OT: Teenagers... (WTF)

[thunder]

I don't usually share private stuff, but here's the exception that confirmes the rule...

I work at the Norwegian equivalent of senior high shcool. I like working with teenagers, but sometimes, it's like they are from a different planet (They probably are in a way).

Since the seniors are graduating soon, these are the times of hazing etc. Meaning they pour different kinds more or less drinkable/eatable things over the younger students. Usually things that stinks. (I don't get the humor in this, but I am getting old, I guess)

Anyway, I walk from one department block to another, and two senior boys are getting ready to pour a can of beer over a girl. There's clearly some negotiations going on, because the boy let go of the girl's arms and she takes her jacket off and arrange her hair etc. Then she just let him hold her arms again. I walk up and gather my courage. I'm not very nervous, since I think they wouldn't be so stupid to do something to a teacher, but you never know - I might end up soaked in beer.
I confiscate the beer and talk to the boys. And the girl just stands there waiting for me to leave so they can go ahead again.
The boy seemed pretty cool about having the beer taken off him, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had more stacked somewhere. But seriously, girl, run!

Why did I even bother...
And then I had to walk through the whole school building with an opened beer can.

Just a rant, thanks for reading!

[amy223]

As a fellow teacher (power to the teachers of planet Earth!), I wish I had deep insight and wisdom about this, thunder! I think if I could get a real handle on the inner synaptic workings of youngsters, I could possibly become world famous and a billionaire. Personally, I think it has something to do with the still-developing pre-frontal cortex, which can make people under the age of 25 do some of the most astoundingly absurd things. (I've read.) I think stinky food/beverages being poured on top of people and willfully allowing the pouring of alcohol all over one's person would seem to fall into the WTF?! Still-Developing Pre-Frontal Cortex category.

As a side note, stories like this underscore for me why I stick to Kindergarten through 3rd grade. But I have several junior and high school teacher friends who look at what I do all day and go, "How are you not in a mental asylum right now??"

I did get a good giggle over the image of you having to walk back through the building with a beer can in hand. That's awesome. Just pure de-awesome.

[ln419]

OH MY GOSH! Ok, I live in a Chicago suburb. My kid goes to a really great senior HS, which has a high incidents of drive by shootings rapes, assaults (all in school and in/around the 'hood). HOWEVER, aside from THOSE things...there is NO alcohol in school, there are armed security guards every corner/corridor. There are metal detectors at every enterance, and the topper was that he learned ALL about the revolutionary war via (ready?) The Patriot! It's actually and truely a VERY good school with some very odd teachers and rules...and it's the zip code where we live. If we lived 4 blocks and 1 major street west, things would be different, but it's not. He loves his school and is very happy and is doing well, who am I to complain? Besides, all the schools around here are similiar, ya just have to look where to step...Now hazing, serious HAZING is saved for colleges here, where kids die to get into a Greek House. ~ellen

[servalan]

I'm no expert on UK schools, but I don't think that kind of behaviour would be tolerated in schools, for so many reasons. Alcohol would be officially banned on school premises (even if it was available somewhere and a teacher had not found out), so pouring beer over each other in the presence of a teacher would not be done. Such behaviour comes under bullying, and that is never tolerated (although some schools are better than others at resolving bullying issues).

"Hazing" is not a British English word. The only equivalent was initiation rites in public (i.e. private) schools, such as sticking the new kid's head down the toilet. But if that still goes on, it's classed as bullying, and not officially allowed.

That said, UK teenagers are badly behaved too. My OH used to teach, and said they had no respect for their own or anyone else's property, e.g. damaging or losing their own expensive mobile phones by being careless with them, and they dropped litter including uneaten food all over the school even right next to a rubbish bin. This does not of course compare to shootings etc, but it makes me angry when I see rural African children walking miles to school and desperate for education, whereas our kids just slough theirs off.

[thunder]

The hazing isn't allowed. But some younger students thinks it gives them status to be gunged. They find it flattering, it means they are cool enough to be noticed by the older students. So the girl yesterday, couldn't wait to have the beer poured over her.

If the students get caught doing this, it's treated as bullying. And they can get expelled, behavior marks, their behavior grade can be bad. And the police may look into it if the victim reports it, or the school does. Recently, 3 former seniors in another city were sentenced to jail for taping up younger students and gunging them. I don't think they boys yesterday realized how much trouble they are in. It may sink in when the headmaster have a talk with them (allthough the willing victim may get them off with a warning).

They didn't have the alcohol inside the school area. The road between the department blocks is a public road. If the beer can had been inside the school area, they would definitely have been expelled. I think maybe tomorrow might be big hazing day, but we'll see what happens. We can stop things from happening inside the school area, but they sometimes make the younger students go outside and then "kidnap" them to another place and do it there.

To make it clear: Only a few seniors are doing the bullying. Most just celebrate and do stupid thing that's only bad for themsleves. There are som challenges that they are supposed to try to complete. Like going taped to another senior for a day. Ask a teacher for sexual advice, sit under the desk during a whole lesson, sit in their underwear during a lesson. Kind of innocent stuff... Some challenges are connected to alcohol and sex, etc, but the ones who do them don't do that when they are at school.

It's part of a ritual that's been around for a long time. it's called "Russ". The seniors in high school celebrating having completed 13 years of school, before going to University. But it used to be after the exams, and then they changed the school year. So now the exams starts next week, and they are celebrating now. Some are out partying all night, and teachers are quite frustrated about great absence in class and students being so tired they can't keep their eyes open. Or students being more conserned about doing the ridiculus challenges, than paying attention. But it's the same every year. The stupid things they do to themselves don't bother me. I am more conserned about some of them jeopardizing their future, but it's their life. They are 18 - 19 years old, and have to make their own choices.

[ln419]

And here, parents are responsible, unless the police become involved-in which case..
parent rights are out the window (because they"re adults) and you better have the $ to pony up for a decent lawyer and be prepared for your kid to spend at least 1 night behind bars. Teach your kid very early to be careful who theyr'e friends are and that YOU meet them often, assess their grades after meeting new friends...new attitudes...being a parent/teacher is SUCH a difficult job! Guiding to be a decent person can break one's heart. ~ellen