[HPforGrownups] Re: OOP: James' Behaviour normal? [Was: Humor and Tone (Was Questions for JKR)]

[Diana Williams]

No: HPFGUIDX 68023

From: "medeacallous" <medeacallous at yahoo.ca>
>
> What exactly does that mean, 'normal'?  I don't know if I grew up in
> some kind of utopia, but where I come from, physically restraining,
> hurting, humiliating and exposing the underclothes of a schoolmate
> in front of a crowd of people is not only abnormal, it would result
> in a jail term.
>
> Carol, are you saying that your son has done things like this
> himself?  Or is it just something you suspect him to be capable of?
> What about other teenagers and parents of teens?  Are there any
> opinions that differ from those I've read so far?


I have a 13 year old son, and we discussed this scene, talking about whether
this is normal behavior for teen boys or not.  While he says that the
average teenage boy *doesn't* do this kind of thing, it's not uncommon for
the jock-type-popular boys to "pants" other boys, usually younger or smaller
or described as "weird" by the rest of the school.  Usually they target one
person who is then the target of all their "jokes".  They don't go as far as
taking off their underwear (as it is indicated that James might have done),
but pulling down their jeans in public is a common form of humiliation.
Swirlies (putting them head first in the toilet and then flushing) is also
common.  If they are caught, they'd get in trouble - detention in the "old
days" but now with heightened awareness of bullying and hate crimes (often
times the victims are perceived as being gay), the perpetrators are
suspended at the least or expelled, and dropped from school athletics
teams - and the parents of the victim could press charges as well.
Unfortunately, *that* has created a problem because unless a teacher just
happens to be patrolling and catches them in the act, someone has to talk.
With the unwritten "no-squeal" rule among kids plus the pressure of being
ostracized (or tormented themselves), most kids are reluctant to tattle.
Who wants to be known as the reason why the school lost the big football
game (or Quidditch match) because they got the star quarterback kicked off?

Diana W.