Why do Jocks get away with it?

[eclipsed_chemistry]

I realize I'm pretty late to the party here, but hopefully I can give you at least some insight from the other point of view. See, I'm a former jock, and unfortunately, I know exactly what you're talking about/what you went through, and while I never participated in bullying or brutality, I did see things like that go down on a few occasions. And I also saw teachers look the other way or the jocks get off with maybe a half-assed apology and a light slap on the wrist. I think this happens for a number of reasons:

The first one is the most obvious, and yes, most likely a number of faculty and administration are former athletes or friends of athletes and have a lot of sympathy for those kinds of people.

The second is that people who are athletes and jocks tend to be extroverted, outgoing people who, when they're not bullying people, are decently likable people. I mean, you said yourself that you're an introverted person (or were, anyways) and maybe the teachers and principal personally knew these guys better than you and figured they were telling the truth or maybe that they thought that these guys couldn't have done something like that.

The third is that in my experience, jocks are usually the privileged kids of well-off people who have the benefit of a lot of money and connections to the higher-ups in the school. It could be political reasons why the teachers and admins chose not to intervene earlier.

In any case, I'm sorry to hear that these things happened to you. It's clear to me that they crossed the line and should be punished, but I hope things turn out better for you in the future.

 

[Eumersian]

snip

Dude, that sucks. I honestly don't know what to say about that. I was often made fun of, but never beaten up. You were entirely justified in your actions. As for the question, I guess it depends on the local school culture. If the faculty know the importance of the sports teams, I'd imagine that there will be a chance that they would show bias to the athletes.

Just a side note, how are you doing now, after all that?

 

[SimuLord]

Do you live in Texas or something? Because that kind of thing never happened at any of my schools.

as for why I said Texas... [http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2010/10/25/cheerleader-wont-cheer-for-her-rapis/]

My thoughts exactly. I got away with a lot as a jock...certainly more than the average student...but criminal felonies like that? No way.

Of course, my other thought upon reading the OP was "so will the Wall Street Journal interview us Escapists when this guy shoots up his school?"

 

[The Man With the Soap]

Maybe you should have joined the army, on a unrelated sidenote, have you ever seen full metal jacket ?

I've seen about half of it, it was funny (if I'm thinking of the right movie)

I prefer Hot Shots though

and nah I'm good... I'm not really strong so much as I'm smart
or in that case angry

I enjoy sports. I play football, lacrosse, I swim, and I run. Not all jocks are like this. Most of us are decent people.

Also, Marines for me! Oorah!

 

[Blindswordmaster]

Dude, you should have gone to the police long ago. When you've got fucking scars, it's time to get the PROPER authorities involved. I know that's completely moot now, but all the same. I've never encountered this in high school, but that's probably because by freshman year I was 6 feet tall and built like a brick shit house. I have, however, known bullying during my elementary school days, but never anything like this. People get away with shit like this because people allow then to, don't allow then to.

 

[imperialreign]

I can tell you how I deal with such problems during my high school years . . . but I spent the majority of my time in either ISS or OSS. Funny, though, the other kids were afraid to screw with me . . .

But, this whole type of situation has become a major problem in the US (bullying in general), and when authority figures (such as parents, teachers, and other adults) are unwilling to take notice or listen to those that are being targeted . . . we end up with situations like Colombine. I'm sorry, but I can't fault anyone who has been targeted and has tried to let adults know. They've done everything in their power. If adults don't want to listen or step in, it only encourages such behaviour. School sports and the funding behind it be damned, IMHO; if other kids were bullying and whipping the star players, I'd bet someone would take action . . . and trust me, I can speak from experience there.

 

[The Man With the Soap]

Maybe you should have joined the army, on a unrelated sidenote, have you ever seen full metal jacket ?

I've seen about half of it, it was funny (if I'm thinking of the right movie)

To both of these statements, I merely have to say "What."
Full Metal Jacket was sort of funny up until Pvt. Piles(?) killed Gunnery Sgt. Hartman.

Your situation sounds terrible.
Just go ahead with the law suit.

He didn't actually kill Hartman.

 

[Sprinal]

Well in Australia that isn't as bad

Maybe though that is because I am twice the size of most of the Jocks and they all think I will sumon daemons to kill them or something.

Still tough break man yet when I was in grade 1 I was beaten up every day and as a result was actually happy when I was sick. So I can sympethise.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Cuts, bruses, black eyes?

The human body can take a considerable amount before showing pysical signs of inujury, this show how heavily they beat you up. From that I concluded that: With enough force and a misplaced kick to the head, you could have been killed.
Not only that but, they took the safty mat from under you? and the school expelled you for reacting to that with violence?

If I was you I would have told the police. On the jocks and the school.

 

[MercenaryCanary]

Maybe you should have joined the army, on a unrelated sidenote, have you ever seen full metal jacket ?

I've seen about half of it, it was funny (if I'm thinking of the right movie)

To both of these statements, I merely have to say "What."
Full Metal Jacket was sort of funny up until Pvt. Piles(?) killed Gunnery Sgt. Hartman.

Your situation sounds terrible.
Just go ahead with the law suit.

He didn't actually kill Hartman.

He fired a FMJ round capable of taking down bears (Fucking BEARS!) at point blank at Hartman. He was hit in the heart. He fell. He did not get up. He is dead. Please present evidence telling me otherwise.

Anyway, OP, how's the situation going for you?

