Bits and bobs

This mystery man, nicknamed "Piano Man", was found by two police officers wandering aimlessly near a beach in the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, on April 7.
He is believed to be in his twenties or early thirties and he was wearing a dripping wet black suit and shirt snd tie when he was discovered. All efforts to communicate with the shy and agitated man have failed and since then he hasn't spoken a word to anyone.
He was taken to Little Brook Hospital in Dartford, Kent where he is being cared for, West Kent NHS Trust are legally responsible for his treatment.
Here staff gave him a pen and some paper in the hope he would write his name or draw his country's flag. Instead he drew a highly detailed pictures of a grand piano. Realising that music must be the key to unlock the mystery, social worker Michael Camp took him to the hospital's chapel, which contains a piano. The man sat down at the instrument and began to play. The doctors were amazed at the transformation. For the first time since he had been found he appeared calm and relaxed. He was also a good player and he stunned carers with a four-hour piano recital.
In the following weeks the "piano man" returned regularly to the chapel. He played sections from Swam Lake by Tchaikovsky but most often seemed to prefer to perform his own compositions. He played the piano for three or four hours and he had to be physically removed from it because he refuxed to stop.
Until he is identified he will no doubt continue to play his sad but soothing music to the pleasure of those caring for him and his fellow patients.
Doctors are considering using music and art therapy to try to communicate with the mystery man who expresses himself only through his music and they have installed an upright piano in his room at the secure mental health unit where he is being held.
Some who have heard him believe he may be a professional musician. One theory is that he has suffered a trauma which caused amnesia, one of the methods the mind uses to retreat from a shock. Personal memories can be lost while the ability to communicate -or, for instance, play the piano-is not.
Although more than 1000 people from all over the world have contacted a special helpline and several leads to his identity are being investigated, West Kent NHS Trust have said it may still be "some time" before they know who the mystery man is. The Trust said he is in good physical health but his psychological condition is unlikely to change dramatically in the near future.
His carers have become so desperate to find out who he is and what has happened to him that they have allowed his photograph to be taken in the hope that someone will solve the mystery, a suggestion is that he might have been wearing dark clothes when he was founds because he had been to a funeral.
Anyway, this is a sad case. Clearly there must have been some sort of trauma and it is important to find out what it was.
The Piano Man's story is so intriguing that Hollywood producers are considering making a film about it.

De nuevo el fallo que ha emitido el Juzgado de Menores nº 1 de San Sebastián contra los ocho menores acosadores de Jokin vuelve a sacar a la luz el tema de la violencia escolar.
Han sido condenados a 18 meses de libertad vigilada por un delito contra la integridad moral. Cuatro de ellos deberán además cumplir tres fines de semana de permanencia en un centro educativo por una falta de lesiones. Queda probado según la sentencia que Jokin C.L. se suicidó, arrojándose al vacio desde la muralla de Hondarrubia (Guipúzcoa), tras haber sido víctima durante meses de insultos, vejaciones y agresiones físicas por parte de sus compañeros, un grupo con el que había empezado a tener relaciones en el curso 2003-2004 y todo esto presumiblemente ante la mirada "impasible" del resto de la comunidad escolar.
Según la jueza, sabían que le causaban "daños", pero se entiende que estos adolescentes no previeran las consecuencias fatales de sus execrables actos, aunque bien es cierto que para algunos y sobre todo para la familia de Jokin la sentencia pueda considerarse extremadamente benigna teniendo incluso en cuenta la imposibidad de establecer una relación de causa-efecto entre el suicidio y la actuación de los acusados.

