Poll Results: Majority Believes Schools Breeding Ground for Hazing, Bullying

In our Patch poll last week, Patch readers were asked, ?

Recent incidents at Hoffman Estates High School, located in District 211, and  Maine West High School have prompted much discussion amongst Patch readers. 

Seventeen percent of the total voters said yes, the ultimate responsibility falls on the students and their parents, not the schools, as of Dec. 10. 

Meanwhile, 82 percent of voters answered no, stating schools are too often a breeding ground for this type of behavior.

There were a total of 80 comments on Arlington Heights Patch about this issue. Several are featured below: 

GuitarMan: Our community is at fault, just as much as schools are. We shrink from telling others they are disrespectful to others, and create a standard, bullying, that is unclear at best, and a diversion from the truth; a lack of basic mutual respect for others, from others.

victoria smith: This was not hazing, it was sexual assault. These students who participated in this should be punished to the max. What are the coaches doing about this? Not much of anything, which makes me believe that they are just as sick-minded as the students who performed these acts! I know that when you are on a sports team, the team all sticks together, but I can't believe that if this was done out in the open on a run, that other teammates wouldn't have tried to put a stop to this.

Bob G: Let us not forget that a parent has a role in his child's schooling too. Keeping open communication lines with them is invaluable. These kinds of things should not be allowed to happen. … Remember it was other kids that are actually doing the hazing. They should have known better too. Talk to your kids. Surely someone knew about this long before, years before the lawsuit lottery started.

Craig Apelbaum: Schools don`t do enough to stop hazing or bullying. Whether it`s youth bullying youth. Or youth bullying adults (staff).

Mary Beth: Children need protection from those who wish to harm them, whether at school or in the community. The school system's primary purpose beyond education is to keep the child safe. Some schools do a better job than others in dealing with bullying, hazing and promoting respect and tolerance. While teachers also need to be protected from false allegations made by disgruntled students; every allegation must be investigated. The atmosphere of the school must be focused on respect for all.

cynthia: When we don't allow our children to face issues themselves we take away their self-respect and confidence. We are here to guide them and teach them not to do the talking for them.

My Self: Since today my sister went to a wake for a child who killed himself over bullying at school, I would say no. The school was informed and the parents asked the school to help. They did nothing.

Molly: The crime that occurred at Maine West was done by a group of thugs and should be punished as such. If school employees knew of this crime and did nothing they also should be jailed.

Bree Olson: Schools are doing too much. Let the kids fight it out. That’s how problems are solved and lessons are learned. 

Brian: It shouldn't have to always fall on the schools, but this macho mentality needs to have a line somewhere. No one should be raped in school... ever. This isn't even about bullies in the strict sense. It is about teammates.

Mr. Rats: 

"The hazing ritual was ordered and witnessed by several coaches, according to the complaint, when, on Sept. 27, Michael Divencenzo, varsity soccer coach, Emilio Rodriguez, freshmen soccer coach, and other coaches ordered a “campus run” after the freshman soccer player was promoted to the varsity squad.

During the “campus run” the boy’s teammates grabbed him, according to the complaint, tore off his underwear, held him down so he could not resist, grabbed his testicles and sodomized him with their fingers and other foreign objects"

This is systematic rape and sexual assault and not any hazing that I was ever aware of in the schools I attended. These children ARE fighting back and they're better than the rapists and the system that allowed the GANG rape.

Do you have thoughts you'd like to share on this issue? If so, leave a comment below. 

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