Sorry, bullying is NOT a felony, even if the target commits suicide...

If I had my way bullies would be given lethal injections as young as possible. Hopefully before they hurt anyone. Bullies think it is funny what they do. It is fun for them. They are perverse sickos and I have no sympathy for them in any way. No punishment is too harsh. The tragedy is that this girl died and the bullies will live.

I was bullied. I got extreme revenge against my bully (well, the main one). He spent months in the hospital. I nearly killed him. It still was not enough for how he made my life hell growing up. And if I ever see him again, I will put him back in the hospital for another 6 months.

I say "Good!" Give the bully the maximum sentence possible.

Robonakka
If I had my way bullies would be given lethal injections as young as possible. Hopefully before they hurt anyone. Bullies think it is funny what they do. It is fun for them. They are perverse sickos and I have no sympathy for them in any way. No punishment is too harsh. The tragedy is that this girl died and the bullies will live.

At what age would you start exacting your judge/jury/executioner thought? 5? 10? 15?

I was bullied. I got extreme revenge against my bully (well, the main one). He spent months in the hospital. I nearly killed him.

So your actions shouldn't be met with just as severe punishment as you wish upon those who bullied? I mean, did you end up in the hospital because of the bullying?

This whole 'suicide because of bullying' trip' is really starting to creep me out.

Are we regressing?

Bulling is not a new thing. I don't think that suicide because of it is either. Bullying is like a trial of life.
Whether you witness it, use it or are a victim of it, I think it builds character and helps teach compassion.

Taking what I believe to be a trial of life and put it under a political microscope sounds dangerous. If the media keeps putting so much attention to bullying, politicians are going to starting trying to get behind it and before we know it kids are going to be catching minimum sentences.

If Bullying is truly a problem then it is a social problem, not a "correctional" problem.

What a strange thread. I wonder if we can keep the OP where it is and transfer many of the replies to "Rant."
I didn't realize that bullying would cause such a severe reaction. Oh well, that's why I'm here, to learn new things.

Forgive my ignorance but isn't online stalking, bullying, harassment, or whatever, fairly easy to avoid? besides the drastic step of disconnecting from the net, would change E-mail address work? I'm not up on technology, but I would think the online problems can be solved.

I'm also ignorant of the facts here. Was her offline bullying much more horrible than other peoples'? Did she and her family take steps to prevent either the bullying or her drastic reaction?

As far as the legal side of it goes, I'm a huge fan of civil suits in these cases, particularly "intentional infliction of emotional distress." A negligence suit against anyone who failed to take reasonable action is also a likely winner.

Was suicide a likely outcome? Was it reasonable to think she'd kill herself as a reaction?

There's another thread, currently discussing how racist and demeaning it is that the football team from Washington is named the Redskins. Would wearing Redskins sporting gear in front of someone from a tribal reservation count as bullying?

I think the subject needs more thought and a little less flame.

SadistNocturne

onequestion
reply to post by SadistNocturne

 

The answer is simple.

Replace gym class with Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Thank you for having the cajones to stand up and give your true opinion in the face of these pathetic gov't addled crybabies.

The ability to take care of ourselves and our own issues is slowly being socially bred out of us.

Eventually, the gov't will even have forms in triplicate to commence with breaking off a relationship, for fear of anyone getting "hurt" and committing suicide. Why not, it's only a natural progression from this scenario, is it not? It's happened before, I guarantee it.

Why do I get the feeling that the reason you are siding with the bully, is because you are a bully yourself. Notice I say ARE, not WAS.....because the way you are acting in this very thread is like a bully. What is with the insults? Why are you insulting others for simply having an opinion, then calling them cry babies? Are you even old enough to be posting here? I can't tell from the way you are acting, please, grow up.

Secondly, bullying has ALWAYS been a very serious problem, with detrimental consequences. It is only NOW, that our society is taking bullying more seriously. NO ONE on this thread, or elsewhere, has suggested that suicide is an appropriate response to inappropriate behavior. However, it DOES happen.

