A bully?

So, Natalie is having some issues with a kid.  Actually, they've been going on for a couple of years.  She tells on him, he is talked to.  Then, he does it again.  This year, it has escalated to another level.  She's been called "fugly" and "stupid" and had rocks thrown at her.

She has not been totally innocent, I'm sure.  I've heard her mutter, "idiot" as we drive by him on the street.  I know that, if she'll say it in front of me, she'll say it to him.  However, most of her actions have actually been REactions.  He kicks her, she kicks him back.  Then they're both in trouble.

Today, he pushed and pushed until she threatened to put him on her death list.  And then?  Yeah, she wrote a death list, with his name.  *sigh*  If I was his mom, and heard of this, I'd freak.  If I was a teacher or principal, I'd freak.  I know her, and know that she was reacting to a hi-stress situation.  But she dealt with it in a VERY wrong way.

She doesn't remember Columbine.  She doesn't remember any school shootings.  She didn't have a CLUE what this would come to.  However, I don't want them to take it lightly.  She has to learn how very VERY wrong it was.  The superintendent pushed for a 3 day OSS (out of school suspension.)  Her principal knows her very well, and wanted to offer another punishment.

She will have a 1-day ISS (in school suspension.)  The punishment is severe, and it's real, but her scores for the day count, so she doesn't go from A honor roll to B's and C's.  It was a horrible lapse in judgment, and I can assure you that it will not happen again.  She's scared shitless.

We are teaching her coping skills, and telling her that she needs to be a "tattle tale" where this kid is concerned.  If stuff happens on the way home again, I will call the police on him.  My child will NOT be victimized on her way home from school.

Anyway, a lot of drama is boiled down into a very tough lesson.  She'll serve her ISS, and write down everything that happened, since she couldn't talk about it today due to crying. We will document each future incident, and to whom she reported it.  This WILL get resolved before the year is out.

So, how did YOUR parent-teacher conferences go?  LOL  My girls are both doing EXCELLENT, academically.  Now, to work out the awkward social crap.  *sigh*  I just wish that I handled things better in my life, so I could teach them how to do the same.