I have been fairly critical of the quality of leadership coming from Duke University these days. To the occasional observer, their energy seems to be focused on silencing critics instead of fixing problems. The Provost's response to former Professor Houston Baker is a perfect case in point. By trying to hush Dr. Baker's criticism, they have lost a valuable resource.

Just by reading Dr. Baker's letter, you can tell that he was frustrated and upset. A real leader would ask, "why?" What is going on that would make a member of the faculty so angry? The Provost knows that there is tension between Duke and the city of Durham. Again, why? Where did all of this resentment come from? Why are so many people banging pots and pans in front of his house?

This has been a significant failure of leadership. When Dr. Baker's letter appeared, the first response should have been to ask him to draft a policy that would fix everything; to listen to his ideas, to press him for answers and details. The first response should have been to encourage an open discussion of the issues, and implement reforms that have campus-wide ownership. By listening instead of condemning, the Provost and the President would have gained a great deal of information and power -- information and power that they currently lack.

While bullying is an important topic, I had always considered it only loosely related to this website. A recent study suggests otherwise, giving information that seems very similar to findings about the root causes of domestic violence.

According to the study, "There were 34 percent of the children in this group that had bullied another child, while 73 percent of the children said they were a victim to a bully in that last year. Out of the bully group, almost all of them, 97 percent, said they also were victims of a bully." This parallels Justice Department findings that almost every batterer was the victim of battering as a child. The study also suggests that bullies got their ideas about violence, and how acceptable it is, from witnessing violence in their own home or someplace nearby.

Clearly, any child that witnesses or suffers abuse is going to have some serious anger and depression problems. Venting these problems on fellow students is not just a case of "kids will be kids." It is an indication of serious emotional problems, of an innocent victim creating even more innocent victims until the violence is stopped.