One of the joys of being principal of MCS is the number of times I get invited into classes to co-teach or run a session with our kids in some area relating to developmental guidance, school policy, or some element of our faith and its place in our day to day existence. Recently, Mrs. Wessman asked me to join her and the eighth grade in its discussion on interpersonal relations and what our faith, as Christians, requires of us in the way we relate to others. Of particular interest to us, as a school, is the issue of bullying in all its forms. To understand the Church’s position on the matter, we need remember Christ’s call to love one another and to review the seven principles of Catholic Social Justice Teaching.
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
All people are sacred, made in the image and likeness of God. People do not loose dignity because of disability, poverty, age, lack of success, or race.
Call to Family, Communication, Participation
We realize our dignity and rights in relationships with others, in community. We are called to respect all of God's gift of creation, to be good stewards of the earth and each other.
Rights and Responsibilities
People have a fundamental right to life, food, shelter, healthcare, education, and employment. People have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives.
Options for the Poor and Vulnerable
The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members.
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
People have a right to decent work, fair wages, private property, and economic initiative. The economy exists to serve people, not the other way around.
Solidarity
We are one family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, and economic differences. We are called to work globally for justice.
Care for God's Creation
The goods of the earth are gifts of God. Humans have a responsibility to act as stewards, not as mere consumers and users.
So which of the principles would seem to best guide the way in which we relate and respond to others? Clearly it would be two of the principles cited. The first would be “Life and Dignity of a Human Person”. All people are sacred and made in the image of God. It is our job as human beings to treat one another with respect and dignity. When someone is being bullied they lose their dignity, they are not treated as a human being. A victim of bullying is constantly put down and feels less than the people around them.
The second principle which appears to address the issue of bullying is “Call to Family, Community, and Participation”. We are called to respect God's gifts of creation, and be good stewards of the earth and of each other. Bullying is not an example of good stewardship. It is rude and it causes people to think badly about themselves. God wants us to love each other not hate one another.
Finally, central to a Catholic response to bullying is the recognition of the family as the primary social institution and respect for the primacy of parents as the first educators of their children. The principle of respect for all human persons should be instilled in children beginning at an early age through teaching and modeling within the home. To assist parents in this awesome responsibility, Catholic elementary and secondary schools augment and support the family in a complementary fashion.
There are no panaceas for preventing bullying behavior from infiltrating Catholic schools. Still, the best antidote is developing a plan — in the home, in our churches and in schools — centered on recognizing the face of Christ in all people. The plan should incorporate the core principles and assets of our Catholic faith and our Catholic communities: the fundamental beliefs and traditions of our faith and respect for the dignity of all human persons. All that must be permeated with the healing power of Christ’s call to love one another as he has loved us.