They should do an anti-bullying Episode ... seriously its like the adults just stand there and even laugh along with DT when she is picking on Applebloom.

Maybe thats where all the ponies learned to be Jerks in Putting Your Hoof Down... bullying isnt encouraged in Ponyville but it isnt stopped either.

*Pipsqueak enters. He looks miserable and downcast*

When have they actually laughed along?

They don't even seem to notice most of REALLY bad stuff DT does

@Pipsqueak Whats eating you? Need a pick-me-up.

-Hands Pipsqueak a can of ice cold A&W-

They were laughing along with DT when she was making fun of Applebloom at DT's Cutesieanera

A&W? 'Amburgers and Woot beer!

edited 10th Jun '12 12:34:26 PM by aeeeeeiou

@Turtle Were they?!

edited 10th Jun '12 12:36:07 PM by gingerninja666

Actually It's Allen and Wright Root Beer. Delicious stuff it is.

It sure looked like they were to me. I cant pull it up on Youtube right now or Id post the spot in the video that I mean.

Unfortunately with bullying it's a bit of a tricky situation to handle, not to mention a... well, situational situation.

In the CMC's case, really the best thing they can do is what they're already doing: ignore it. Especially since DT and SS are, while admittedly abusive little bitches, not actually doing anything wrong. The spirit is there, certainly, but since they don't ever directly name call - at least not in front of an adult in authority of them - they can't realistically be called out on it.

Physical bullying is a different issue altogether, but it's not one that looks like it would appear so it's difficult to focus on it without shoehorning it in(For the record, in regards to physical bullying: It's the same issue, really. A teacher cannot, realistically, do anything about an issue without evidence. It's good to tell a teacher because they can keep a watchful eye out from then on, but they still need to SEE what's happening to do anything. This includes the issue with fighting back - if they only hear that there's a fight going on and they have no way of telling who started it, they have no choice but to punish both parties. Think of it similar to the actual legal system; We need to investigate the whole issue otherwise real justice would never be done. n this case you need witnesses, but as kids are pretty notoriously biased you often have to write out their testimonies.

For it's easy for us, the victims of bullying to talk about how little teachers do to stop it, imagine it from the teacher's perspective. Almost all teachers are genuinely good people who care about the kids under them. Imagine how ungodly frustrating it must be to KNOW that a kid is being hurt and being unable to do anything about it because of the system.

The best thing you can do is to game the system, and avoid it all together. Bully wants to start a fight on school property? Let them, and don't fight back. When the teacher gets called the evidence stacks against them overwhelmingly, and the teacher maybe CAN do something. Outside of school property?

Kick their little asses into oblivion. The easiest way to get rid of a bully is to make them fear the consequences. Get them in trouble when you don't fight back, and give them hell when you do. They fear both winning and losing.)

On a cheerier not regarding Ponyville's size: At least in Canada a town doesn't qualify as such until it's population reaches 5000 in and around the town. Coming from a town that just qualified, I can tell you that ponyville does not. Thus, it qualifies as a village, the next step down.

I have seen this backfire before. In most cases both kids get punished (even in one sided fights) and in some rare fucked up situation I have seen the losing side get penalized while the offending side takes nothing.

*Pipsqueak sighs*

Wll, Ponyville's bigger than a Hamlet, that's for sure

What's the matter, Pip?

I had the problem where if I fought back, and got suspended... my parents didnt care WHY I was suspended... I was in for a world of pain from them too.

I had one time where I was trying to get into my locker to get my books for class, and the bully sitting in front of it on purpose refused to move. I did ask politely... so I just opened it anyway and the door hit her on the back... no teacher saw it yet I got in trouble for "hitting her"

Its BS that a teacher cant act unless they see.. I had plenty of times when I was the injured party yet I got in trouble based on hearsay.

Well, I got all tipsy last night. Dad wants whoever did it arrested, mum thinks that he's going to far and they started yelling at each other. Now neither of then will talk to the other.

I was good friends with all the teachers in my high school, so I got away with FAR more than I rightfully should have.

... those were dark times

Which is what happens when a teachers acts on what hey can't see.

So perhaps I should say that a teacher shouldn't act unless they see, otherwise innocent parties get victimized.

@Pip: Sounds rough... but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Even ponies who love each other a lot will still fight. Heck, my parents have had their share of fights and they're still happily together almost 30 years later.

EDIT: Bleh, doublepost. Figured I'd get ninjad along the way...

edited 10th Jun '12 12:47:12 PM by kegisak

In my school, if you werent a student athlete or some other thing that won some kind of award the principal and teachers didnt give a shit about you. You were garbage.

The only thing that saved me was that they didnt care enough to ask why I was never in study hall.. I went and sat in a fire escape hallway with all the other outcasts and played MTG and chess. If I went to study hall I almost always got pelted with spitballs or gum in my hair.

Fuck I even had a kid LIGHT MY HAIR ON FIRE in the lunch line and when I went to the principal with the singed lock... he was like "So... youre alive...whats the problem?"

Well that's a depressing last few pages.

Well... wait, hold on.

Mosto f you guys are from the US, right. United States education system. Too low pay and too low funding for the teachers to have time to worry about anything other than how they're keeping food on the table.

Right, Canada actually has a decent educational system, so my experience is pretty much useless here.

Meh, my school was pretty good to it's students too

edited 10th Jun '12 12:52:47 PM by gingerninja666

I've been in Texas schools all my life, and my teachers always cared about the students.

Yea and I love how they keep cutting funding for education in favor of other bullshit. I only hope Im dead before the shit hits the fan in the USA .. thats all I can say.

And you wonder why I have little hope for humanity Kegi, Ive seen how terrible people can be to each other. The few times Ive seen beauty and hope its rather quickly been fucked up by someone being a asshole.