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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Are Bullies Criminals?



After reading an article handed to me by Ms. Mayo from Seventeen Magazine a class disscussion resumed. The summary below should be enough to spark conversation around the issue.


A mother who lost her son to the damaging psychological effects of bullying is trying to push legislation through the Florida State senate making bullying illeagal . Should bullies be treated as criminals? What is the school's responsibility to stop bullying? How far can a school go? How far should they go? What are our responsibilities as members of society to stop bullies?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I first read this article through seventeen, even when reading this so long ago i thought it was apalling. Bullying is a crime because it robs young people of their self esteem and their pride. Bullying has many negative effects on a child. Some may turn to bullying to fill the void and others will become loners or their will have a fear of trusting. The boy who committed suicide felt trapped and obviously by the date of the letter and the time of death he knew what he was going to do and felt he had no other way out. The other boy who was responsible for bullying him should be put on trial for his murder, while he did not intentionally kill him his actions and attitude towards the boy was the main cause for his death. He continually berated, harrassed and demeaned and took away any self respect this young man had left. Personally I am sick and can't comprehend how any individual could drive another human to take his own life. Bullying should be a crime and be punishible to the full extent of the law
Michelle Asciote

Anonymous said...

Should bullies be treated as criminals? This is a hard question to answer specifically because at every point in a persons life they become the bully. Coincidentally or purposefully, bullying is used on a daily bases for people usually teenagers to show off their power to others. But when should this display be considered illegal? I dont think that you can control bullying i believe that its just a way of life, and some people are so insecure about themselves that they have to inflict pain onto others to feel better about themselves. I dont think that bullying should be illegal for it is just a way of life, and if you cant deal with people talking about, how are you supposed to deal with real pressures in life like paying your bills at the end of the month. I think that bullying is wrong and unacceptable but people face these kind of things in everyday life and you cant just run from it. You have to learn how to deal with it. Yes i think bullies should be punished but no way do i think it should be illegal.

Anonymous said...

I feel that bullying can and will lead two ways. One of those ways are the kid who is bullying will get tired of doing it and they will stop. Or it could be a never-ending situation, which is never good. I feel once bullying has been going on for a months time. Then its time for the other children’s parents to get involved. Then if they don’t feel they can control the situation. Then I feel the child bullying should be treated as a criminal. In my personal opinion that would be considered the responsibility of the school. I feel the school should go as far letting the parents in on what’s going on in school. Most times that child that is doing the bullying does not act that way at home. So once the parents are notified they should be able to control of their child. I don’t feel a teacher has the right to take the responsibility of discipline from a parent, as I said before if the situation is out of both the parents and the school hands. Then yes it needs to be taken to the police somebody has to be able to take control of a young adult. I feel young adults are the most dangerous because I feel we have the least to lose. I feel horrible for what happen to that woman’s son. I think she has every right to push for bullying to be illegal in the state of Florida, because a result of it not being a law and the school not taken it as seriously as it should have been was her son’s life. If she does not pursue this it will only continue. Which is something none of us want to see another article about something like this or worst