Le Journal du Barreau fait paraître les trois derniers textes primés au concours La justice a bonne mine.
Depuis quelque temps, des étudiants de votre école ont formé le groupe Les Dragons. Ces derniers taxent certains étudiants, commettent des actes violents et harcèlent plusieurs personnes. La situation a atteint son paroxysme lorsqu'un étudiant, battu sauvagement dans la cour d'école, a dû être hospitalisé. Que suggérez-vous à l'école de faire pour régler ce problème de violence?
The summer breeze gently kissed my face as I walked in the schoolyard with my friend Fawn. We were talking about all and nothing when we where approached by the newly formed group at our school "The Dragons". We knew better than to mess with them. This group was a real freak show. They were formed only last month and they already had a nasty reputation of bullying and harassment. We just stood there, frightened beyond the beyond; we had no clue on what to do in situations such as this. Two of the kids shoved me on the side and just held me. I tried to free myself but it was futile, they were too strong. I heard screaming. I quickly looked in my friend's direction: she was getting beaten up by the three other kids as the remaining members watched with interest. I started to yell as well as I watched my friend get brutally beaten to the ground. When they were satisfied, the other three kids walked toward me. I started thinking hysterically about Fawn, thinking I'd soon meet the same fate. Why weren't the other kids helping Fawn and me? Were they as scared as us of this group? Before the tyrant attacked me, two teachers ran in our direction. The Dragons didn't seem as tough as they looked as they started to run away. One of the teachers treated to my friend as the other came to check up on me. She asked me a whole heap of questions when we were interrupted by the other teacher's voice saying we needed an ambulance immediately.
I gently knocked on the hospital door the following Sunday. A nurse kindly let me in for the visit I had planned for Fawn. It broke my heart to see such a good friend in such a state. I didn't stay long for she wasn't fully recovered from the incident. We said good-bye a short while later as I watched her drift away for a nap. Seeing her sleeping like this made me want to make a difference to all kids. It was decided; tomorrow I was going to talk to the principal.
I waited for lunchtime before revealing what I had to say. Throughout the entire day, friends and teachers were asking about Fawn's condition, if I was all right because I was silent and
wasn't paying any attention during my classes. The moment finally came and I entered the secretary's office, asking for a word with the principal. She didn't hesitate for she knew my situation and what I was going through. She asked me to wait for him in his office because he was busy at that moment. I did so and silently waited for him. I didn't have to wait for long; he came in five minutes later. He seemed extremely calm as we intently stared at each other. He broke the silence first, asking me the reason of my being there. I hesitated a few moments and blurted out: "Sir, what's going on in your school grounds is unacceptable. My friend got brutally beaten and after seeing her in her condition at the hospital yesterday, I just couldn't let anyone else get hurt like this. We should create some type of law against kids like this at our school. It doesn't seem like suspension is making the cut. Maybe we should try to get these kids some help, meet their parents personally and give them names of people where they may get help for their children. Maybe set up some cameras, get some people from the neighbourhood to help maintain order at school, anything! Maybe you should contact the police and talk to them about making up a program for these kids where they have no choice but to go. Maybe they could take them on a tour of a prison and show them what it's going to be like if they don't change in the near future or maybe even let them stay there for a while and if that doesn't work, maybe try boot camp. We must do something or things will just get worse!" I sat back down. The principal considered my ideas and informed me that he'd try to contact the police and see if they could work out something. He thanked me for the visit and I left.
I walked in the hallways, quite proud of myself when I came face to face with "The Dragons", who were just hanging out and had already gotten a punishment I wasn't aware of. They wanted to take it out on me because they figured I ratted on them. Before they could even say a word, I started to yell at them about my feelings and how Fawn must have felt, how all the kids must have felt after their encounters with them. I stood up for everyone; especially Fawn and they didn't expect this from me at all. I wished them the worst of luck in everything they wished to accomplish in their pitiful lives and that they'd get what they deserved. They all fell silent and did nothing for they didn't want to get in any more trouble. I found a way through the speechless group. I walked away with smile on my face; Fawn will sure be happy and I'm sure I made a big difference in this school.
À la direction de l'école,
À la suite des actions violentes de « Les Dragons », j'ai décidé de vous faire part de certaines de mes idées en ce qui concerne l'arrêt de l'oppression infligée par ce groupe.
Premièrement, il faudrait tout de suite repérer chaque membre de ce gang. Cependant, une fois identifiés, vous ne devriez pas les punir comme tel: en les punissant, vous ne ferez qu'alimenter leur haine et leur donner envie de se venger, donc ils recommenceraient avec ardeur.