There are MANY negative consequences to bullying: school shootings, suicides, children and teenagers who become depressed and/or anxiety ridden, and many who even take their accrued mental problems into adulthood, as a direct result of bullying.

Is bullying a crime? Simply point, yes. Should children be prosecuted for bullying? Absolutely, depending on the degree of harassment and mental torture they put someone through.

You see to be of the opinion that bullying is okay, and people just need thick skins. Then you go on to insult people on here, and tell them to kill themselves. What is wrong with you? It isn't funny, it isn't intelligent, and it certainly isn't appropriate, even for an online forum.

Anyway, I've said my peace. I see nothing wrong with the article the OP brought up.

Bullying sucks, plain and simple. I was a victim of it back in school, in the 80's.
I've been punched, jumped, spit on, you name it. All because my family was one of the poorest in the neighborhood. I was the one on food stamps (back when it WAS actual food stamps), and on govt cheese.
I also had the fortune to have the neighborhood drunks as parents.
Obviously I didnt kill myself, but my self esteem suffered. Its only in recent years I've had the guts to talk to people.
For those that say thats bullying is 'no big deal', or the victims 'asked for it', put yourself on the receiving end.
Noone asks to be beat up on a daily basis, noone asks to be picked on on a daily basis.
You idiots have no damn clue.

wow didn't this thread take a backward leap...........for those of you whom think the law should intervene and arrest children I say you most likely have no children and you are quite likely brainwashed......the problem starts at home and should finish there....if the problem does not get solved at home then perhaps there could be some negligence on the parents behalf and the parents need to be punished for not raising children in the appropriate manner.....these are children we are talking about....in no way am I condoning bullying...there was a thread recently on a father who found out his son was bullying and what did he do? he made his son stand on a local highway holding a pink sign sign reading "I am a bully,if you do not like bullies honk your horn"...tell me do you think that was a deserved punishment and do you think that child will bully again...........?? if I caught my son bullying I would do something similar something he would never forget!!!

it is a very slippery slope here and if parents do not take action the parents themselves need to reprehended...the day I see children being arrested because their parents were too busy elsewhere is the day that we as the human race should bow down and eliminate ourselves ......seriously this makes me sad to see that the human race has become a bunch of puppets whom need authorities to run their lives for them

reply to post by HomerinNC


I don't think anyone is saying it it "no big deal"...it is an age old "problem" of Man (all inclusive). I have been on both ends honestly. I have "bullied" and I have received "bullying". My guess is your instance is a bit more personal because you came from a small town no? Where everyone knew everyone's business? That is tough and can make life hard.

reply to post by hopenotfeariswhatweneed


What makes you think every bully comes from a bad household? My neighborhood bully growing up came from a good one, but she did a good job hiding it from her parents, because as kids in the neighborhood attested to back then, she was a totally different person inside compared to the menacing vile individual she was out of the home. No one was shocked when she ended up in juvie at 16 for beating the tar out of one of her preferred punching bags, except her parents and other adults in the neighborhood who knew her as a prim & proper, kind pinnacle of fine parenting & solid morals. They were the ones who couldn't understand what went wrong or where, and ultimately never admitted she was capable of being such a cruel girl. They never listened to us when anyone complained to an adult, we were "just blowing roughhousing out of proportion".

Everyone is capable of pulling a Jekyl & Hyde, especially bullies who aim to play the cards well. I'm well aware that no matter how well I raise my own kids, they could turn out to be Jekyl & Hyde themselves. Just because they portray themselves to us one way doesn't mean they're the same to others, and if my kids ever bully someone like these girls did, and I'll drop them off at juvie myself. Abusing others is not acceptable. Period.

reply to post by ownbestenemy


No I actually lived on long island in a suburb

reply to post by Nyiah


let me put this to you another way...if the authorities need to get involved as a result of cunning children who hide everything from their parents they can inform the parents and if nothing is done that is a pretty major breakdown in society is it not......you seriously want to blame the kids????

and you would really drop your own children off at juvi hall if they were bullying without your knowledge.......really//...you would pass the buck....please officer discipline my child because I do not know how....really....I feel sorry for your kids if that is how you would deal with situation

and at no point did I say abusing others was ok.....parents need to have a much more pro active role in their kids growing and education

reply to post by HomerinNC


My apologies as I was assuming that since everyone knew your family's business; it was a small town. Regardless, my point stands.

