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AIBU?

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Original poster

School banning banter

359 replies

Citrusblast92u · 10/09/2024 07:45

DS is in year 11. They had a whole school assembly yesterday's entitled 'banning bants', this includes banter between friends. One strike and they're in detention, 2 and they have to attend a workshop, 3 and parents have to attend the workshop, 4 and the police are called.

I asked him what they meant by bants and he said anything that anyone might find offensive. His mates have spent many hours at our house. They're a lovely bunch of lads, very polite and kind but their main form of communication with each other is piss taking.

Just after some opinions really rather than an AIBU.

Yabu-banter should be banned
Yanbu-they can't ban banter

OP posts:
Zanatdy · 10/09/2024 07:53

It’s only banter when the people involved all consider it to be, often it’s a form of bullying so good on the school for taking a firm line

BellaTheDarkOverlord · 10/09/2024 07:52

Fine line. I’m getting a shit load of banter at work from my team. They all laugh and see it as banter. I go home each evening knowing it’s bullying disguised as banter.

Cantfindanavailablename · 10/09/2024 07:51

I work at a special school for teens with mental health difficulties. We haven't banned banter but we teach kindness, consideration and "inside thoughts Vs outside thoughts." I feel we have a good line without banning it, personally. But then we only have around 30 in our school. It would be different if we had 1000 perhaps

Jjiillkkf · 10/09/2024 07:48

It really depends.... I assume it's been a problem?

flumposie · 10/09/2024 07:48

Depends what the 'banter' actually is. We've had to do assemblies on this as too many students were saying it was just 'banter' when it was actually more like bullying.

Sirzy · 10/09/2024 07:48

The problem is “banter” is often actually bullying but they think labelling it banter makes it acceptable.

school have obviously have significant issues in order to decide this is needed.

TickingAlongNicely · 10/09/2024 07:48

Theres a fine line between "banter" and bullying.

Realising what you are saying can be hurtful, even if the person appears to be laughing is important

sunsetsandboardwalks · 10/09/2024 07:47

Surely whether something is "banter" or not is all down to opinion?

I'm not a fan of policing everyone's language - of course, if someone is being bullied then that needs dealing with, but you don't do that by policing absolutely everything.

stripybobblehat · 10/09/2024 07:46

Seems fair enough. A lot of "bantz" is actually quite rude and wouldn't be acceptable in a workplace.

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