Should bullying be a crime now?

[ShadowSoldier]

Just seen this on the news. BACKSTORY:

This little girl was bullied for a long time. She fell into bad depression. She eventually couldn't handle it anymore and finally committed suicide. And now the RCMP is doing a full out investigation. And there are talks about bullying should be more than just a playground scuffle, and actually be a crime.

Anyways, here's a heartbreaking video she made before she committed suicide. It's really sad. And if you seen pictures of her, she's a really beautiful girl who didn't deserve any of this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOHXGNx-E7E

 

[Foxi4]

Now, I'm going to be the nasty guy and say "No, it should not be a crime". Before you get your torches and pitchforks, let me finish.

Bullying should not be a crime - the word you're looking for is psychological/physical maltreatment, and I'm pretty sure that in extreme cases it is considered a crime already.

Bullying is a part of human nature, it's present in ones childhood as well as in adulthood. Life isn't easy - it's a constant struggle in which all the pawns fight againts each other for both domination and the acceptance from other pawns, and someone always loses in that struggle. Of course there should be certain limits as to what can be considered bullying and what becomes an assault - that's what we have law for. I don't think that people should be punished for other people's low "resistance" to everyday squabbles, people should only be punished if they actually cross the line. Life isn't easy, humans always hated each other and always will. If some people are unprepared for that... well... sorry to hear that, but there's not much that can be done.

What I'm trying to say is - you cannot penalize humans for doing something that is natural to human beings.

 

[DinohScene]

Kids and teenagers can be extremely cruel.

Most bullies will continue to bully a person no matter what.

 

[Foxi4]

Kids and teenagers can be extremely cruel.

Most bullies will continue to bully a person no matter what.

Fight back. It's as simple as that.

Look at the animal kingdom - look at baby lions "fighting for fun". Their parents don't frown upon that - it prepares them for their future hostile encounters.

 

[DinohScene]

Kids and teenagers can be extremely cruel.

Most bullies will continue to bully a person no matter what.

Fight back. It's as simple as that.

Look at the animal kingdom - look at baby lions "fighting for fun". Their parents don't frown upon that - it prepares them for their future hostile encounters.

Easier said then done but yep.
Completely agree with it.
It's reality for you.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Kids and teenagers can be extremely cruel.

Most bullies will continue to bully a person no matter what.

Fight back. It's as simple as that.

Look at the animal kingdom - look at baby lions "fighting for fun". Their parents don't frown upon that - it prepares them for their future hostile encounters.

No it isn't. For some people, they just can't fight. Whether it them being too weak, or physically unable, or mentally unable, it's just not possible.

Look at me. I've been bullied ever since grade 4 up until graduation. I was beaten up, black eyes, ripped clothing, pretty much everything. I don't know why, people just didn't like me. I never said or did anything to them, they just picked me out and decided to make my life hell. I didn't try committing suicide, but I did cut myself a lot, and in a way, it helped somehow. But even though I was treated like shit, to this day (i'm 23 now), I have never thrown a fist in my life. It's not because I'm weak, I'm a really strong guy, especially now where I'm more built and hard to push, but I just will not throw a fist at all. No matter how mad or sad I get, I will not hurt a person. I don't know if it's because I'm afraid of what I could do to them, or I don't want them feeling like how I feel, or I just don't see a reason, I will not hurt another person physically at all.

 

[nando]

bullying should be a crime. it is assault or harassment which are already crimes.

 

[Foxi4]

No it isn't. For some people, they just can't fight. Whether it them being too weak, or physically unable, or mentally unable, it's just not possible.

Look at me. I've been bullied ever since grade 4 up until graduation. I was beaten up, black eyes, ripped clothing, pretty much everything. I don't know why, people just didn't like me. I never said or did anything to them, they just picked me out and decided to make my life hell. I didn't try committing suicide, but I did cut myself a lot, and in a way, it helped somehow. But even though I was treated like shit, to this day (i'm 23 now), I have never thrown a fist in my life. It's not because I'm weak, I'm a really strong guy, especially now where I'm more built and hard to push, but I just will not throw a fist at all. No matter how mad or sad I get, I will not hurt a person. I don't know if it's because I'm afraid of what I could do to them, or I don't want them feeling like how I feel, or I just don't see a reason, I will not hurt another person physically at all.

Now I just want to punch you.

Kidding, but seriously though, sometimes a peaceful attitude will not do you any good - a lack of response is incentive for others to continue bullying you. You don't have to punch them square in the face (although often that is the prefered method of conduct, especially when your life or health is in danger), you can always report it to whatever authorities. Hell, it's better to tell your parents and have them sort it out than to just "take it". I'm sorry, but that's just how nature works - if you don't fight back in any way, you'll only get in more trouble. What you're saying is very noble, but noble ideas got your clothes thorn and your eyes blackened.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

No it isn't. For some people, they just can't fight. Whether it them being too weak, or physically unable, or mentally unable, it's just not possible.