Florida's law on stalking:

784.048 Stalking; definitions; penalties.—
(1) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Harass” means to engage in a course of conduct directed at a specific person which causes substantial emotional distress to that person and serves no legitimate purpose.

(b) “Course of conduct” means a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a period of time, however short, which evidences a continuity of purpose. The term does not include constitutionally protected activity such as picketing or other organized protests.

(c) “Credible threat” means a verbal or nonverbal threat, or a combination of the two, including threats delivered by electronic communication or implied by a pattern of conduct, which places the person who is the target of the threat in reasonable fear for his or her safety or the safety of his or her family members or individuals closely associated with the person, and which is made with the apparent ability to carry out the threat to cause such harm. It is not necessary to prove that the person making the threat had the intent to actually carry out the threat. The present incarceration of the person making the threat is not a bar to prosecution under this section.

(d) “Cyberstalk” means to engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or to cause to be communicated, words, images, or language by or through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication, directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress to that person and serving no legitimate purpose.

(2) A person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows, harasses, or cyberstalks another person commits the offense of stalking, a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(3) A person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows, harasses, or cyberstalks another person and makes a credible threat to that person commits the offense of aggravated stalking, a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(4) A person who, after an injunction for protection against repeat violence, sexual violence, or dating violence pursuant to s. 784.046, or an injunction for protection against domestic violence pursuant to s. 741.30, or after any other court-imposed prohibition of conduct toward the subject person or that person’s property, knowingly, willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows, harasses, or cyberstalks another person commits the offense of aggravated stalking, a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(5) A person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows, harasses, or cyberstalks a child under 16 years of age commits the offense of aggravated stalking, a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(6) A law enforcement officer may arrest, without a warrant, any person that he or she has probable cause to believe has violated this section.

(7) A person who, after having been sentenced for a violation of s. 794.011, s. 800.04, or s. 847.0135(5) and prohibited from contacting the victim of the offense under s. 921.244, willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows, harasses, or cyberstalks the victim commits the offense of aggravated stalking, a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(8) The punishment imposed under this section shall run consecutive to any former sentence imposed for a conviction for any offense under s. 794.011, s. 800.04, or s. 847.0135(5).


(9)(a) The sentencing court shall consider, as a part of any sentence, issuing an order restraining the defendant from any contact with the victim, which may be valid for up to 10 years, as determined by the court. It is the intent of the Legislature that the length of any such order be based upon the seriousness of the facts before the court, the probability of future violations by the perpetrator, and the safety of the victim and his or her family members or individuals closely associated with the victim.

(b) The order may be issued by the court even if the defendant is sentenced to a state prison or a county jail or even if the imposition of the sentence is suspended and the defendant is placed on probation.

Florida's stalking law has been on the books since the late 90's, it's not new.

There are a number of instances in most state laws where you can be criminally charged due to something that you say (or type). This is not a violation of your freedom of speech, as what you are saying is not considered “free speech” as per Supreme Court rulings on the matter.

A few that come to mind:
1) Assault (eg. making a threatening remark to someone).
2) Inciting a riot.
3) Hate speech (in some places).
4) Making a false report to police.
5) Making a misleading statement to police.
6) Creating a panic.
7) Defamation.
8) Making statements creating a false safety concern (quite a number of different types).

Some of these can be quite serious as well, some can even get you charged with high felonies under the Patriot or Espionage Acts.

reply to post by SadistNocturne


My opinion is that bullying is pervasive, it's everywhere and yes, it's Human nature.

