I was saddened when I saw this, but not surprised. So few parental units out there make any effort at all to keep their wild things in line, and often encourage their "Me, first, last and always" attitudes.

This poor woman is already 68, she should have retired by now, but she can't. Three guesses why, first 2 don't count (Yeah, I'm looking at all of you, DC). She is obviously not meant to be a surrogate parent, nor should she have to do anything more that tell the little kidlings to settle down occasionally. Instead, a school of sharks in human form get their jollies by ripping her to emotional hamburger.

This is why I changed my mind about going back to school to teach. I'm great with my kinds, and friends kids, even when they aren't at their best and brightest. But if someone I don't know, or don't like is letting their child run rampant in a store or restaurant, they are very likely to get Junior back wearing a bright purple post it note saying "Gypsies were here, we threw this one back because it had no manners. Next time we may not be as picky"

Watching this video made me feel ill. Those are not small children who are too young to know better. They are well beyond old enough to know that what they were doing is wrong.

When I was junior high school age (in the 1960's), if something like that was going on and there was no adult to step in and literally slap some fear and respect into the little turds, other boys in the vicinity would have jumped in and taken care of it... and would have been admired for it afterward. If fact, to stand by and not do something to stop it would have been cause for great shame.

But today, it seems like that type of behavior is actually protected, as if school and government officials want to make sure our schools and communities safe for thugs and bullies. The little future TSA employees in the video seemed very confident that no one would interfere with their disgraceful behavior, and apparently they were right. If anyone - like the bus driver or other students - did intervene, he/she/they would probably have faced retribution from the authorities. For example:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/05/29/teen-punished-stopping-bullies-harassing-special-needs-girl

Why is that? Is it because school and government officials feel threatened by anyone who stands up to or takes action against bullies and thugs?

Compare and contrast these bullies behavior to that of the rank and file teachers union thugs in WI lately, and you'll see why the school is running interference for their precious future dues paying members.

They aren't afraid of the little brats, or mortified by them as we are, they are *proud" as can be. I can hear it now "Look how much they've learned, Mable! Alinsky would beam with pride if there was an afterlife, which of course there isn't."

I blame the parents who are raising their kids to be self-centered, nasty little hoodlums, school admins and teachers who say "Oh hell, he ain't mine, I just have to survive a year and kick him to the next teacher." And the unfortunate decline of neighborhoods.

When I was a kid, we knew everyone for several blocks around. All of the kids went outside and played together till the streetlights came on, and if one of our parents caught us getting into anything, we were stone,cold busted.

First we got to hear half of the phone convo where they called your parents and turned you in. Then you got to do the "walk of shame" back to your own house for what you knew waited there. After all was said and done, if it was still daylight, your parents would display you on the front porch, eyes red and puffy from crying, nose sniffly and so so red, clutching your favorite stuffie.

You were a WARNING to the other kids that crime did not pay, and forget the fear of God, Dad had a much quicker response time.

We respected the adults in our lives. Bottom line, we loved them too, which is always nice, but we respected them, most of all.

Cosh 1, 2.

" they are very likely to get Junior back wearing a bright purple post it note saying "Gypsies were here, we threw this one back because it had no manners. Next time we may not be as picky""

I am so totally stealing this.

This poor woman. It's a shame we can't load these kids and the people who spawned them off to some deserted island and let them form what society they will without bothering the rest of us. It'd be a pretty darn crowded island.

So let me get this straight.

Some prison guard at the local child abuse center is given the treatment that she quite properly deserves by the inmates of the institution and we are supposed to feel sorry for HER! Wow. What an inversion of principle.

Sorry. This is on the same level as finding sympathy for TSA goons. They are both tax-feeders who are paid with stolen money to keep the Mundanes in line and to train them to be good little citizens. In principle, there is no difference between the two.

If there is a problem, it's that the kids attacked the weakest of our jailers instead of going after the root of the issue. Understandable though, because it they had actually gone after the cop in their prison, they'd be lucky to escape alive.

Sorry. This is on the same level as finding sympathy for TSA goons. They are both tax-feeders who are paid with stolen money to keep the Mundanes in line and to train them to be good little citizens. In principle, there is no difference between the two.

