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How schools are failing kids when it comes to bullying

I read an opinion article in The New York Times called “How Schools Are Failing Kids When It Comes to Bullying”, and it was very powerful. It’s written by a mother whose son suffered a lot from bullying, and she explains how the school didn’t really help, even when she asked many times. She says they focused more on procedures and bureaucracy than actually protecting her child.

What I liked about the article is that it shows a real case, and it feels very honest. The author talks about how schools often say things like “we are investigating” or “we followed protocol” but in reality, the child keeps suffering. I think this is something that sadly happens a lot, not only in the US. Sometimes schools are afraid of admitting there’s a bullying problem, or they don't want to “label” children.

The article also made me think about the importance of listening to victims. The boy in the story started to change his behavior: he became more silent, had stomach aches before going to school… but teachers didn’t notice or didn’t take it seriously. This shows why early signs are important and how emotional signals can be the first red flags.

As a future psychologist, I feel it’s very important to train teachers and school staff in emotional awareness. This article reminds us that ignoring small signs can lead to big consequences.


Goldstein, D. (2022, November 14). How schools are failing kids when it comes to bullying. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/opinion/bullying-schools.html


Lluc Subiràs
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  1. RoosMay 28, 2025 at 11:04 AM

    Hi, thank you for posting your blog. I agree that some schools don't take bullying serious enough. Some schools brush it off as if its nothing, But they can't see the impact the bullying has on the victims. Schools should introduce more programs to prevent bullying and need to actually follow protocol when bullying is happening. Even if the bullying isn't that "serious", it's important to listen to the victim and help however the teacher can. I hope in the future, schools will work more on helping victims of bullying and that they'll take schools more seriously.

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  2. Dujmov DorottyaMay 31, 2025 at 2:18 AM

    Dear Lluc! Thank you for the post! Unfortunately, not listening to the victim and not taking the problem seriously enough is a huge, world-wide problem! Most of the time teachers do not do anything or just pretend to do something but the actual help never comes... which is really sad! I really hope that by talking about bullying and making it a topic we talk way more about and giving a louder voice for victims can lead to a mindset in world in which this topic gets more attention and gets taken more seriously!

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