 

[Slayer_2]

this sounds like some bullshit from an american teen drama. i thought all that jock shit was made up?

Pretty much this. Luckily, I made friends with everyone at school and we didn't have assholes like that around, the football team was pretty cool. A little cocky, but still okay guys.

Man, this is how school shootings happen. Don't go to school with your bow, or any weapon for that matter, that's not the answer. Fighting back unarmed won't help either, no man can take down a whole football team alone, no matter how skilled he is. Maybe 3 or 4 if you're a born fighter with a blackbelt, but football guys are no doubt tight and will call in their buddies if need be. I suggest moving schools or taking up correspondence if need be. Beatings with bricks and causing you to fall onto a hardwood floor is ridiculous, nobody should have to put up with any abuse, physical or mental.

 

[The Man With the Soap]

Maybe you should have joined the army, on a unrelated sidenote, have you ever seen full metal jacket ?

I've seen about half of it, it was funny (if I'm thinking of the right movie)

To both of these statements, I merely have to say "What."
Full Metal Jacket was sort of funny up until Pvt. Piles(?) killed Gunnery Sgt. Hartman.

Your situation sounds terrible.
Just go ahead with the law suit.

He didn't actually kill Hartman.

He fired a FMJ round capable of taking down bears (Fucking BEARS!) at point blank at Hartman. He was hit in the heart. He fell. He did not get up. He is dead. Please present evidence telling me otherwise.

Anyway, OP, how's the situation going for you?

It's a dream sequence, just like the blanket party with Pile earlier in the film.

 

[shootthebandit]

id love to see one of these "jocks" last a day in a glaswegian high school

Glasgow grin anyone?

Nothing in this life is more frightening than being cornered by a group of teenage NEDs

But seriously its a a stereotype, there is an element of truth to it (like all stereotypes) but its mostly untrue.

a group of NEDs could easily tear an american football team limb for limb. i tend to find that NEDs can be ok as long as you dont piss them off, these american jocks just sound as though they are trying to be dominant

 

[the lapalminator]

this is the kind of shit that gives us sport lovers a bad fucking name, this shit is unacceptable just beacuse of sports. this is why im in the process of becoming part nerd as well as part jock. every social group needs to come together in peace.

 

[MercenaryCanary]

Maybe you should have joined the army, on a unrelated sidenote, have you ever seen full metal jacket ?

I've seen about half of it, it was funny (if I'm thinking of the right movie)

To both of these statements, I merely have to say "What."
Full Metal Jacket was sort of funny up until Pvt. Piles(?) killed Gunnery Sgt. Hartman.

Your situation sounds terrible.
Just go ahead with the law suit.

He didn't actually kill Hartman.

He fired a FMJ round capable of taking down bears (Fucking BEARS!) at point blank at Hartman. He was hit in the heart. He fell. He did not get up. He is dead. Please present evidence telling me otherwise.

Anyway, OP, how's the situation going for you?

It's a dream sequence, just like the blanket party with Pile earlier in the film.

"PVT. JOKER."
"SIR?!"
"IS THIS A DREAM?!"
"SIR, NO SIR."
"THEN WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!
"SIR, INCEPTION SIR."

 

[Contun]

Most of the athletic people at my school are pretty kind. I've never had an issue with them...

 

[automatron]

While I don't have a problem with jock bullies at my school, I agree that jocks seem to get better treatment then most at school.
I am going into year 12 and in order to make it slightly easier, I did two yr 12 subjects in yr 11.
I worked very hard on these subjects so it would be justified, and was told that we only had to do five yr 12 subjects overall, so naturally I thought that I would get to do 4 (because I wanted an extra) in yr 12.
Handing in my subject choice form I was told that no, I still had to do 5 subjects, even though I had already done two. So in total I would have to do seven subjects. I complained to the head of academics and explained my case, even going to say I was willing to do uni maths as my 5th (because it would have actually helped later in life).
She told me that the only people who have an exception to the 5-subject rule are people with out of school duties, for example: A sports scholar who had to play his games during the week. I of course thought it was bullshit that a sports exception, which has nothing to do with academics, is allowed an exception; however me with and academic reason was not.
This is of course just one example, there are many others

 

[Purple Shrimp]

brick through they window

 

[Danish rage]

Move to Denmark, assholes like that go to jail here.

 

[Daveman]

Well I've never heard of anything like that happening and I'm certain that you are unfortunately an extreme case but yes, some people can just get away with shit.

Just remember they're sad fucks. They're the ones who can't win a fight on their own as they resort to ganging up on you. They're the ones who are so insecure they will bully you for as retarded things as being different and not as wealthy. They're the ones who need protection from being expelled.

Just to say I don't think this is limited to "jocks". Fortunately I've never seen anyone at my old schools be the victim of physical bullying, in fact I've always considered cases such as your own to be myths because I can't possibly conceive of any reason anyone would want to frequently beat the crap out of somebody, I mean what possible motive could there be? From what you've said OP it sounds like you could get half the school staff fired for gross negligence.

this sounds like some bullshit from an american teen drama. i thought all that jock shit was made up?

anyway we dont have these problems in britain. also american football players are pussys, who plays a toned down version of rugby with fucking armour. id love to see one of these "jocks" last a day in a glaswegian high school

Also this. Except maybe we do have this problem in Britain? I dunno. I think the main thing that would stop it though is that we don't really have the "jock" culture as no secondary school I could think of gives a shit about sport, except private schools but then I went to private school and there's nothing remotely like that there either.