Nos podemos preguntar entonces, ¿qué pudo desencadenar el drama? ¿qué provocó que tomase la irrevocable decisión de lanzarse al vacio? El terrible dolor y angustia generados por la tortura continuada de estos chicos que hicieron que perdiera el control, que tomara esta decisión dramática porque no encontró una vía de escape, nadie supo ayudarle, nadie fue consciente de la gravedad de la situación, sobre todo porque pensamos que las víctimas deben de ser seres inadaptados, con algún tipo de defecto físico o psíquico que les hace ser el blanco de burlas y agresiones. Nada más lejos de la realidad en este caso: Jokin no era un chico débil, tenía un buén expediente académico e incluso había sido elegido delegado de clase anteriormente, lo que revela sus dotes de liderazgo, sus acosadores fueron en principio sus "amigos"

Esta es una seria advertencia para los adultos por la permisividad con la que aceptamos los abusos entre menores y sobre todo para los enseñantes que no somos conscientes de que las burlas, el hostigamiento y la violencia verbal y física entre los estudiantes, por leves que parezcan, son conductas de consecuencias imprevisibles que no pueden aceptarse como "cosas de la edad". Deben detectarse y atajarse desde su mismo inicio.

Este caso ha sorprendido a la opinión pública y ha saltado la alarma ante una situación que no es nueva en las aulas, pero que para muchos parece que ha empeorado:la conflictividad escolar.
Desde entonces, el "bullying"no ha dejado de aparecer en los titulares de la prensa y los casos de acoso y violencia no han dejado de salir a la luz.
En el proceso de "bullying" intervienen tres actores claramente diferenciados:

• El "bully" o agresor: utiliza de forma sistemática el acoso verbal, emocional, físico o social contra alguno de sus compañeros. Suele padecer graves problemas emocionales que pretende superar mediante el acoso sistemático contra sus compañeros. No tiene porqué responder al prototipo de chico seguro de sí mismo, corpulento o lider natural, es más, si no desplegase este comportamiento agresivo, podría quedar en el anonimato. El "bully" con sus actuaciones pretende ser el protagonista de ese grupo que contempla pasivamente su agresión. Persigue, de esta forma aliviar la angustia que le provoca su desequilibrio emocional y utiliza el acoso como "mecanismo compensatorio" para sentirse mejor al ser aceptado por el grupo.
• La víctima: puede ser cualquier compañero del agresor y que frente a la provocación responde negativamente. Puede ser cualquier alumno porque la víctima no responde al estereotipo de chico tímido, acomplejado o con ciertas dificultades de relación como hemos visto en el caso de Jokin.
• El grupo: actua de mero espectador ante el acoso y constituye con su silencio y pasividad al maltrato, también es responsable de lo que ocurre, es un protagonista activo del acoso al que es sometida la víctima. Sus integrantes, temerosos de poder ser ellos mismos elegidos como víctimas, prefieren esconderse en la protección que da el anonimato.

No debemos olvidar que el "bullying" no se refiere solamente a las agresiones físicas, sinó también a otra serie de actuaciones como el insulto, poner motes, extender rumores, obligar a hacer cosas, inventarse historias para meterles en problemas, persuadir a los demás de que no sean sus amigos o de que no les hablen, ignorarles,no dejarles colaborar en actividades o juegos, no invitarles a fiestas, ser atacados por su religión, raza, apariencia o por alguna discapacidad, dañar o esconder sus pertenencias, robarles o pedirles dinero, enviarles mensajes desagradables al móvil, hacerles llamadas perdidas, enviar mensajes insultantes por internet (chats o mensajería instantánea), acosarles sexualmente, amenazarles con o sin armas...

Las escuelas a menudo no nos tomamos en serio estos actos, nos escudamos en que son cosas de la edad, en que no teniamos ni idea de lo que estaba pasando pero los "bullies" si lo saben y sus compañeros también, todos somos culpables y es demasiado tarde darse cuenta y lamentarse de ello cuando alguien ha muerto, está en tratamiento médico o psiquiátrico o simplemente deja de asistir a clase por miedo a estos acosadores.

Sin embargo, pese a la continua aparición de casos en los medios de comunicación y al clima de "alarma" generado, los expertos y las estadísticas coinciden en que la violencia escolar, es por el momento, algo excepcional en España, son conflictos de "baja intensidad", actuaciones puntuales. Pero, a pesar de ello, en casi todas las comunidades autónomas se están implantando programas que persiguen la mejora de la convivencia y la prevención de la conflictividad en la escuela. Les deseo suerte para bien de todos.

Co gallo do Día das letras Galegas vou comentar un libro que lin fai uns anos cando o mandaron ler ó meu fillo no Instituto.

