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

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 115076


SSSusan:
> > But we really don't see any reporting of bullying going on nor a 
> > mechanism for assistance.

Aura: 
> IMO, that's what house heads are for. Hogwarts is full of little 
> kids living away from their parents; heading a house can't just be 
> an administrative position. And there's an on-staff mediwitch who 
> surely would have healed Harry's hand and then told to DD about the 
> psycho bitch who hurt a student. And in normal circumstances, 
> Umbridge would have her fat can kicked out so fast .... Ahem. Went 
> into fantasy land there for a minute. 
> 
> What I mean is, while there isn't a specific guidance counsellor, 
> no, but Hermione and Ron's insistance that Harry tell someone about 
> Umbridge shows that even in the WW, students do have adults they 
> can turn to.


SSSusan again:
But, see, that's my point.  Hogwarts *isn't* "normal circumstances."  
I *think* when you said that (please correct if wrong), you were 
referring to what we're used to in the here & now.  I'm trying to 
point out that Hogwarts is very NOT here & now.  In our world, Heads 
of Houses would serve the capacity you describe, but we've never seen 
that through 5 books.  We do see Hermione go to MM over the Firebolt, 
but do we ever hear of Neville or Lee or Harry going to her over DJU 
or Snape or Draco or anything?  No.  

I think it *is* indicative that no guidance counselor is seen.  In 
fact, I think it is indicative of there being no guidance counselor!  
And I think there's no guidance counselor because it's not a part of 
the "culture of Hogwarts."  The absense of a counselor and the total 
lack of any mention of psychologists, counseling, mental health 
services are ways of informing us that Hogwarts *isn't* here & now 
(imo).



Aura:
> But, if things were to get intolerable, Harry could go to McG or
> DD's office and say, "I'm having a problem, I need help," and they'd
> listen. But Harry wouldn't because of that schoolboy code of 
> silence and self-reliance. It isn't the school's fault if the 
> students don't make use of the resources available to them.

SSSusan again:
Oh, and I'm not saying it's the school's fault, either.  I'm saying 
it's just the way it IS at Hogwarts.  I just think that the "help me" 
mechanism isn't utilized because the mechanism isn't firmly in place 
there.


SSSusan earlier:
> > That's really what I was driving at -- that Hogwarts
> > World & bullying's place within in definitely doesn't seem to 
> > correspond w/ JKR's personal view of bullying in the RW.

Aura:
> It does in that JKR means to show that real world students should 
> do what Ron and Hermione *said* and not what Harry *did*. It's 
> right there in the chapter: Harry should talk to someone about 
> Umbridge.


SSSusan again:
Indeed, it is in the chapter.  And why doesn't Harry do anything?  At 
least 4 possible reasons have been brought up: 1) it's "not done" in 
British schoolboy settings; 2) Harry's learned from his time w/ the 
Dursleys not to ask for help; 3) it's just not in Harry's nature to 
ask; 4) he feels abandoned already by DD and so doesn't necessarily 
trust that help will be forthcoming.

I still contend that even though Ron & Hermione tell Harry he should 
report this, there *isn't* this support network like we'd expect to 
see in modern day, RW school systems.  Why don't R&H report *for* 
Harry?  One might say because they respect his right to do for 
himself.  One might also say because they doubt much could/would be 
done.  Hogwarts just isn't the "one stop shopping" education/social 
services/counseling center that so many expect of (at least American 
public) schools today.

Siriusly Snapey Susan, who's hoping she doesn't sound too 
antagonistic in this post!