Should bullying be a crime?

[Eidolon]

Bullying wouldn't be a problem if the schools didn't discipline the victim for kicking the bully's ass.

Society has been pussified by political correctness and the fears of litigation. If only people were allowed to take up for themselves and kick an ass or two when needed, this shit just wouldn't happen. Seriously, have you ever seen a bully pick on someone after that person beat the shit out of them? I know violence is never a good thing, but fuck it, some people need to have their asses handed to them from time to time. Its a fact of life.

I suppose if the bully is picking on someone who is disabled or significantly weaker than himself then some kind of external administrative action would be needed. But if some guy is beating up on a wheelchaired girl or the retarded kid, then obviously it goes beyond simple school yard bullying and into a very disturbing "need to hurt weaker things" psychosis and should probably be looked into by professionals.

Just my $.05 (Increased due to inflation)

Check your penal code if there is a section for this sort of thing. In my jurisdiction, there is, what about yours?

Hence why bullying is a problem. If people aren't allowed to defend themselves then who will? You can't rely on the police or school administrators to jump in and be your shield when being attacked by someone who doesn't give a shit about the rules. People who break the rules/law don't give a shit about it and therefore no law will protect the victim. Only the victim has the power to protect him/herself then and if you take that away by punishing them for doing so, you have stripped them of all their power.

 

[lrkun]

Hence why bullying is a problem. If people aren't allowed to defend themselves then who will? You can't rely on the police or school administrators to jump in and be your shield when being attacked by someone who doesn't give a shit about the rules. People who break the rules/law don't give a shit about it and therefore no law will protect the victim. Only the victim has the power to protect him/herself then and if you take that away by punishing them for doing so, you have stripped them of all their power.

So, in your jurisdiction there is no such thing as justifying circumstances? (did you check your country's penal code?)

 

[Eidolon]

Hence why bullying is a problem. If people aren't allowed to defend themselves then who will? You can't rely on the police or school administrators to jump in and be your shield when being attacked by someone who doesn't give a shit about the rules. People who break the rules/law don't give a shit about it and therefore no law will protect the victim. Only the victim has the power to protect him/herself then and if you take that away by punishing them for doing so, you have stripped them of all their power.

So, in your jurisdiction there is no such thing as justifying circumstances?

No idea. All I can comment on is my old high schools/districts policy of zero tolerance. Meaning, if someone came up to you and punched you in the face and you did anything but cower in fear, then you both got suspended/expelled. Their idea was basically, let the bully beat the shit out of you and we'll write his mommy a nasty letter and give him a short vacation while you recover from your wounds and humiliation only to have it all happen again the next week. I know this doesn't apply to all schools, but in general since most schools have some kind of zero tolerance (aka horse shit) policy.

 

[lrkun]

No idea. All I can comment on is my old high schools/districts policy of zero tolerance. Meaning, if someone came up to you and punched you in the face and you did anything but cower in fear, then you both got suspended/expelled. Their idea was basically, let the bully beat the shit out of you and we'll write his mommy a nasty letter and give him a short vacation while you recover from your wounds and humiliation only to have it all happen again the next week. I know this doesn't apply to all schools, but in general since most schools have some kind of zero tolerance (aka horse shit) policy.

Cases like this tell me how it is unfair that some laws are being enforced without the ordinary layman knowing his rights or that which he's allowed to do in a certain situation.

Sorry to hear that. I guess, in your time, you either cowered or the person doing the beating. Not much of a choice. (am i right?)

 

[Eidolon]

No idea. All I can comment on is my old high schools/districts policy of zero tolerance. Meaning, if someone came up to you and punched you in the face and you did anything but cower in fear, then you both got suspended/expelled. Their idea was basically, let the bully beat the shit out of you and we'll write his mommy a nasty letter and give him a short vacation while you recover from your wounds and humiliation only to have it all happen again the next week. I know this doesn't apply to all schools, but in general since most schools have some kind of zero tolerance (aka horse shit) policy.

Cases like this tell me how it is unfair that some laws are being enforced without the ordinary layman knowing his rights or that which he's allowed to do in a certain situation.

Sorry to hear that. I guess, in your time, you either cowered or the person doing the beating. Not much of a choice. (am i right?)

Essentially yes. You were either a complete bloodied an beaten victim, or blood raging vicious bully to them. You either took it, and got the administrative hand job which ultimately only made you look weaker, or you fought back and were just as vicious as the person who attacked you and therefore deserved equal punishment.

Its a shitty situation all around.

 

[lrkun]

Essentially yes. You were either a complete bloodied an beaten victim, or blood raging vicious bully to them. You either took it, and got the administrative hand job which ultimately only made you look weaker, or you fought back and were just as vicious as the person who attacked you and therefore deserved equal punishment.

Its a shitty situation all around.

Reminds me of the animal kingdom. Who's the alpha male. hehe.

 

[Andiferous]

Well, I've found that often it is true that the person who 'stands up for him/herself' offers themselves up to punishment, and no doubt being bullied continues a cycle of bullying others. And teachers can sometimes be the most unjust of judges.

