N.J. Senator Seeks Anti-Bully Law After Suicide

N.J. Senator Seeks Anti-Bully Law After Suicide

www.foxnews.com

Colleges should adopt a code of conduct that prohibits bullying and harassment in the wake of the suicide of a Rutgers University student whose gay sexual encounter in his dorm room was streamed online, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg said at a town meeting on campus.

Lautenberg, D-N.J., told the crowd gathered Wednesday night in memory of 18-year-old freshman Tyler Clementi that he would introduce such legislation. Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River on Sept. 22 after the intimate images of him with another man were broadcast. His body was identified days late

(visit the link for the full news article)



Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
'I feel like no-one': Girl, 12, dies in father's arms from mystery condition after being tormente

Although this article is primarily about anti-gay bullying, i am interested in peoples opinions about there being an anti-bullying law for any kind of bullying.

Any bullying, whether it be done by a kid or an adult is nothing but destructive. It can affect peoples lives more than some will ever know, those who have been a victim of this will know what i mean.

In the back of my mind as i write this, is the recent thread about the 12 year old that died in her fathers arms. It emerged that she had been bullied at school for a while, and the letters she wrote regarding this are heartbreaking.

Personaly, i would be in favour of anti-bullying laws. I know that some laws come close to covering this, such as assault, threatening behaviour and the likes, but maybe an actual law targeting bullies would hit home a bit more...especially at schools where it often starts.





www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I have no problem with anti-bullying laws...I think they are a great idea. What I do have a problem is who is to constitute what and who a bully is? This case with the Rutgers student is a no brainer...obviously that was bullying. However, I think that kids need to be kids. When we start passing legislation against meaningless teasing, then I think we are getting out of hand. Severe cases like this Rutgers student is terrible and need to be stopped.

Originally posted by FBI 33
What I do have a problem is who is to constitute what and who a bully is?

Good point.

There are some that see teasing and lowel levels of bulling as "character building".

Maybe they are right, in some circumstances it can build strength of character, if you learn to stand up for yourelf. You learn from it and are hardened to deal with such behaviour in the future.

Maybe even the most petty of teasing can also damage a kid so bad that they will never be lucky enough to develope "character".

People are different, that we know. What affects me may not affect you in the same way.

I agree though, drawing the line as to what bullying is would be the crucial thing here if making specific laws.

CX.

reply to post by CX


I think it's a great idea.

The two cases you mentioned in particular were just horrible. In regards to the young musician, Imagine how creepy and sick you would have to be to set up a camera to spy on someone in their own personal space. Then not only that but to post it up on the Internet. It is a joke that the two horrible $hi#s responsible didn't know what they were doing. I am so sick of that excuse "I didn't know how they would react!" Sob Sob*

To avoid this ridiculous attempt to remove responsibility from the guilty by claiming ignorance, make it punishable by law. So they at least have a punitive incentive not to do it, if their soul is lacking the compassion to understand the emotional effect.

I was very sad to read this story. I was bullied as a boy. However, I am a firm believer anti-bullying laws are utter tripe that wind up protecting the bullies!

I survived it as did many others I know growing up. It forced me to work off the baby fat. I joined the wrestling team because of it. Which, in turn, helped me get through college. Not by scholarship, but by being part of a team with a great coach, I stayed away from drinking and drugs and graduated cum laude with a degree in Chemistry.

I've been a successful person because I stood up to my tormentors. Anti-bullying laws and 'modern' pacifism stop kids from fighting back.

Holly Stuckey's case is so very sad, but new laws aren't the answer. Better parenting, less reality TV, and returning sports that promote individual achievement and better health (ie gymnastics, wrestling, boxing) as well as stopping the 'mob' mentality that football and soccer promote, is a more logical solution.

People are bullied for any number of reasons, sexual orientation, weight, color, hair color, intelligence, etc. We don't need yet another law on the books, we already have hate crime laws, there is no need for more legislation. People get bullied in real life, and to take away that part of the learning experience through forced legislation is just ridiculous. You need to know how to deal with bullies to get along later in the real world. Perhaps, just perhaps, we can all get along better, if we realize what bullies are, how they think, and what made them become the way they are.

reply to post by CX


Well I think some kind of law should be in place, and here is why I think that. My little boy is 9 years old and goes to public school. He suffers from spinabifida, he is a Dwarf, and is a little over three feet tall, and will probably get no taller than that. Kids at school bully him, and tease him, even on the bus, and we have protested to the school administration, a corporation by the way, and they say they will do things to curb this behaviour, but the bulling still happens. We are taking him out of public school and home schooling him over this issue.
If laws were in place we would not have to take such a step.

You wanted to know what I think, this is what I think. Cheers.

reply to post by CX


This is inappropriately classified . This was not bullying, it was harrassment, invasion of privacy, and a total lack of respect for the victims human rights.
When a kid gets kicked about in school, it should not be called bullying, it should be called what it is, assault. I am pig sick of things happening in school being called bullying when the whole bullying subject ought to be rendered down to individual crimes commited against private citizens, and those crimes prosecuted , no matter the age of the inbred little scumbag committing them.

UGH, you just know this is going to spread like wildfire through the states. Seriously, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO LEARN YOU CAN'T JUST PASS A LAW EVERYTIME SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS! . One day these idiots are going to wake up and realize they can't make anymore laws... BECAUSE EVERYTHING WILL BE ILLEGAL. *@(*!!!! At this rate, we won't be able to tailgate, cuss, glare, speak our mind, get upset, BE HUMAN. GRRRRR.... Everything will be all soft and cuddly and we will be nervous wrecks and our kids will be super spoiled... Like beyond all recognition.

reply to post by sliceNodice


There is a massive difference between criminalising say for instance, farmers who over farm their own land, and criminalising bullying. All bullying is , is assaults, harrassment, and violent or abusive crime, commited in schools. Kids getting away with that crap often get NO punishment , or one which is horifficaly understated, leading them to think its ok to beat people to a pulp, steal , harrass, and cause harm to others in general. You wonder why theres a problem with gang culture ? Start with the kids. They grow up being institutionaly taught that doing violence and harm to others is not wrong, its just looked down on. Its wrong. Being a better farmer than your neighbor is not wrong, its industrious.
Theres a whole bunch of over legislated areas of law in the US and for that matter in the UK , which dont actualy prevent harm to the public, and thousands of areas which are IGNORED by law . Its not that there are to many laws, its just that the laws which exist are not accurately targeted.
I cant believe that ANYONE with a heart or a soul would support violent or harrassing behaviour in young people! Support that, and you support the cultural decay of your nation.

My daughter was 8 and was bullied by a 12 year old on the bus.
I called the school, teachers, bus driver and nothing happened.
The bulllying continued for several more days.
Then the next day I called the 12 year old's dad and told him if it did not stop
immediately, (the phone book also lists the home address),
that I would be in his front yard tomorrow evening at 5 pm
and would be calling him out onto his front yard to begin
stomping his ass. And if that did not stop it I would be there in his front yard daily till it did.

The bullying ceased the day following my phone call to dad.

Thanks for the varied replies, thats what i like about ATS, so many different views that often lead me to change my opinion halfway through a thread.

I agree that kneejerk laws every time someone gets bullied is not the answer, but something more DOES have to be done.

The story of the 12 year old dieing in her dads arms, i would like to see that story read out in the assembly of every school in the country, with much emphasis places on how cowardly, degrading and damaging this behaviour is.

Hopefully if the message is struck home enough, people will stand up against anyone they see bullying others.

CX.