Bullying (was: SPOILERS.Re: JKR site update)

[dzeytoun]

No: HPFGUIDX 114893


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> SSSusan:
> I found it interesting that JKR answered that question *not* in 
> the "About the Books" category, but in the "Other Stuff" category.  
I 
> think, as many have pointed out here, Hogwarts is very definitely 
not 
> like modern Western education (esp. not like modern American public 
> schools).  It's also been discussed here that there isn't exactly a 
> counseling system in place at Hogwarts, at least not that we see.  
> Students seem to be expected to be pretty tough and to "buck up" 
and 
> just take a lot.
> 
> JKR's answering this question *is* interesting in light of recent 
> discussions around here, but I do think it's noteworthy that she's 
> pulled it to the "Other Stuff" section.  I think she's writing to 
> today's children, living in RL, not *necessarily* equating it to 
what 
> our crew is dealing w/ in her fictional WW.
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan, who hopes this doesn't sound as if she's 
> defending bullies or anything.

That's quite true.  However, I think the reason it's in "other" and 
not "on the books" is because the question did not come to her as a 
question specifically about the books.  That is, she wasn't 
asked "What do you think about bullying at Hogwarts?" but rather her 
opinion, in general, of what bullied students should do.  

As to how this relates to the books, perhaps it shows in OOTP. I 
don't think she made Harry's silence out as all that heroic in OOTP.  
After all, in at least two major scenes people strongly urged him to 
speak to somebody about it.

Dzeytoun