To the Editor:

The excellent writing last week (“BKW parents say school is not safe for their 12-yearold”) moved me considerably. Then I became very, very angry. Again, the school seemed to be blamed for a community-wide problem. Is school bullying the only factor leading to suicidal thoughts?

Bullying is pervasive in our society, in the workplace, the media, and among adults in neighborhoods and on the highways. Some politicians are experts. But do confusing expectations for consumption, success, and being socially acceptable that surround us in the media 24/7 share responsibility for suicidal thoughts?

Teachers work within school policy: You don't have to like everyone but everyone has to be treated with respect. What to do when it isn't followed? If the young lady's doctor, the school district, and her parents didn't have answers, who does? Sometimes it’s best to move away from a situation so there can be healing.

The perspective of an educator: To file a bullying report, time is taken from classroom prep. Interviews about the incident take more time. Teacher and students try to reach resolution in the presence of administrators and parents. The student may insist what the teacher saw didn’t happen. Friends support the student. Repeat with more incidents. Is that why we have teachers?

I suspect many young people with still-developing brains and the new emotions and power they experience have no idea how bullying impacts others. My son was impressed recently by a video of a high school reunion where former bullies were talking with the people they bullied. The former bullies had no idea how classmates had been affected. One said he really liked the classmate he bullied most often.

Please don't blame the schools entirely. Their reach is limited. The rest depends on the community. I substituted in middle and high schools for probably 10 years in the 1970s and 1980s. Bullying isn't any different now, except for media involvement, including social media. Bullying can get very serious, I agree.

My thinking is that to “recast a school culture” (Melissa Hale-Spencer’s phrase in her editorial) to reduce bullying is to “recast a community culture” and probably a lot more.

Sally Daly

Guilderland