Look at me. I've been bullied ever since grade 4 up until graduation. I was beaten up, black eyes, ripped clothing, pretty much everything. I don't know why, people just didn't like me. I never said or did anything to them, they just picked me out and decided to make my life hell. I didn't try committing suicide, but I did cut myself a lot, and in a way, it helped somehow. But even though I was treated like shit, to this day (i'm 23 now), I have never thrown a fist in my life. It's not because I'm weak, I'm a really strong guy, especially now where I'm more built and hard to push, but I just will not throw a fist at all. No matter how mad or sad I get, I will not hurt a person. I don't know if it's because I'm afraid of what I could do to them, or I don't want them feeling like how I feel, or I just don't see a reason, I will not hurt another person physically at all.

Now I just want to punch you.

Kidding, but seriously though, sometimes a peaceful attitude will not do you any good - a lack of response is incentive for others to continue bullying you. You don't have to punch them square in the face (although often that is the prefered method of conduct, especially when your life or health is in danger), you can always report it to whatever authorities. Hell, it's better to tell your parents and have them sort it out than to just "take it". I'm sorry, but that's just how nature works - if you don't fight back in any way, you'll only get in more trouble. What you're saying is very noble, but noble ideas got your clothes thorn and your eyes blackened.

But also giving the bullies attention will give the fuel anyways, so you lose no matter what. And what's the point? I don't want to hurt anybody no matter what, but if i hurt someone, then I become a hypocrite. Violence leads to more violence, it's an endless cycle. I don't want someone to feel what I felt, because then my way of thinking is good for nothing.

 

[Ericthegreat]

Bullying exist and ppl need to learn not to care so much.... I can understand more about bullying irl but online bullying shouldn't bother anyone....

 

[Kiaku]

There are different types of bullying. Cussing, bad-mouthing, physically attacking, etc. Bullying happens everywhere. I don't think making it a crime would change much.
Someone could be being bad-mouthed in class, but most of the time, the teacher who notices would just say something like "Stop it" or "Keep your hands to yourself", etc. There are even some d*ck-head teachers, who obviously notice the bullying, but doesn't do sh*t about it (sorry for my language).
Someone could be bullied physically outside the school, but as long as any type of authority doesn't see it, the bullying continues. If a teacher or principle or police walks by, usually it'll just be something like "Hey! Stop it!". Then again, that's only when the bullying happens in clear-view.
Bullying can happen behind schools or even in narrow streets. What good does it do making "bullying" a crime if it's not even frequently noticed or seen from the start? In my opinion, the best solution is to step-up to the bullying yourself, or find an authority to help you. Suicide is NEVER, EVER a choice, because to me it means to give up yourself, and that is definitely what I will not do. To begin with, life is all about struggling. Being bullied is no exception. You'll just have to do your best.

 

[Foxi4]

But also giving the bullies attention will give the fuel anyways, so you lose no matter what. And what's the point? I don't want to hurt anybody no matter what, but if i hurt someone, then I become a hypocrite. Violence leads to more violence, it's an endless cycle. I don't want someone to feel what I felt, because then my way of thinking is good for nothing.

Bullies don't want attention drawn to them, they want to bully. Using violence in self-defense does not make you a hypocrite, it shows that you respect the sanctity of your own body and are willing to defend it with all the necessary means.

The bully will not feel "what you felt" - you're not bullying him, you're fighting back. Entirely different.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

But also giving the bullies attention will give the fuel anyways, so you lose no matter what. And what's the point? I don't want to hurt anybody no matter what, but if i hurt someone, then I become a hypocrite. Violence leads to more violence, it's an endless cycle. I don't want someone to feel what I felt, because then my way of thinking is good for nothing.

Bullies don't want attention drawn to them, they want to bully. Using violence in self-defense does not make you a hypocrite, it shows that you respect the sanctity of your own body and are willing to defend it with all the necessary means.

The bully will not feel "what you felt" - you're not bullying him, you're fighting back. Entirely different.

The ones to me did. Whether I pushed them around (not fight), bitched at them, or simply just reported them to the principals and stuff, they fed off of it and they got worse each time.

I just don't see why, outside of school in an adult life, if you did this to someone, they could press charges, you could get arrested and all that. But in school, it's like just a detention, day suspension, or just a scolding at. Why can't it be treated the same? Just because they're kids?

 

[Gahars]

I'm kind of in the same boat as Foxi, and kind of not. Violence begets violence and all that jazz.

This sort of extreme, vicious harassment should be illegal (and already is). People who commit something like this deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. It's an ugly side to the internet; for all the good, it also provides people with the power to completely destroy a life.