"Conta Saldada" é unha novela autobiográfica, contada en primeira persoa por unha adolescente, Catuxa, que é a protagonista.

O tema da obra non é orixinal, está tomado dunha das obras mestras da literatura universal, "Hamlet" de Shakespeare, á que fai repetidas referencias ó longo da novela, pero está tratado dun xeito completamente diferente que a encadra dentro da novela policiaca moderna.

Narra a historia dunha rapaza á que se lle aparece seu pai ó pouco de morrer e revélalle que non se suicidara, senón que foi asasinado por un cliente ó que xestionou mal o seu diñeiro e perderao.

Tamén lle revela que ten un fillo con outra muller, para que o buscase e lle dea parte do herdo.

A partir de aquí desenrólase a novela onde Catuxa vai vingar a morte do seu pai coa axuda do seu "medio irmán", que ó final descubrirase que non é tal.

A acción desenrólase nun pasado moi próximo, o longo de vintesete capítulos. Catuxa cóntanos o que sucede dende a aparición do seu pai ata que vinga a súa morte. O capítulo vinteoito volve ó tempo real, co cal o final queda aberto, non sabemos se a policía vai descubrir os asasinatos e a implicación dos protagonistas, se estes van seguir véndose e terminan sendo bos amigos ou o qué sucederá despois. É unha novela pois que admite continuación. A obra mantén a emoción, a tensión e a intriga dende o principio ó final por medio de varios recursos como o de avisar os lectores no prólogo que abandonen a lectura se teñen medo dos aparecidos, o que acrecenta a interese por saber o que vai suceder, ou retrasar intencionadamente a consumación da vinganza para crear maior intriga.

En canto á linguaxe denótase a diferente proveniencia social das duas personaxes e a súa visión da vida contraposta, a linguaxe de Catuxa ainda que propio dunha adolescente é máis culto, nembargantes, Xermán utiliza unha linguaxe vulgar propio dos barrios pobres anegada de palabróns e deixa aflorar a súa incultura con comentarios como "Santo Tomás de Quino" en vez de Aquino.

As personaxes proceden de dúas clases e ambientes sociais diferentes, o que se reflexa no seu comportamento e personalidade.

Catuxa é de clase media á que non lle falta de nada, é boa estudiante e culta. Xermán, por outra parte, é un rapaz de barrio de clase baixa, mal estudiante, maleducado, malfalado e con pouca cultura.

Catuxa é a narradora da historia; decide vingar o seu pai axudándose de Xermán. Dáse unha identificación co príncipe danés Hamlet que está na súa mesma situación, incluso o seu apelido Castro correspóndese con Hamlet en danés segundo lle dixera súa nai e Xermán refírese a ela como "princesa". Pero Catuxa non é tan irresoluta como o príncipe, ten máis decisión e non vai demorar a súa vinganza.

Nembargantes o medo e a angustia lle embargan e isto déixase sentir fisicamente, comézalle a doer a tripa e debe ir irremediablemente ó baño.

Catuxa recorre ás mentiras para levar a cabo os seus propósitos, ó principio resultalle difícil pero despois xa lle saen sen esforzo e van indicando a súa transformación; ó final, a rapaza é unha nova persoa, a súa vida cambiou por completo, aínda que finxa seguir sendo a mesma e poñer interese nos seus estudios. A súa amiga Begoña é a máis consciente deste cambio e pensa que dalgunha forma fora traizoada.

Xermán dende que apareceu na obra podéselle considerar como coprotagonista. É a posición realista e representa a actitude crítica na obra. Anque ó principio, son moi diferentes pouco a pouco vanse acercando e aceptándose o un ó outro. O rapaz é fiel a Catuxa e non lle falla cando necesita a súa axuda, arríscase desinteresadamente olvidándose da recompensa prometida de cinco millóns de pesetas.

O libro gustoume porque lévate a reflexionar; estes rapaces transguediron unha serie de normas e leis coma o de conducir sen carné e portar armas brancas e de fogo e, finalmente, acaban asasinando.

