Demonizing "tattletales" is awfully convenient for those in power
While pulling holds at the library this week, I came across a book intended to teach kids not to be tattletales. I can't find the specific one to link to because there are rather a lot of such books and if I spend very much time on the search, I start wanting to build a bonfire. But the specific title really doesn't matter, it's the concept of the thing.
The book featured a kid who was disliked by other kids because she was a "tattletale." They sang a cruel, mocking song about her whenever she was around. She got in trouble for telling a teacher that another kid called her a cruel word. She got in trouble when she complained to her parent that her brother was bothering her. When she stopped telling, people stopped mocking her. Basically, the book said that mocking people was a-okay, calling people mean things was a-okay, and bothering them was a-okay... but telling anyone in an effort to get them to stop was bad.
As far as I can tell, that's what all the books on tattletales are about.
These books and our society in general teach that it is worse to tell on someone who does something bad, wrong, or cruel than it is to do something bad, wrong, or cruel. This seems deeply, deeply messed up. But it is damned convenient for those in power, especially since, once you're an adult, anyone you might be "telling" on is likely to have more power than you. (Hell, this is often the case as a kid, too.) Naturally, those with power have a reason to make sure we all learn very, very well that telling is bad.
I say fuck that shit.
Teaching kids not to be "tattletales" is teaching them to cover up crimes by their employers. It's teaching them that it's worse to report a rape than be a rapist. It's teaching them that it's worse to report sexual harassment than to sexually harass people. It's teaching them that it's worse to point out that something is sexist or racist than it is to be sexist or racist. It's teaching them, over and over again, that victims should not point out that they are being victimized.
This is a part of our culture that needs to be eliminated. And the sooner, the better.
This entry was originally posted at http://smurasaki.dreamwidth.org/127890.html.
The book featured a kid who was disliked by other kids because she was a "tattletale." They sang a cruel, mocking song about her whenever she was around. She got in trouble for telling a teacher that another kid called her a cruel word. She got in trouble when she complained to her parent that her brother was bothering her. When she stopped telling, people stopped mocking her. Basically, the book said that mocking people was a-okay, calling people mean things was a-okay, and bothering them was a-okay... but telling anyone in an effort to get them to stop was bad.
As far as I can tell, that's what all the books on tattletales are about.
These books and our society in general teach that it is worse to tell on someone who does something bad, wrong, or cruel than it is to do something bad, wrong, or cruel. This seems deeply, deeply messed up. But it is damned convenient for those in power, especially since, once you're an adult, anyone you might be "telling" on is likely to have more power than you. (Hell, this is often the case as a kid, too.) Naturally, those with power have a reason to make sure we all learn very, very well that telling is bad.
I say fuck that shit.
Teaching kids not to be "tattletales" is teaching them to cover up crimes by their employers. It's teaching them that it's worse to report a rape than be a rapist. It's teaching them that it's worse to report sexual harassment than to sexually harass people. It's teaching them that it's worse to point out that something is sexist or racist than it is to be sexist or racist. It's teaching them, over and over again, that victims should not point out that they are being victimized.
This is a part of our culture that needs to be eliminated. And the sooner, the better.
This entry was originally posted at http://smurasaki.dreamwidth.org/127890.html.