It's done by adults to other adults, adults towards children, children to other children, even sometimes, children towards adults.

Even animals do it.

My take is, when the natural Human trait of bullying occurs it's purpose is development.

Either the selfish development of the person doing the bullying or the development of the person being bullied.

The drive to chase ever more money, wealth and status in life is simply an emotional extension or cousin to bullying..a type of financial one-up-manship, financial bullying.

It's a sink or swim dynamic. When bullying happens, the bully gains a sense of power and control over the bullied. The bullied person either buckles under the bully or they rise up and give the bully or bullies a very good kicking and in the process, discover their own power and control over the bully and his or her place within peer groups.

Unfortunately, some people, both adults and children / teens, do not swim, but sink..leading to tragic results - sometimes suicide or murder.

But this is comparitively rare, and most people 'swim' when bullied and grow emotionally as a result, or at least they tread water and gain a sense of self respect, and reduced fear levels.

I believe there are personality traits that are suicide or murder orientated. If people kill themselves apparently because they were bullied, i happe to think that most of these people would have found something else apart from bullying to become emotional enough to end it all anyway.

Some people are just suicides waiting for a reason to top themselves, whether it be a relationship breakdown, body dismorphic syndrome, bad grades, low self esteem, or bullying.

Robonakka
If I had my way bullies would be given lethal injections as young as possible. Hopefully before they hurt anyone. Bullies think it is funny what they do. It is fun for them. They are perverse sickos and I have no sympathy for them in any way. No punishment is too harsh. The tragedy is that this girl died and the bullies will live.

I was bullied. I got extreme revenge against my bully (well, the main one). He spent months in the hospital. I nearly killed him. It still was not enough for how he made my life hell growing up. And if I ever see him again, I will put him back in the hospital for another 6 months.

I say "Good!" Give the bully the maximum sentence possible.

The problem wasn't the bully Rob, but it was you.

YOU didn't stand up to be counted when it started.

The bully had a go at you, and this was the time when you should have put him on his back...not years later after brooding over how 'he' made your life a living hell as you put it.

If you had broken his nose the moment he started on you, i can guarantee you would BOTH be different people today...and probably a lot better off emotionally than you appear to be now.

Fear is good. It protects us. But it also harms us if we allow it to be the dominant emotional driver.

Now, you are in a position where you are advocating murdering children who are bullying other kids...remember that bullies are children attempting to exert and project their power and control over another as part of their own emotional development...if the bullied allow them the stage to continue this, it send messages to both parties, both of them are negative messages and both parties lose out in the developmental stakes.

You should have put him on his arse the first time he tried it on with you, even if you had gotten a beating at the time, he would have respected, probably feared you, for fighting your corner.

In other words mate...it was your own fault for ALLOWING him to get away with bullying you back then...always start as you mean to go on is my advice. If you start being a victim, chances are you will always be a victim in one sense or another, whereas if you start out by fighting and standing up for yourself, you are far more likely to go through life with self respect and pride...and not be bitter because you see yourself as a victim of bullying.

ownbestenemy

Robonakka
If I had my way bullies would be given lethal injections as young as possible. Hopefully before they hurt anyone. Bullies think it is funny what they do. It is fun for them. They are perverse sickos and I have no sympathy for them in any way. No punishment is too harsh. The tragedy is that this girl died and the bullies will live.

At what age would you start exacting your judge/jury/executioner thought? 5? 10? 15?

I was bullied. I got extreme revenge against my bully (well, the main one). He spent months in the hospital. I nearly killed him.

So your actions shouldn't be met with just as severe punishment as you wish upon those who bullied? I mean, did you end up in the hospital because of the bullying?

The aggressor is always at fault. Give me pure eye for an eye and the bulling would stop since it will become a evolutionary hindrance to be soul trash. The turn the other check to the bullies have not worked and only gives the bullies more ways to manipulate. Remove the soul trash and imprison them in another environment where they are away from the normals so their sickness do not spread and see if you can cure them to be true humans. The fact that we are not doing it makes the sickness spread so it is even in the politicians now days even if they are better at showing the nice side of a psychotic on camera.

