It is with some sense of disbelief as well as relief that I realise it is, finally, Friday night. It has been something of a long and harrowing week. There seems to be a lot of violence and nastiness out there - in the international and local media, in people in general and especially in the school environment.
I had the misfortune to be on field duty this lunchtime when a vicious assault on a student took place. Another teacher, who was fortunately braver than me, physically broke up the fight but I had to help keep them separated and drag them over to senior management. Intimidating stuff for me (and led to much paperwork - grumble). It was scary for several reasons. Firstly, the attacking student was considerably bigger than me. She had the dimensions and demeanour of your average cave troll. Also the sheer intensity of enraged people and lack of reason from some people is terrifying.However, what really disturbed me was a swarm of excited students who showed up to applaud the fight. The student who was attacked was pushed to the ground, nearly broke/twisted her ankle and the attacking student was going for her throat as she was pulled off. I have seldom felt more disgusted than when I saw and heard the smiles, jeers and laughing from the spectators as one of their peers was bullied and assaulted.The only thing that angers me more than violence is the kind of mentality that thinks it is amusing to watch and mock a human being as they are being hurt/tortured/humilated. The mentality similar to those of American soldiers who tortured and abused the Abu Ghraib prisoners and thought it was quite the "kodak moment". What kind of depraved person do you have to be to grin and pose for a photo with the people you are victimising and degrading? What was their plan for the photos? Send them back to their friends and family back home?Depressing. I feel the need for chocolate, comedy, some kind of pick-up-me diversion from the grey sludge of nasty.
