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'Buddy Bench' Creates a Safe Spot for Shy Classmates to Find Friends
- trentmb 11y agoEven as a kid I'd be too shy to draw attention to myself like that.
- CM30 11y agoIt's an interesting idea, but... as someone said in the article comments, it seems like a perfect magnet for wannabe bullies. If you're a sociopathic jerk and want to find easy targets... well, the bench that basically labels people as having few friends may as well have a 'kick me' sign attached to it.
- oh_sigh 11y agoIf you've never seen it in action, then you have no idea what you're talking about. There's enough good kids to prevent bullies from taking over, and in fact the bullies even learn a lesson from inclusionary activities based on the buddy bench.
- oxide 11y agothe people who dream up this nonsense are so out of touch that when they see that empty bench year after year, they're more likely to blame the shy students for not using the tools given to them than accept that it's a poorly thought out concept.
- oh_sigh 11y agoYeah those stupid fucking fourth graders who dreamed up this concept. Such fucking nonsense they are spouting. What the fuck is wrong with these people? How dare they?
- dang 11y agoI gather that you have some experience with this idea and/or some reason to think that it works. Please don't debase that by replying to a trollish comment with snark. If you'd like to say more about what you've experienced or observed, I would be interested to read it. It strikes me as one of those simple ideas that it is well worth trying and which, if it worked, could make a big difference for kids. It's also the sort of thing where the only way to find out is to try it.
- madengr 11y agoI suppose if I were a bully, the kids on the buddy bench would be the first ones I'd beat up.
- oh_sigh 11y agoAnd then you'd be ostracized from the entire school. Yay!
- yarrel 11y agoAnybody who points out flaws in this idea isn't your friend.
- oh_sigh 11y agoDon't worry, they still have a safe spot on the buddy bench in my town.
- bshoemaker 11y agoThis is the dumbest idea of all time
- dang 11y agoPlease don't post unsubstantive comments to Hacker News, and especially please don't be dismissive of new ideas.