Did Peter's bullying surprise you? Peter himself is bullied into supporting the other boys' actions. How culpable does that make him in the actions perpetrated by the three? Do you think he had a choice?

In elementary school Peter is friends with two other boys, and together they bully other students. Did this surprise you? Do you think the type of behavior the author describes is common pre-teen between boys? Peter himself is bullied into supporting the other boys' actions. How culpable does that make him in the actions perpetrated by the three? Do you think he had a choice?

Peter's bullying made me cringe but it didn't surprise me. He was trying to fit it and choosing an action he thought would help him. I did hope he would have chosen to stand up and say it was wrong to bully. Of course I know that was wishful thinking. I do think Peter is culpable even if he was bullied and made a choiceless choice. We all are responsible for our own actions.

Peter's bullying did not surprise me. At that age, children will often give in to peer pressure for fear of becoming the target.

I wasn't surprised, either. Along with the peer pressure and the fear of being a target himself, I think Peter was also afraid of his father finding out if he had been bullied. Peter is responsible for his own actions even if not understandable.

I was more appalled by the big boy leading the "games" than I was by Peter's participation. He was a budding sociopath if I ever saw one (and believe me, I have seen plenty). Of course, Peter is ultimately responsible for his own actions. He had a choice, but I'm sure compliance seemed to him to be the lesser evil.

I think everyone has a choice in every situation. Maybe the choices aren't the best, but, nonetheless, there is a choice. Peter knew what was happening was wrong, and he could have walked away. If you don't stand for something, you stand for nothing.

That it was ignored by the teachers & supported by the father was more disturbing to me. I grew up in a small town where I was the different one & was bulled. Maybe because I an a girl I didn't think to retaliate. What Peter did was awful, but also a way to survive.

Peter had no role models of character at home. He was a confused and frightened young person. It does not surprise me he was at least a by stander in the bullying. I would not have believed the story line if he had stood up to this behavior. The teachers & father are certainly to blame for allowing this; however these kind of situations are not uncommon among children. The learning comes from adults who can teach right/wrong. It's most unfortunate these events come at such a cost for the bullied. A "gang of children" without decent teachers, strong parents will fall into all sorts of misbehavior.

It didn't surprise me at all - but was pretty awful! Peter didn't have any good role models to learn from or character traits within him to act otherwise, but that didn't make him less culpable....

I agree with what everybody has said. I wasn't surprised that Peter went along with the bullying, but he responsible for his own behavior.

I agree with what has been said already. I think Peter was afraid of the bullies and rightly so. So he joined then rather than being beaten up by them. His father would not have helped him if he said no I refuse to be a bully. Yes he is responsible for his actions but the consequences would have been horrendous.