Seriously? On what planet? How do you dare compare a freakin' bus monitor, who sits on a bus with these kids for what, half an hour a day, to make sure they don't hurt themselves, never putting a hand on them, to some TSA goon who gets paid to violate my 4th amendment right against unreasonable search by putting their hand on places on my body that only my husband should be touching because I want to get on a plane?? Apples and oranges, there, buddy!

Try again.

That's disgusting, David.
Perhaps one of the brats on the bus is your child?

Perhaps one of the brats on the bus is your child?

Probably the one who started it.

Wow, David. You must be the proud parent who sings the "Not *my* little angel!" song every time someone tries to point out your child's misbehavior, instead of scruffing the little brat and going outside *where there are no witnesses*.

This woman in no way, shape or form even REMOTELY resembles the TSA douchebag brigade. She's there to keep an eye on things so that the kids don't get into fights, or in this day and age, start an orgy in the back of the bus. Back in the day when kids were taught to respect their elders, her mere presence would have sufficed, now it requires Seal Team 6 to get the little bastards under control.

Personally, I hope each and every one of those kids gets suspended at the very least. In school suspension, with lots of busy work. Math busy work.

Somebody tell Obama he needs to get these punk kids down to Guantanamo and find out what they know.

I know this is going to sound harsh but isn't her job to keep those kids on the bus in line? If she can't do her job, then she shouldn't be a school bus monitor. This woman can't even stand up for herself, so theres no way she can keep these little brats under control.

Also yes this is normal behavior for middle school students. I was repeatedly harassed and assaulted on the school bus when I was in middle school until I stood up for myself and fought one of the kids who was harassing me. Once you fight one of them all of the b.s. stops. Bullies don’t really want to get into a physical altercation. Even if it’s one they can win, because they might get hurt while doing it. They just want to harass a victim who won’t put up too much of a fight.

Of course as an adult you can’t get into a physical altercation with a minor. Not that this old lady would have been able to pull that off anyway. What she should have done instead is filmed them threatening her (which they did in the video), told the bus driver to stop at an intersection, and called the police. I bet once the police took one of those little monsters down to juvenile detention in handcuffs for threatening her she wouldn’t have any problems in the future. This old lady seems like a nice enough woman and that’s part of the problem. She just needs to find a new line of work.

By the way what does any of this have to do with unionization?

It's a shame we can't load these kids and the people who spawned them off to some deserted island and let them form what society they will without bothering the rest of us. It'd be a pretty darn crowded island.

I think I just got an idea for a reality show...

Is this really a recent phenomenon?

I witnessed and even was on the receiving end of bullying this vicious when I was in school. (I graduated in 1994.) The school bus was bully heaven. We had a batty old woman bus driver when I was a freshman, and the boys on the bus used to shout abusively at her the entire ride home. When I was in sixth grade I got off the bus crying more than once after neighborhood kids collectively decided to start calling me fat and supplying graphic and relentless details of HOW disgustingly fat. (I wasn't actually fat at all--not that it would have justified any of it.) I couldn't tune them out. They'd start pegging small objects at me or knocking my book closed.

It wasn't just me, of course. I saw lots of kids get it, for various reasons and for no reason.

Some of the kids doing it were "model students" whose parents and teachers never would have believed it. They were just as awful as these kids, just more secretive. We didn't have phones with video capability, of course.

I think these particular kids are more likely to face consequences and public shaming than any I grew up with.

Greece school board president Julie VanOrman had an idea – make the incident a “teachable moment.”

"Teachable moment" my foot. How about making it a "punishable moment" instead? We could start by making the parents of those little shits responsible for their own transportation to school.

"Throw them off the bus for good" was my first thought. Then the parents will be reminded of this every single day.

One thought.

My children are aware of what happens if they engage in bullying behavior.

Bad things.

Update.

David: "Some prison guard at the local child abuse center is given the treatment that she quite properly deserves by the inmates of the institution and we are supposed to feel sorry for HER! Wow. What an inversion of principle."

Hmmm. Interesting point, David. Of course she's "just doing her job", and couldn't actually do anything to any of the little turds. But she is voluntarily participating in an oppressive, unjust, corrupt system that the little turds are victims of and may righteously rebel against.