Actuaron de forma irreflexiva e irresponsable e non acadaron nada positivo, soamente o sentirse mal, ter remordimentos e non voltar a ser os mesmos. Perderon a inocencia, superaron a adolescencia dunha forma tráxica.

Un punto feble da obra é o tema dos aparecidos, nunha novela moderna Catuxa debeu enterarse por outro medio do asasinato do seu pai, pero de ser así a similitude ca obra de Shakespeare desaparecería.

Mañá vaise celebrar o Día das Letras Galegas e gustariame honrar a tódolos escritores galegos. Este ano adícase ó crítico e poeta Lorenzo Varela (1916-1978). Non sei moito acerca del polo tanto non direi nada, comprométome a ler algo.
Eu penso questa data desmereceu moito, converteuse nunha festividade, nun día de lecer moi lonxe do seu espíritu orixinal; e as veces adícase a escritores non quero dicir que non sexan importantes pero na maioría dos casos case descoñecidos ata esa data, creo que sería mellor a partires de agora adicarla a tódolos escritores galegos en xeral.
Por outra banda habería que incrementar a participación activa de ensinantes e estudantes con actividades que visen o coñecimento da cultura, da historia, da xeografía e sobre todo da exaltación da lingua e a literatura galegas.

Why has bullying come to light in Spain lately?
Which event has raised awareness of the problem?

The answer is simple and worrying: after the teenage Jokin, 14, committed suicide in Hondarrubia (Guipúzcoa) on the 21st September, 2004.
He killed himself due to distress over bullying, and no doubt the bullies never thought this would be the consequences of their behavior, but he suffered for months unhappiness, being hit, kicked, punched, called names, said nasty things, taunted and threatened by some school partners. And all this took place on the presence of other bystander students doing nothing about it and ignoring what was going on.

My school is one of those where bullying is still not taken seriously, we consider it as an inevitable part of childhood, just as part of growing up and a way for young people to learn to stick up for themselves.
But bullying hurts. It makes people miserable. It can change lives for ever. It can make young people feel lonely, unhappy and frightened. It makes them feel unsafe and think they must be something wrong with them.
They lose confidence and may not want to go to school any more. It may make them sick, some are receiving psychiatric and psycological help, others are suffering from eating disorders because they have been called fat.
Some young people are bullied for no particular reason, but sometimes it's because they are different in some way, perhaps they are more clever, more popular and better looking than they are or on the contrary, it's their weight, the colour of their skin, the way they talk, or because they wear glasses or a hearing aid, have red hair, dyslexia, diabetes or are just quiet and pleasant. Many of them are too frightened to go to school and some have been removed from school by their parents.

WHAT IS BULLYING?
The word "bullying" is used to describe many different types of behaviour ranging from teasing or deliberately leaving an individual out of social gathering or ignoring them, to serious assaults and abuse. Sometimes is an individual who is doing the bullying and sometimes a group.
The important thing is not the action but the effect on the victim. No-one should ever underestimate the fear that a bullied child feels.

There are different kinds of bullying and they all hurt:

• Physical bullying: Hitting, kicking, pushing, choking, punching, biting, shoving, taking things away from you, damaging your belongings, stealing your money, being attacked because of your religion or colour, making things up to get you into trouble.
• Verbal bullying: Threatening, taunting, teasing, hate speech, calling you names, spreading rumours, making silent or abusive phone calls, sending you offensive phone texts, posting insulting messages on the internet or by IM.
• Social exclusion: Taking your friends away from you, being ignored and left out, exclusion from activities (this doesn't mean that a child shouldn't have the right to choose to play or not to play with another child; it means that chidren shouldn't be allowed to systematically exclude others: "No one play with Mary" "No one wants to play with him" "Don't be her friend" "Don't talk to him".

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE BULLIED?

Bullying hurts. It makes you feel unsafe, scared and upset, it can make you feel you are not important. It can make you so worried that you can't work well at school. Some students have skipped school and pretended to be ill to get away from it. It can also make you feel that you are no good, that there is something wrong with you. But you need to know that you are NOT alone in being bullied. You need to know that being bullied is NOT YOUR FAULT.