Well this thread is quite enlightening, I've gained quite an insight into the thought processes of bullies and how they self-justify what they do. And why they blame the victims for 'not standing up for themselves' and somesuch. Clearly a fair few bullies posting here.

Bullying should be a crime, particularly where lives are lost. If somebody hounds somebody with verbal abuse, physical abuse, or the threat of physical abuse, it's assault, plain and simple. And should be treated as such by the law. End of.

The girl's parents should of told her to take a bat to the bullies heads, the bullying stops... Better then letting your kid get bullied to the point of killing themselves, and if this girl would of hit them over the head with a lead pipe no way would i on a jury convict her.. NOW its all moot.. Now 2 other kid's lives are ruined along with a dead 12 year old..

MysterX

In other words mate...it was your own fault for ALLOWING him to get away with bullying you back then...always start as you mean to go on is my advice. If you start being a victim, chances are you will always be a victim in one sense or another, whereas if you start out by fighting and standing up for yourself, you are far more likely to go through life with self respect and pride...and not be bitter because you see yourself as a victim of bullying.

edit on 17-10-2013 by MysterX because: added info

If a human behaves like an animal then it is an animal not a human. The ones who can behave should not have to live around people who behave like animals. Nobody should need to physically defend themselves since the bully should not have been allowed to be there in the first place and removed form the social structure since it does not improve the cohesion of the social structure.

Also a lot of people here thinks the bully is a loner that does not have the group with them. They do not have to be and can be the person that makes the whole class screwed up and drags other with them in the behaviour. That is the real nastiness when you see the sheepness of the so called moral people and that makes the victim know it is truelly alone against the group with no real allies. That is when you see the group dynamic that Hitler and the Nazis used up close.

Put the bully where it fits in on it's level of comprehension and hopefully away from the parents that clearly should not and have not handled the bully. With the right people around the bully can become an empathic soul who will repair what it has caused and move on.

We all in the end reap what we have sown. Bullies are just to stupid to understand the # they are gonna get in the end for it. Karma is a bitch and on the other side there is no masks that can hide what you truelly are and we get what we deserve both the good and the bad.

SadistNocturne


Wow, we are truly raising some incredibly thin skinned [SNIPPED] this upcoming generation then, aren't we?

If someone is abusing you, harassing you, stalking you, there ARE actions that can take place. There are things you can do. This does not mean you have to commit suicide.

And, as for "crimes" of harasment, stalking, etc?

Yeah, this is the over criminalization of america. Everyone is a victim in EVERY SENSE of the WORD.

Nobody can simply deal with it themselves.

When I was this child's age, you were taught to stand up to your bullies. You were taught to teach them that you were not going to take it anymore.

And you know what, it WORKED.

But, today, everyone sues everyone. Everyone says "It should be a CRIME". Everyone wants the Gov't to solve their problems for them.

We are a nation of emasculated, litigious cowards. Nobody will ever be able to solve their own problems again in life. Which is wonderful, because this is *precisely* what the Gov't wants.

Willing, dependent, slaves.

Slaves with the emotional intellect of a child.

edit on Wed Oct 16 2013 by DontTreadOnMe because: (no reason given)

This.
We are probably around the same age, and from personal experience i couldn't agree with you more.
There was a time when part of growing up meant dealing with your problems, and i don't mean by beating up people, you involved the school, parents, other authorities and well in some cases yeah you would throw a punch, and it would be dismissed as "boys will be boys" kind of thing.
In one way or another, you forged your character through these events.
Now...i guess i'm finally seeing that "nanny state" everyone keeps talking about. make people weak, and afraid,
It's just another form of slavery, a suppression of character, of individuality.
I would not be surprised to find out this poor girl preferred to kill herself just because she felt there was LITERALLY no other option for her, and that, had she just yelled, or flat out smacked one of the bullies, they would have stopped and she would still be alive today.