Mike Hunter: "I know this is going to sound harsh but isn't her job to keep those kids on the bus in line? If she can't do her job, then she shouldn't be a school bus monitor."

That's another interesting point, Mike Hunter. Maybe she isn't even "just doing her job", but just showing up and getting in on looting some of the taxpayers' money.

All I see is a FAT, INCOMPETENT, GOVERNMENT employee!!! The behavior of these children is totally justified! This fat old hag can't even stop these kids from bullying her. How the hell is she going to stop them from bullying other kids?

Not to mention this fat pig is already collecting medicare and wasting my tax dollars because of her morbid obesity!! Have you all forgotten the libertarian virtues of Ayn Rand? Greed and selfishness is good; charity and empathy is bad!

If these children bully her like that every day she'll eventually either: decide to do something about being such a fat ass or, enter a depression and stop eating so much. She'll lose weight and everyone wins. The kids win because they get live entertainment every day on the bus; the taxpayers win because they don't have to pay for her unnecessary medical costs; and even the fat hag wins because she'll live longer due to her healthier diet.

Also weren't we just talking about the fact that we should use social shaming to address the obesity epidemic instead of government intervention? This video shows that tactic in action! These kids shouldn't be condemned. They should be congratulated for volunteering to help fight the obesity epidemic among our most vulnerable citizens. All without any government intervention or encouragement from adults.

Jesus jumping on a pogo stick. No wonder the little darlings thought they were perfectly ok treating this poor woman that way, judging by some of the comments people have lost all sense of humanity, compassion or even simple common sense.

I raised my kids right, which means I held them to a high standard of conduct, manners and respect for others. If you think that this is normal behavior for this age group, YOU might just be part of the PROBLEM. Normal, well adjusted children DO NOT act this way.

Bullies have existed in every age, but now they are coddled, protected, given "understanding" instead of the sharp, swift slap of reality they deserve.

My kids were told that if they were bullied, they had a series of steps to take, starting with telling an adult, and ending with kicking the kids ass on the playground. They had to go through channels, and make sure to CYA, but they had my permission to do what was necessary to protect themselves and their sibs. They were also told that if they ever got caught *bullying* someone else, they would instantly be the saddest panda on the face of the earth, as I could and would make their life a living hell for at least 6 months, followed by purgatory, and then maybe probation if I was feeling good. Unacceptable behavior carries unpleasant consequences, that's how they learn not to repeat it.

Aw, I'm blushing. I'm feeling a bit misty today, my youngest turned 19 (Yay, Squeaker!).

I love my kids more than my own life. I had horrible, terrible parents. really, the kind that you would see on Jerry Springer. I had to make myself into the kind of person I would have wanted as a mother, so that I could raise my kids the best way, the way that made sense to me. It wasn't easy, It took hard work, long hours, sacrifice, disapointment, tears, laughter, facepalms, immense pride, stubborness, joy, all punctuated by amazing adrenaline shots to the heart. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. When I see kids like this, it breaks my heart because they wouldn't *be* like this if they had effective parents. Or at least 99% of them wouldn't, there is always that small margin that are mentally ill, and no amount of good parenting will save them. These children have been let down by the people who proffess to love them the most, and yet stand there dazed, like deer in the headlights when something goes horribly wrong and repeat the same mantra "I don't understand what went wrong. He's such a good kid."
No, I'm sorry, he wasn't a "good kid". Did you know his friends? I 'mean really, know their names, meet their parents, know their interests and see if they were academically inclined, or into sports, or what kind of music they listened to?
Did you actually pay attention to what you kid did online? Hell yes I read over her shoulder. I pay for the internet, I am not hugely intrusive, but knowing that I might walk past and glance over is a very big deterent to stupidity.
What's your kid's favorite class in school? Ever talk about what they want to do when they grow up, what they dream about? Guess what, they are not Mini-mes. My eldest is a chemist, I hated math with every fiber of my being. Youngest wants to be a Chef, I think she would be good at it. I hate to cook.
So, yeah, bullying is a really hot button for me. I was picked on all thru school, and no one ever stood up for me because I was the oldest of 3. I had to shield my little brother and sister. I would *never* tolerate that sort of behavior from my own kids.