People who bully might try to hurt and control you by telling you things like "you're stupid and ugly" or that your hair or skin colour, size, sex, race, religion, and other things are bad. Don't believe bullies. These things are not bad. In fact, it is these very things that make you special and unique in our world. These mean words and actions tell us more about the people who are saying and doing such things, than about you. Bullying is really about others who want to have power and control over you. People who bully want you to feel badly about yourself. Don't give bullies that power.

HOW TO STOP THE BULLYING

Be bullied can be embarrassing, scary and very hurtful, but you should know that you don't have to put up with being bullied. It is NOT a normal part of growing up. Bullying is wrong, and copying with it can be difficult, but remember, you are not the problem, the bully is. You have a right to feel safe and secure. And if you are different in some way, be proud of it!

If someone is bullying you, don't keep it to yourself: you should always tell an adult you can trust. This isn't telling tales. You have a right to be safe and adults can do things to get the bullying stopped. Even if you think you've solved the problem on your own, tell an adult anyway, in case it happens again.

An adult you can trust might be a friend, teacher, school principal, parents... It won't stop unless you do. If you find it difficult to talk about being bullied, it might be easier to write a note to your parents explaining how you feel, or perhaps confide in someone outside the inmediate family, like a grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin and ask them to help you tell your parents what's going on.

Your form tutor needs to know what is happening, so try to find a time to tell him/her when it won't be noticeable. The best idea is if the teacher can catch the bullies red-handed. That way, you won't get into bother from anyone for telling tales.

Try to stay in safe areas of the school at break and lunchtime where there are plenty of other people. Bullies hardly ever pick on people if they are with others in a group, they don't like witnesses. If you are hurt at school, tell a teacher immediately and ask for it to be written down. Make sure you tell your parents.

On the school bus, try to sit near the driver, or if it's an ordinary bus, by other adults. If you have to walk part of the way, vary your route or take a different path to and from school. Try to leave home and school a bit later or a bit earlier, or see if you can walk with other people who live near you, even if they are older or younger.

Be brave, when you're scared of another person, it's hard to be brave, but sometimes just acting brave is enough to stop a bully. If you act as though you're not afraid, it may be enough for a people who bully to leave you alone.

You should stay calm and don't act upset or angry. Bullies love to get a reaction, but if you don't act upset or react the way they want to, they may get bored and stop. Try to ignore a bully's threats. If you can walk away, it takes a bullies power away because they want you to feel bad about yourself. Don't react. Don't let the people who bully win! Everyday you go in to school is a triumph over the bullies because by being there you're showing them that you have every right to be there and that their behaviour hasn't upset you as they had hoped.

But remember to have friends you also need to be a friend and you can do that by trying to be open and friendly with people and asking how they are. This isn't always easy because sometimes the people you are nice to aren't nice back, but if you just ask someone if they had a nice weekend then it gives them the chance to say something back and then you can try to continue the conversation.

If you see someone else being bullied you should always try to stop it. If you do nothing, you're saying that bullying is okay with you. You should show the bully that you think what they are doing is stupid and mean. Help the person being bullied to tell an adult they can trust. But don't get into trouble with the bullies, do it discreetly by telling a teacher when you get the oportunity and won't be overheard. People who are being bullied need friends so if you can help someone who is so unhappy, please do so.

You should always believe the kids being bullied, listening to what they have to say and don't make the bully feel important by paying attention to them, if you ignore bullies, you take away their power. They like to look tough in front of others, they want an audience. You give bullies power when you watch and most of the time the bullying will end if someone like you steps in to stop it. It's a fact that peers are present 85% of the time when bullying occurs and that it will stop within 10 seconds most of the time when someone else steps in to be a friend to the victim.

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE BULLY?

There are a lot of reasons why some people bully.

