'Buddy Bench' Creates a Safe Spot for Shy Classmates to Find Friends | Hacker News Reader

'Buddy Bench' Creates a Safe Spot for Shy Classmates to Find Friends

huffingtonpost.com

17 pointssprucely15 comments

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Even as a kid I'd be too shy to draw attention to myself like that.

Our school had one, nobody really used it for that reason. Maybe the times have changed?

Also not sure why this was posted, it's not particularly interesting or mind blowing.

Perhaps, but if it was a known safe space then maybe you would feel different.

What makes it a safe space?

The fact that enough kids view it as such to speak out against bullies or inconclusive behavior

It'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.

If 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.

I suppose if I were a bully, the kids on the buddy bench would be the first ones I'd beat up.

And then you'd be ostracized from the entire school. Yay!

Anybody who points out flaws in this idea isn't your friend.

Don't worry, they still have a safe spot on the buddy bench in my town.

the 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.

Yeah 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?

I 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.

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