I did not cast the first stone, but I'll be damned if I'll sit here and let bullies like you lot get away with it without tossing a few rocks back at you.

"But teacher, he started it!"

Welcome to the school playground!

For any teacher still reading this thread here is some advice on how to overcome this particular issue. It often occurs within classes of young learners where they are unable or unwilling to listen to or understand basic rules. Students instead try and manipulate a situation and draw the teacher's attention away from the real issue at hand. Take for example a fight between two students. The teacher breaks up the fight and then one if not both of the students claim "but he started it". Anyone who has taught YLs for a reasonable amount of time will have come across this situation. The main point for a teacher to remember and what they need to get across to the students is that physical violence cannot be tolerated in the classroom in any circumstances. The fact someone threw the first punch is irrelevant. Students must learn to confront situations in a different, non-violent matter. Of course straight after a fight occurs these students are likely to be quite emotional and not particularly willing or able to take on board this idea. As a teacher you can therefore adopt the 'broken record technique'. This is way of reinforcing the rules of the classroom and ensuring that you as a teacher are not drawn away from the main issue at stake.

It looks something like this

Teacher : Bob, you cannot fight at school. It is against the rules to fight in class. You musn't fight again.

Bob (student) : But he hit me first.

Teacher : Perhaps, I didn't see what happened but you are not allowed to fight in class.

Bob (student) : But it's not my fault, Harry (the other student) started it

Teacher : I'll talk to Harry as well but you must not fight in class.

In this example the teacher is not drawn away from what they want to get across to the student i.e. it's not okay to fight in class. They repeat this message (much like a broken record) on multiple occasions thereby verbally reinforcing the rules.

I guess in the case of ESL TB the dialogue would go something like this

A : The main purpose of this board is to provide help and information to others. It is not to enter into petty personal conflicts with other posters

B : But they attacked me first

A : I understand that but your responses don’t include a lot of practical advice for perspective teachers. Name calling and labeling is not acceptable behavior for anyone.

B : But ‘they’ get away with it all the time

A : That may well be the case but such behavior towards others is not suitable for a board whose main aim is to help others.