However, I always get nervous when the bullying conversation pops up. People start taking horrific cases like this and, with the best of intentions, they need to combat any and all forms of bullying they can find. So schools start adopting extremely restrictive policies, forcing teachers to navigate a tangled web of paperwork and hampering kids' interactions. These policies often don't see a difference between playful roughhousing and actual violence; they just get lumped into the same category. And now recess has to supervised, and now we can't have tag because of all the physical contact, etc. etc. It's a slippery slope.

All the while, the actual bullying doesn't stop. I don't want to say that the bullies are "smart", but they tend to be crafty bunch. If they have it out for a kid, they'll find the means to work around the system no matter what. You can't make the schools bully-proof; the bullies just get better.

I realize this has become something of a long winded rant, so let me wrap this up. I don't think "bullying" should be outlawed; it's a hard to thing to identify, and the well-behaved suffer while the problem persists. We should do all we can in the school environment, but there is such a thing as too much.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Many people think that bullying stops when you get out of high school. Wrong. It's becoming more and more common to find bullying in the workplace. (Google "Workplace Bullying")

This form of bullying is actually worse, because more often than not, if you decided to do anything about it, you may lose your job.

 

[Ergo]

I was bullied, but I fixed that by punching back (and I wasn't a big kid)--there is no need for it be a crime and making it one is opening yet another can of legal worms in a world where we're already legislated to death.

(My younger brother was also bullied, but I put a quick end to that by telling the bully if he didn't stop, he'd be making an acquaintance with a Louisville Slugger--the bullying stopped *immediately*.)

(FYI: if it rises the level of assault, etc,, there are already legal remedies in place and we don't need to start stacking more and more crimes on top of laws that already exist to deal w/ that sort of thing.)

And if it's "online bullying" and they're in your school, the same rules apply: KICK THEIR ASS and I promise you that 9 times out of 10 it *will* stop--if it doesn't, purchase a Louisville Slugger and make it stop--no jury in America, at least, will convict someone that goes after a known bully and you'll become a bloody folk hero.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

I was bullied, but I fixed that by punching back (and I wasn't a big kid)--there is no need for it be a crime and making it one is opening yet another can of legal worms in a world where we're already legislated to death.

(My younger brother was also bullied, but I put a quick end to that by telling the bully if he didn't stop, he'd be making an acquaintance with a Louisville Slugger--the bullying stopped *immediately*.)

(FYI: if it rises the level of assault, etc,, there are already legal remedies in place and we don't need to start stacking more and more crimes on top of laws that already exist to deal w/ that sort of thing.)

And if it's "online bullying" and they're in your school, the same rules apply: KICK THEIR ASS and I promise you that 9 times out of 10 it *will* stop--if it doesn't, purchase a Louisville Slugger and make it stop--no jury in America, at least, will convict someone that goes after a known bully and you'll become a bloody folk hero.

It's not that simple, and if you actually give that advice to those you know, you are a fool, and could be landing many people you know and love in legal trouble.

 

[Vulpes Abnocto]

If we start criminalizing bullying, we need to define precisely what criminal bullying is.
If a six year old boy pushes a five year old boy down or knocks his ice cream out of his hand, is that a crime?
What if one third grader regularly taunts another third grader with names like "four eyes" or "fatty"? Is that a crime?
What if the members of a class collectively ostracize the weird kid that eats glue? Is that a crime?

Eventually we'll find a point where this 'bullying' is of a criminal level,
and that level is attained far more often with the advent of the internet and social networks,
but when you say "criminalize bullying" it leads one to think of the zero tolerance policies that now get kids expelled from school for carrying ibuprofen in their pocket.

 

[Ericthegreat]

I was bullied, but I fixed that by punching back (and I wasn't a big kid)--there is no need for it be a crime and making it one is opening yet another can of legal worms in a world where we're already legislated to death.

(My younger brother was also bullied, but I put a quick end to that by telling the bully if he didn't stop, he'd be making an acquaintance with a Louisville Slugger--the bullying stopped *immediately*.)

(FYI: if it rises the level of assault, etc,, there are already legal remedies in place and we don't need to start stacking more and more crimes on top of laws that already exist to deal w/ that sort of thing.)

And if it's "online bullying" and they're in your school, the same rules apply: KICK THEIR ASS and I promise you that 9 times out of 10 it *will* stop--if it doesn't, purchase a Louisville Slugger and make it stop--no jury in America, at least, will convict someone that goes after a known bully and you'll become a bloody folk hero.

I would mostly agree to this, but I would add that its not about winning the fight, its about fighting back at all.

(not the hit someone with a baseball bat tho, that will just get you in more trouble then him lol....)

 

[the_randomizer]

This is why self-defense should be taught, yes, some frown upon this, but guess what? Who cares? People shouldn't be defenseless in a situation such as being bullied.