Do it my way or else

Workable Rules:

The law, and particularly rules, have a place in most social situations. Families, schools, work places, social groups all have their rules to provide standards of behaviour. These are very important. They give direction to appropriate behaviour and help members to know what is acceptable and unacceptable.

They help to develop community amongst members and to curb excesses. To last they need to be enforced, not by regimented practice and adherence, but by regular articulation and by addressing breaches before they become the norm.

Procedures for dealing with breaches need to be well known and workable, with a focus on correcting behaviour, not punishment and exclusion, which is the final weapon.

If people know the rules then they are more likely to adhere to them. For example, as we talk more and give examples about what constitutes cyber bullying, people are more likely to be careful about what they say and how they say it in communications.

Social Capital:

People who feel powerless, disenfranchised and rejected are more likely to resort to bullying to be heard or to have their needs met.

Governments and communities need to work hard to provide education, jobs and training, resources to support families with children, care for the elderly. We must be able to identify individuals and groups that slip through the social net and to activate plans to keep them engaged with the community.

Disengagement is a key source of trouble for any community, as witnessed recently in parts of Britain. When people are engaged and feel good about themselves, they are more likely to feel satisfied with their lives and less likely to be involved in bullying behaviours.

Education and Values:

Values are taught in the home and modified by society. Some children learn very negative values at home and it is the role of schools and other social institutions to shape these values into community norms.

Consensus around values is not difficult to achieve, as found with Australian schools recently when there was a renewed focus on values.