Bullying for dummies

Hoosier lawmakers might want to rethink that new anti-bullying statute they're so proud of:

The study concluded that students at schools with anti-bullying programs might actually be more likely to become a victim of bullying. It also found that students at schools with no bullying programs were less likely to become victims.

The results were stunning for Jeong. “Usually people expect an anti-bullying program to have some impact — some positive impact.”

The student videos used in many campaigns show examples of bullying and how to intervene. But Jeong says they may actually teach students different bullying techniques — and even educate about new ways to bully through social media and texting.

There is no shortcut in getting the behavior you want -- you define the behavior that is prohibitied, then punish it every time it shows up. You can't prevent it by pretending your shiny new program is going to circumvent the laws of human nature. Most behavior-modification "education" programs are doomed to failure because the only people who pay attention to them are the ones who don't need them. Failure after failure after failure should give us a small clue, but I guess the instinct to seek improvement of the human condition is just too strong.