panels power much of the energy grid and a rainwater filter feeds an expansive student-maintained garden, among several dozen more green features. Even the cafeteria serves only fresh and healthful lunches made from sustainable ingredients. "We really wanted the students to be excited about learning from the moment they walk on campus," says Fred Barch, the school's principal.
LETTERS
Tragic Tale of Two Troubled Teens
8/2/2008 12:00:00 AM
'Murder in the 8th Grade': Readers in turn were angered and deeply perturbed by the systemic failure to prevent such a tragedy. One asked, "Did Larry King get a pass on his repeated sexual harassment of Brandon McInerney because he was gay, and why were the boys who were bullying and intimidating King still in school?" Another reprimanded "every significant adult in this story," adding, "Two kids were left to deal with fear, using the only techniques they knew. This should be a wake-up call to all parents, teachers and anyone with a role in a child's life."