Respect

I recently saw footage taken on a school bus in Greece, New York, where children harass, bullied and made the life of school bus monitor Karen Huff Klein, 65, an absolute nightmare.
To say I was appalled and horrified would  be an understatement.I can't even think of a way to describe my feelings...  sadness, rage, empathy, disbelief, and many more emotions flood to my mind and heart as I watched this video.
Who are these children? How can they say and do the things they did, do they have no conscience or empathy, did no one ever teach them respect, manners, anything?
The Huffington Post reported that "Now, under pressure from the local community, the Greece School District and Greece Police Department are launching investigations into the incident, telling WHEC-TV that the children involved will "face disciplinary action."
Disciplinary action? What action can they possibly take that would repair the damage done to this woman?
At the Family Resource Center, where I am the Program Coordinator, we teach our children through an activity called a Jordan Doll that our words and actions leave scars.
The premise of the Paper doll is that each time the children insult it, bully it, cause harm, etc. they are to rip a piece of it off. At the end of this they are to make apologies, form reparations, and make a menses, etc. and with each action piece Jordan back together.
What the children see is that their actions and words leave scares on Jordan that are unrepairable. Even if they come close to piecing him back together perfectly he will never be as he was before.
And this is now the state of Karen Klein, she is left with scars from these children that will be with her always.
Does this mean we should forgo apologies and gestures of sympathy and wrong doing? No.
However we should spend our time educating parents and these kids so that this horrific event never, ever happens again.
I'm ashamed, ashamed that children could exhibit this type of behaviour. I'm also dissapointed by all the bystanders who sat and did nothing, from the other children to the driver on the bus.
And I am disappointed by the actions of these specific children that bullied Mrs. Klien.Your behaviour was completely unacceptable.
I want to personally apologize to anyone and everyone who have ever had to endure this type of behaviour or any related behaviours. this is wrong, and never should anyone have to go through this.

For links to the video of the event and Mrs Klien response visit:

Huffington Post