"Weakfish" review

Weakfish,” by Michael Dorn, takes the reader inside the tortured spirit of a child picked on by his peers. The book also probes the mindset of the bully -- a predatory figure adept at detecting the mildest vulnerability of person in the crowd, then closing in for the kill.

Dorn uses aquatic metaphors to describe the relationship between victims and bullies. The vulnerable child, he calls the “weakfish,” targeted by the “barracuda” the predator which preys on him. These fish are taken from the ocean (community) and placed in an aquarium (school) where watchful eyes can distinguish the predator and prey. Adults are responsible for maintaining a safety net for the weakfish.

Subtitled “Bullying Through the Eyes of a Child,” the books tells the true story of “Stephen,” a boy who suffers near death injury, sexual humiliation and getting robbed at knifepoint.
The barracudas in Stephen’s world thrived because adults weren’t paying attention. School was his “prison of fear” and the criminals were in charge. Bullies are masters of seizing on what Dorn calls “negligent privacy” – those moments when an adult isn’t looking or leaves the class unsupervised. That’s when class tyrant takes over. At this point in the book, Dorn delivers the most thought provoking passage in the book.

“A bully in a school can be but a smaller version of a bully of nations,” Dorn writes. “Adolph Hitler was one such bully. More than 11 million Jews and ethnic minorities would die so he could maintain control of his evil empire. Joseph Stalin would cause or allow the deaths of millions of his own people during his reign and was never reluctant to squelch any form of resistance, however slight. So it is with a bully in a classroom to a smaller extent.”

School, as Dorn points out, is a microcosm of the larger world. Is it that far of a stretch from the barracuda who forced Stephen to simulate sexual acts in the school bathroom to the soldiers who, for laughs, forced prisoners to pose in lewd, degrading sexual poses?

It’s beyond the scope of this thin book, yet the above mentioned quote and tales of schoolyard terrorists compel the reader to contemplate the link between childhood bullying and news accounts of rape, torture and war crimes.

The specific news stories Dorn cites are of school violence that parallel Stephen’s experiences. Many of these incidences ended in murder or suicide. Stephen’s encounters with bullies, fortunately, didn’t spiral into such tragic endings. Amazingly, he has gone on to live a happy, fruitful life. And this is where the book offers hope.

Stephen was encouraged by a few standout teachers who went the extra mile to encourage him. Scout leaders, church members, police officers and civic leaders also took an interest in him. Even with that extra boost from caring adults, it’s a miracle he could overcome the abuse he endured. Somehow, the helping hand altered his life toward a brighter future. It’s significant that his parents, albeit not without flaws, imparted him with some values. Many victims of bullying don’t have such resources, and as Dorn acknowledges, turn to drugs, crime and self-destruction.

A veteran law enforcement officer and school security expert, Dorn has been instrumental in enacting safety measures that have benefited schools throughout the United States. He strongly advocates the use of surveillance cameras, metal detectors and armed school resource officers and he’s quick to refute any argument that these things turn schools into police states.

However, he is adamant that these factors are no substitute for vigilance on the part of adults. High-tech surveillance, like a school’s location, has little bearing on a school’s safety. The one school where Stephen felt safe was located in a run-down neighborhood where he was one of only five white students, yet the principal was likely to show up unannounced in a classroom at any time and staff was quick to intervene if a student was being mistreated. The attitude of respect, demonstrated by the adults, filtered to the children. Working in the education field, I have witnessed similar success stories in schools where the top leadership has set high behavioral standards.

The message: Adults are responsible for creating a safe environment for our children. Dorn’s book is simple and concise. The tone is heartfelt, absent of bitterness and motivating, without being pollyanna. As a parent of two small children, I come away galvanized to impact their world, positively. Surely, that was Dorn’s intent.

Gateway Reading: For more information about how to stop and prevent bullying, parents, teachers, coaches and others who work with children would do well to read such acclaimed books as “The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School – How Parents and Teachers Can Help Bread the Cycle of Violence” by Barbara Coloroso and “Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying” by Joanne Scaglione and Arrica Rose Scaglione.

Dorn’s book is an excellent resource on bullying within school, but that’s only part of the problem. In today’s world, kids can be bullied in their own living rooms by way of the internet, and adults need to be armed with the education to stop these predators. Two highly rated books addressing this problem are: “Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying” by Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin, and “Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Aggression, Threats and Distress” by Nancy E. Willard and Karen Steiner.