Bullying is a behaviour, it is something people learn. Bullies may also be bullied themselves, or they were bullied at one time or another in their lifetime. People bully to get attention and because it makes them feel superior to others. They think that it makes them popular but it doesn't make someone popular or cool, it just make them mean. People who bully are often scared about something about themselves, so they try to scare others to hide their feelings or pick on others so they won't get picked on first. They are unhappy and they take out their unhappiness on others. People who bully feel little or no responsability for their actions, and often feel the need to control others and may always feel the need to win. People who bully may be jealous of the people they are bullying and are unable to understand and appreciate the feelings of others. They choose the one person they know they can win against (basically they are chickens). They are excellent observers of human behavior.

Even though people who bully cause a great deal of pain for others, they need help too. If they do not learn how to change their behaviors, they usually end up in trouble with the law. By the age 24, 60% of people who were childhood bullies have at least one criminal conviction. People who continue to bully have many other problems as adults who show more alcoholism, antisocial personality disorders and need for mental health services.

Some people who bully may not even understand how wrong their behavior is and how it makes the person being bullied feel.

ARE YOU A BULLY?

Boys and girls tend to bully in different ways. Teenage girls are more likely to use exclusion from frienships, rumour spreading and name calling while boys are more likely to punch and kick their victims than girls and to use intimidation. Girls appear to be main perpetrors of mobile phone abuse and also on the receiving end of most text message abuse and silent calls. But bullies in general are cunning and are expert at getting away with it.

If you are bullying, or have bullied someone, it is a good idea to get some help. Bullying is wrong behaviour which makes the person being bullied feel afraid or unconfortable.

You need to realize that hurting other people doesn't make you important, it just makes you mean. Think about ways you can be a leader without hurting others, like getting involved in sports, school groups and community activities. If you need help or advice, talk to someone you trust.

Remember that bullying isn't just hitting someone or beating them up. Spreading gossip, calling someone mean names or leaving someone out of games or refusing to invite them to your party are other forms of bullying too.

People who continue to bully when they are young, often end up being in trouble with the law and having many other serios problems.

Being a bully is a dead-end road to take in your life. There is nothing good about being a bully.

SOMETIMES ADULTS BULLY TOO

Adults can and do bully children, mums and dads, other family members, and teachers, for example. They may do it by making you feel bad in front of other people, by shouting and scaring you, by teasing or making fun of you.

It can be very difficult to do something about it, especially if the adult is the one you would normally go to about being bullied. Don't give up, find a sympathetic adult, perhaps a teacher, and talk to them about the problem.

HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING BULLIED

Tachers and parents have a special responsability for looking after young people and that includes helping if they are being bullied at school. But adults cannot do this without help from young people. When someone is bullied at school, other young people who are not directly involved usually know what is going on. Even though they are not involved they could help people who are being bullied. They could encourage them to talk to an adult or could offer to talk to an adult on their behalf. They might be able to let bullies know that they do not like what they are doing and that they are determined to see it stop.

All members of a school community, young and old, have a responsability to help people who are being bullied and to speak out against bullying behavior.

Many schools are now taking bullying seriously. We can help by taking part in our school's anti-bullying activities.

Here are some ideas which teachers and students can deal with bullying:

• Placing bully boxes in school where pupils can put notes if they are too worried to speak openly about bullying.
• Older students can sometimes volunteer to help and support younger ones and new pupils coming into their school by getting to know them and by helping them with problems.
• Counselling people who are being bullied, or who are bullying others, (but only if the counsellor has had training.)
• Organizing campaigns, such as a "no-bullying day"
• Taking part in drama activities to help people understand what it feels like to be bullied and to think about what they can do to stop it.
• Creation of the mediator figure who helps to find a solution when two people disagree about something, this third person can be helpful in many situations but not in all cases of bullying since a bully may refuse to take part because they are not interested in ending the bullying and the victim may feel that a negotiated solution is not fair when it is the other person who is entirely in the wrong.

A final conclusion could be:

Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Stand up for someone when he or she needs it, and when you need it, someone will stand for you. Everyone has the right to be respected and the responsability to respect others!

REFERENCE

Sites:

Bullying Online

bullying.org

antibullying.net

childline.org.uk

stopbullyingnow.com

nobully.org.nz

education.unisa.edu.au/bullying

Newspapers:

El Pais, 11th November,2004. 28th April,2005

El Mundo, 6th October,2004

Escuela, number 3661