It would just be nice to have as much care and justice in a grammar school as we do in real life. Or perhaps more. Children deserve more, and they see and do, and will take what they've learned into the future.

 

[Independent Vision]

I don't have an objective standpoint when it comes to this since I was psychologically, physically and sexually bullied for nine years. Six of those the main perpetrator was the same person, a boy in my class. I was not allowed to change classes, I was not allowed to change school, I was forced to put up with being bullied, hit, have my head bashed into a marble floor, and then, every once in a while boys touching me in places they shouldn't.

Bullying is more than just making fun of someone once in a while. Bullying is psychological, physical and sometimes sexual torture. For a lot of us it creates real psychological issues that takes years and years to deal with.

I was a smart, happy, social, easy going kid when I started school. I left primary school nine years later as a social recluse, a psychological wreck, a person who was never really happy... and a nice little personality disorder in the trunk.

We're not talking about something that is a part of growing up, it's not beneficial to anyone to be put under such distress during such important years of your development.

It messed up my life. It messed up my health, my self-image, my relationship with my own body, my relationship with my parents, my relationship with other people...
I was left with problems that I had to deal with myself, I had to put my life on hold for a couple of years and pump money into medication, therapy and trips to the hospital to even get to a point where I'd resemble a stable human being again.

Bullying is psychological harassment, assault and sometimes sexual harassment all wrapped up into one. But because it's committed by kids towards kids... it's called "growing up". I'd like to see the people who are so dismissive about it "grow up" that way.

 

[Andiferous]

I don't have an objective standpoint when it comes to this since I was psychologically, physically and sexually bullied for nine years. Six of those the main perpetrator was the same person, a boy in my class. I was not allowed to change classes, I was not allowed to change school, I was forced to put up with being bullied, hit, have my head bashed into a marble floor, and then, every once in a while boys touching me in places they shouldn't.

Bullying is more than just making fun of someone once in a while. Bullying is psychological, physical and sometimes sexual torture. For a lot of us it creates real psychological issues that takes years and years to deal with.

I was a smart, happy, social, easy going kid when I started school. I left primary school nine years later as a social recluse, a psychological wreck, a person who was never really happy... and a nice little personality disorder in the trunk.

We're not talking about something that is a part of growing up, it's not beneficial to anyone to be put under such distress during such important years of your development.

It messed up my life. It messed up my health, my self-image, my relationship with my own body, my relationship with my parents, my relationship with other people...
I was left with problems that I had to deal with myself, I had to put my life on hold for a couple of years and pump money into medication, therapy and trips to the hospital to even get to a point where I'd resemble a stable human being again.

Bullying is psychological harassment, assault and sometimes sexual harassment all wrapped up into one. But because it's committed by kids towards kids... it's called "growing up". I'd like to see the people who are so dismissive about it "grow up" that way.

Wow. I am sorry to hear.

It makes me reflect on the peculiar and unpredictable 'justice' of being a child under subjective supervision, guaranteed no justice and really subject to the whim of the adults. And every kid has learned a different system, so it's a bit like you're a clash of cultures for a while, and it's a shock that the others haven't learned what you have been told. Rules vary from friend to friend and you might just be unfortunate to have one that seems arbitrary and no one else has it, but can't do anything about it. Being a kid was such a pain in the arse, we ought to respect them more.

 

[australopithecus]

We're not talking about something that is a part of growing up, it's not beneficial to anyone to be put under such distress during such important years of your development.

It messed up my life. It messed up my health, my self-image, my relationship with my own body, my relationship with my parents, my relationship with other people...
I was left with problems that I had to deal with myself, I had to put my life on hold for a couple of years and pump money into medication, therapy and trips to the hospital to even get to a point where I'd resemble a stable human being again.

Bullying is psychological harassment, assault and sometimes sexual harassment all wrapped up into one. But because it's committed by kids towards kids... it's called "growing up". I'd like to see the people who are so dismissive about it "grow up" that way.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Really. I tried and it sucked.

 

[Jotto999]

I didn't get bullied in school, but I did see it happen to others and it can really screw things up for the person in the long term. I do think this is a serious problem.

Previously, bullying was something that could usually be intervened, at least whenever there was an adult around. A competent adult, that is. And the competent adult could yell at the bully, and punish them. Nowadays things are getting complicated with the internet, teachers and parents would have a hard time intervening when bullying occurs there.

Adults used to be a somewhat reliable mechanism for preventing bullying, now that's just not so. I'm not sure what you'd do about it.

Some kids can and will turn into sociopaths if the bullying is allowed to go on and escalate. Rather than let that happen, and then give out a hard criminal sentence, I'm trying to think of ways to capture that preventative effect competent adults have. But how?

 

[CommonEnlightenment]

I don't advocate bullying but where would the military be without it?



:shock: :shock:


Perhaps the military should offer 'reintroduction' classes before letting their members back into society?