Solutions

1. 86

   gmwilliamsposted 5 years ago

   
   Many people contend that bullying is a rite of childhood/adolescent passage.  They further argue that bullying is normative school behavior.  However, many children/teens are adversely affected by bullying.  In fact, there are some states that have implemented a zero tolerance bullying law.   In my opinion, bullying is a criminal offense & the bully should be punished by either expulsion to a special school or if h/she is a teen, by imprisonment in either a juvenile facility or a prison.  I further believe that if a child or teen bullies other children, h/she has forfeited his/her right to an education.  If older, bullied children should be put to work cleaning parks, highways, etc. instead of attending school bullying other children.  Your thoughts?

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   1. 76

      wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Would it be more beneficial and effective to teach children how to respond to bullying than to deny education to a 6 year old that has an older brother?  Which has the better long term prognosis for everyone and for society as a whole?

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   2. 86

      GA Andersonposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Geez, you are a tough one Grace. I certainly agree that parents/folks that think bullying is just 'boys being boys', (or girls being girls), are very wrong.
      
      I do think it is an almost natural impulse in the early formative years, but that does not make it okay. Like stealing, it is wrong and should be met with consequences strong enough to make sure that the message is understood.
      
      However, I wouldn't advocate any such severe actions as you promote for young bullies. *But I do like the idea of forced public service for teen bullies , in addition to their educational schooling. I think to segregate or ostracize a bully will only make the problem worse.
      
      GA

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   3. 96

      MizBejabbersposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Bullying is different today than it was when I was a child. How? Back then the child who was being bullied was encouraged to fight back and defend himself/herself. My dad started teaching me how to box when I was 5 years old. I was an undersized child for my age and he knew I would be bullied. He was right, but it wasn't other girls, it was some redneck neighborhood boys that my friend and I had to fight. She didn't have the skills I'd been taught, but she was a head taller and we held our own against these hateful nasty boys who beat on us.
      
      Funny thing is, after they grew up, one or two landed in prison and some became successful businessmen who became some of my best friends. I haven't told them that I remember them scoffing at me and beating on me and that I bloodied a nose or two of theirs. It did absolutely no good to report it to my parents or teachers. My parents said "hit back" and the teachers ignored us when we tried to report it.
      
      Fast forward to today. Among elementary school children, if the bullied child dares fight back, he/she is considered an aggressor, sometimes even more so than the bully. A lot of times when or if punishment is dished out, the victim gets the short end of the stick. If the kid reports it rather than fighting back, nothing is done about it. Money talks, sports talk, PTA mothers are also privileged mothers of bullies.
      
      The other problem is online bullying that no kid can defend against. That usually takes a court order which is difficult or impossible to obtain unless the bullied child harms himself or commits suicide. See the problem?
      
      My state has special schools for difficult or incorrigible  teens. While they attend and work on their education, they get no special treatment and no bullshit is taken from them. If they don't straighten up, they go to State Juvenile Detention. So I agree with you that they should be taken away from the general population, but I think they should be put in schools like this to continue their educations. But I don't know if bullies in my state are ever placed in one of these available schools. If everything is taken from them, I believe they will turn into harden criminals because they will think they have nothing to lose. As far as elementary school bullies, I think the state and local officials expect the parents to deal with them. However, many of them learned to bully from their parents, so maybe they should be taken from their homes in these cases and placed in special boarding institutions if they prove to be incorrigible. I see no problem with sentencing children of any age to community service for bullying.
      
      The online bullies should be banned from using cell phones or the internet. They could have access to old-fashioned cell phones that do nothing but make phone calls in case of emergency.
      (BTW Grace, I think you were in a hurry when you typed "If older, bullied children...." I think you meant "If older, bullying children... or "bullies".)

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2. 76

   Castlepalomaposted 5 years ago

   There is all kinds of bullies out there and I really don't like bullies. Bullies do keep you on your toes, have my way of getting rid of negative people quickly. Also helping others to ignore or get rid of them too.

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