向美国中学校园的恶势力

Bullying seems to be a growing trend in schools across the Untied States. Kids and teens2 alike feel as if school isn't school anymore, it's a battle field. How can we make everyone the winner?

在美国校园里以强凌弱似有增长之势。儿童和青少年们觉得好像学校不再是学校了，它是一个战场。我们如何才能使每个人都成为胜利者呢?

After interviewing sixteen 7th and 8th grade students from a small suburban middle school, I found out a lot about bullying, violence, and other related issues. My first question to the students was "Do you think bullying and violence has increased since elementary school?" Basically every student said yes. Meredith, an 8th grader, said that she has not been bullied but she has seen many other kid victims of this sort of abuse3.Another 8th grader, Christina, said "Kids shouldn't pick on4 others because they are different." That brought me to pose a question to Stephanie. I asked her if she had ever been bullied. She sighed5, and replied that she had. I asked her if she knew why. She answered "They just don't know you, they think you are weird6 or something. If people got to know me, they'd see I'm just like other kids." She also said that she told a teacher once, but the teacher refused to help her. So I asked the group if they thought teacher were putting forth enough effort to prevent bullying and violence. No one, not one student, said yes. After putting the answers of my survey7 into a graph, these results were very upsetting. But, when I asked what teachers should do, no one had an answer. But those who did said it should be talked over with a teacher, maybe with a parent after school. "Sometimes teachers do too much,sometimes not enough, but kids should talk with teachers after school." Jo-jo, another 8th grader says teaehers should watch more for kids being bullied. She also believes the violence is coming from anger. Although she has never been bullied, her friends have. Most kids, now aren't telling the teacher anymore. Stephanie says "it's not like elementary school when you were a blabber８ mouth, I don't even tell my parents unless they ask." Lauren, 8th grade, says "Kids are meaner9 because they think they are cooler, or try to control their reputation." Another girl named Lauren adds "Kids aren't just meaner here, they're meaner everywhere." Alyssa says "Guy's think they are tougher10 now, they think they can do whatever they want." John says "It's all in their attitude, their personality. Especially when they are around their friends, trying to impress people." A seventh grader named Lauren tells me she was once bullied by a boy on her bus. Paul, a 6th grader said he had been bullied because boys are much rowdier11 and more violent, too. He says he's been bullied for having good grades. When he notified the teacher, nothing was solved. Jess, an 8th grader had a different view. She says, while "People aren't mean to me, I've seen other kids bullied. Actually, some are more mature12!" So once again, I asked, what could teachers do? The first response was "In school suspension13." "But don't some kids like ISS?" I asked. "Copy from the dictionary?" Molly laughed. Hopefully teachers will one day aide the innocent14 in the battle on bullies.

在采访了来自市郊一所小型中学的16位七年级和八年级的学生之后，我发现了很多欺侮、暴力和其他相关的问题。我对学生提出的第一个问题是：“你认为自小学以后欺侮和暴力现象有所增加吗?”基本上每位学生都说是的。八年级学生梅雷迪斯说她并没有被欺侮过，但是她曾经见过其他许多孩子成为此类凌辱的受害者。另外的一个八年级学生克里斯蒂娜说：“有些同学不应该因为别人与他们不同就找人家的茬儿。”她的话提醒我对斯蒂法妮提出了一个问题，我问她是否曾经被欺负过。她叹了口气回答说这样的事她遇到过。我问她是否知道原因。她回答说：“他们只是不了解你，他们认为你怪异或有点特别。如果人们了解了我，他们会看到我和其他的孩子一样。”她还说她曾告诉过一位老师，但是老师并没有帮助她。因此，我做了集体询问调查：老师是否在防止欺侮和暴力现象方面尽了力?没有一位学生的回答是肯定的。在我将调查的答案用图表显示出来之后，这些结果非常令人不安。然而，当我问到教师应该怎么做时，没有人知道答案。但是有人的确提议应该在课后与老师或者与家长一起讨论这个问题：“有时老师做得太多，有时不够，但是学生在放学后应该和老师谈谈。”乔乔是另一个八年级学生，她提出老师应该更多地关心被欺负的学生。她也相信暴力来自于愤怒。虽然她从未被欺负过，她的朋友却有过这样的经历。现在，大多数学生已不再向老师汇报了。斯蒂法妮说：“现在不再像小学时，那时你是很多嘴的。现在我连父母都不告诉，除非他们问我，”八年级学生劳伦说：“孩子们越来越坏，因为他们认为自己比较酷，或者想撑起自己的面子。”另一个也叫劳伦的女孩又说：“坏孩子们不仅仅在学校里使坏，他们在各处都使坏。”艾莉莎说：“现在男孩子们认为他们自己很强，认为他们可以为所欲为了。”约翰说：“问题在于他们的态度和个性。尤其当他们和朋友在一起的时候，他们总想出风头。”另一个也叫劳伦的七年级学生告诉我她曾在公共汽车上被一个男孩欺负过。一个六年级学生保罗说他也被威胁过，因为男孩子更加粗鲁和暴力一些。他还说起因为他的成绩好而被欺负。当他告诉了老师后，还是无济于事。八年级学生杰斯持有不同的看法。她说：“大家对我不错，但我看到过其他的孩子受欺负。实际上，有的同学更老练一些!”于是，我再一次问道：老师可以做些什么?第一个回应是“在校停课”。“在校停课，难道不正合一些学生的心意吗?”我问道：“抄字典如何?”莫利笑了。希望有一天在这场打击“欺凌弱小者”的战争中，老师会站在无辜者的一边。

注释：

1．bully n．恃强欺弱者，恶霸

2．teen n．=teenager(13~19岁的)青少年

3．abuse n．虐待，凌辱，伤害

4．pick on 欺负，找茬儿

5．sigh vi.叹气，叹息

6．weird adj．奇怪的，奇特的，不可思议的

7．survey n．调查，民意调查

8．blabber n．喋喋不休，胡言乱语

9．mean adj．脾气坏的，恶意的

10．tough adj．强壮的，坚强的

11．rowdy adj．好争吵的，喧闹的

12．mature adj．成熟的

13．suspension n．暂令停学

14．innocent n．无罪的人，无辜者