We should not romanticize kids – after all, they can be cruel. In fact, experimenting with cruelty is part of growing up. At HVSS, we don’t persecute people for acting out, but we do hold them accountable; we don’t tell them they’re bad or hold grudges, but we do impose penalties, meant to deter, repair harm, and protect the community. Rather than jumping to conclusions, we honor due process, invite everyone to tell their story, and deliberate carefully.
When there is cruelty at school, we bring it to light, and we try to contextualize it properly; part of that is acknowledging that harmful behavior is essentially human, something we all have to contend with, and when that’s acknowledged honestly the behavior can more easily be recognized, owned, and left behind. And, “left behind” means we don’t stigmatize anyone either , since we know that *everyone* is capable of cruelty, not just the last transgressor, and not only kids, either.