Je crois qu'il faudrait parler à chaque membre de « Les Dragons » individuellement. Un spécialiste de l'école, le psychologue, par exemple, pourrait trouver la raison à la base du comportement nocif de chacun de ces individus et pouvoir ainsi, en corrigeant cette affliction personnelle, mettre fin à ses actes violents. Est-ce pour gagner de l'attention, pour se venger contre certaines personnes ou tout simplement par haine qu'il manifeste ainsi sa rage? Mais, si un jeune refuse de vous faire part de son problème, vous pourriez établir une relation d'échange et de soutien avec ses parents. Bref, il faut traiter la source du problème.
Je crois qu'il faudrait essayer de montrer aux membres de « Les Dragons » le mal qu'ils font. En visitant l'étudiant qu'ils ont sauvagement battu ou en parlant aux élèves victimes de leurs harcèlements, ils réaliseront probablement les graves conséquences de leurs actions et arrêteront cette oppression. Ils seront confrontés à la peine et à la souffrance qui marquent les visages de leurs victimes et peut-être leur bonne conscience s'éveillera-t-elle... Nous le souhaitons.
Ces jeunes sont évidemment énergiques, donc pourquoi ne pas les engager dans certaines activités parascolaires de l'école. S'ils sont occupés par un sport ou une autre activité qui les passionne, ils n'auront ni l'énergie ni la colère nécessaires pour reprendre leurs vieilles habitudes.
Bref, quoique certains ne soient pas d'accord avec cet énoncé, je crois que des fois, la punition n'est pas la manière la plus efficace d'inculquer le respect et l'obéissance. Ces jeunes qui ont une manière violente d'exprimer leur frustration, ont besoin d'une personne à qui se confier et qui pourrait les aider à vaincre leurs démons. Moi, en tant qu'adolescente, je sais que chaque fois que je suis de mauvaise humeur ou que je cherche à me quereller pour aucune raison apparente, il y en a en effet toujours une, peut-être insignifiante pour ceux qui m'entourent mais d'une importance monumentale pour moi. Pour ma part, je suis consciente de ce qui se passe en moi lors de ces moments troubles et j'ai appris à bien réagir.
Pour conclure, membres de la direction, j'espère que vous tiendrez compte de mes suggestions et que celles-ci vous seront utiles pour réduire la brutalité et la violence de « Les Dragons ».
This is already my last year in secondary school. Most of my favourite memories were during my years in high school, but this isn't the case for everyone. Sadly enough, there are a number of people today who say that the hardest years of their lives were the years they spent in high school. Why you ask? Simple. Because they had to endure months if not years of getting teased, picked on, and even beaten. In other words, bullied. It has remained a school trend carried on through the ages, and has now reached a crucial point. We live in the age of Columbie, where students are obsessing about violence towards one another, and we have to know how and when to say enough is enough.
First of all, what we should all understand is violence isn't always physical. What you might call teasing; the person being teased might call it pain. For example, a few years ago, when I used to attend Dorval high, I knew a girl named Denise. Actually, everybody knew her, but not in a good way. To tell you the truth, she was a real outcast, left out and rejected. It was so very easy to pick on her; the way she walked, talked, dressed, it was all wrong! It was obvious she knew she wasn't wanted, but no one ever said anything to her face, until one day when she decided to wear her fishnet stockings.
The more popular kids took advantage of the situation and called her harsh names and laughed at her, very loudly might I add. They called her names, like prostitute and slut, and said that no one would want to marry her. As hard as it is to believe, the teacher did nothing. Afterwards, we had another class to attend. She cried, and students did their best to console her and nothing was said about or done to the popular kids. It's obvious; the tongue is mightier than the sword. Moreover, when students were transferred to a new school, Denise slowly faded in into the crowd, and now, no one even knows what has become of her. What's more ironic, is that the more popular students blended in their new school as well, and really aren't so popular anymore.
Furthermore, I am deeply distraught by the fact that nothing was done on Denise's behalf. If it were my child, I would talk to the teachers, especially to the principal and discuss how matters like these could be taken care of. I feel that students, especially teenagers should be severely punished. If all I get for beating up a fellow student is a warning or a slap on the wrist, I admit, it would persuade me to continue. It's the feeling of domination and power that you get from hurting someone else, a sort of rush that's almost addictive. When you beat up or verbally abuse a kid, you just can't wait for your next victim. And this is precisely the idea that we need to get out of young minds today.
Making them understand that everyone is equal, no matter how strange, whether it is by suspensions or even expulsions.
In conclusion, I think there should be a zero tolerance towards violence in schools or on any school ground, especially if it occurs in our own classrooms. I don't want to go to school in fear of getting picked on or beaten and neither does anyone else I imagine. The best way is to get parents and teachers involved, instead of police officials, and get more school activities where students can interact and see one another for who they really are. We have reached a point where it's time to say enough is enough, and do everything we can to stop violence in our schools not only when it happens, but more importantly before it happens.
