Bullying

[Genersis]

...
WHEN will bullies be tried as murderers and tormentors?

Probably never; not in full capacity of a murder charge anyway.

WHEN will bullies be chained up and thrown into a hardcore prison for a week?

Never hopefully.

Scare the living shit out of them, and they will NEVER be a bully again!

I very much doubt it.

Bullying's a symptom more than a spontaneous action, and can be caused by many things.
I think to see school age individuals prosecuted for bullying would take either an over-reliance on hearsay, or copious amounts of surveillance and possibly invasions of privacy.(Likely the same reasons more adults don't press harassment charges against work colleagues/other peers)

I have no idea what a good solution would look like.
Parents are to blame to some degree(though to what degree, I can't say), social atmosphere is another, but I don't really think there is some easy fix.

[Counselor]

This may be really long and I am sorry. This is just me ranting.

So, in the news today. A kid of 13 took his own life from bullying. This has really become an epidemic. There have been so many suicides, and it is sad and heart breaking. Most of the suicides that I have heard, have been from kids being bullied for being gay. I come from a really religious city. Southern Baptist to be exact. "If you are from Texas or have been there, then you know what I am talking about." A lot of the people on the news in my city when someone took their own life was, they are going to hell. They were weak. They need to grow a back bone. Stand up for your self. And things like this in nature.

The thing is bullying is not always physical. It is also mental. Yes I survived bullying. I got it mentally, also being called FAG, gay, Fagot, and Pansy Ass. I received it at home and at school. The only reason I made it to where I am at, is because of my best friend. We still are best friends. This person may not know that they impacted my life this much. But He really has. I was to the put of suicide. I did cut. I was really close. But, I survived because of friends. A lot of the kids that are bullied now a days. Do not have the luxury of friends. They are cut off from society, because of Internet and games. There is no personal time for anyone anymore. So, you saying all these things is a form of bullying in it self. You should be ashamed of your self. Think and filter before you write and speak. It may last a lifetime and taint a soul.

Thank you for reading my long rant and I really do appreciate. There is way more I can write but I will retain my self.

You used the phrase "this has become an epidemic", when nothing except the speed and accessibility of information has changed. Children and teens have been doing this for decades, but never has it been as publicized as it has been in the last five years, and with the advent of social media, sharing news has never been simpler.

It isn't a matter of "nipping this problem in the bud", but a matter of changing t the status quo, and teaching children to either be assertive, turn the other cheek, or fight back.

[dfiant]

Kids these days have a lot more going on then when we were children. They have way more schooling then I did when I was in school. That is a lot of stress. They have cyber bullying. Which is really bad, with the things the internet lets you do. Rumors go around a lot faster then in my time in school. So, psychologically they have a lot more going on. Parents are a huge factor, because of the bullys that come from bad parenting. It is not the child who took there life fault on the parenting. They don't want everything handed to them, they want to feel accepted in life. This is where parenting should step in. Teach your child that there is difference in the world and it is ok to be different and to also accept difference.

I'm sorry to disagree, but back in the 'olden days' before technology when you had the shit beaten out of you for being a poofter, you went to the toilets and washed the blood off and went back to class and never talked to anyone about it because it was illegal as well as taboo. to be gay and even counsellors and teachers would not help.

Also in the 'OLDEN' days, parents were parents and children were disciplined. The do gooder gen Y'ers fucked everything up with 'rights' and 'political correctness' with soft cock weak kneed bullshit where parents are charged with abuse for saying 'NO' to their children.

Every wondered why some people under 25 are weak as piss and think they have it tougher than previous generations?

It's because you fucked up.

Hard times, come on get your hands off it and talk to people who were dragged half way across the world at 18 years old with a gun and told to shoot people.

You yuppies, gen y'ers lives are so TOUGH that I would swap lives with you and heart beat and not spend a single second in my life complaining about how tough life is.

Suck it up you little princess's

[Pix]

I see kids today as having it better in many ways, but also worse in others.

[dfiant]

I see kids today as having it better in many ways, but also worse in others.

so over all...same same but different?

[Lilitu]

Often it's the case that once it starts in a specific situation, the mark is there forever and it can't really be fixed except with time.

For example, even if a teacher of person of authority intervenes, it is still very difficult to form an amicable relationship between the children.

In my limited experience at least, serious school bullying does not happen for an arbitrary reason. A bullying situation develops from the interchange between the people and ultimately, everybody who gets involved becomes the bad guy.

For example, many of the people whom I know to have been bullied were genuinely mean-spirited people, maybe as much so as the people who bullied them. Some are deliberately annoying, immature and horrible to vent their anger at the world which they perceive as the enemy.

Whilst a few kids deal incredibly well and keep their dignity and mental health through bullying, many become bad people who ultimately need as much help or education as the bullies.

What I'm saying is, you can't victimise and blame in situations involving bullying, it's very complex and I think the best way to solve it is not through direct intervention but by teaching kids how to deal with bullying, or 'toughening them up' as well as discouraging bullying (which I think is more difficult to do, as once the process starts even with the tiniest of provocations, it spirals out of control)

Also, prejudice (rumours etc.) is probably the main issue needing to be resolved. People need to be taught how to be less susceptible to rumour at the same time as properly understanding trust.

[Roxy]

I will have the strength to stand up the next time I see it happening. If I get into danger I am going to protect them. I do not want them to be a sad story. I am right there with you!

That line hit me. It's heart breaking to know that tragedies like this are increasing

[dfiant]

I don't believe the tragedies are increasing. When I was 13 I lost 3 friends from my school to suicice.

The difference between the 1980's (and before) and the 2010's is that you would pick up the paper and read todays local news and by the time foreign news came to our shores it ceased to be news, unless it was something big like Kennedy, Elvis, Lennon.

Today, a kid commits suicide, the whole world knows in the matter of minutes due entirely to the internet.

The issues have ALWAYS been there, today we are more aware of the issues then 30 years ago or 100 years ago.

NOTHING has changed except our awareness which has empowered us to act/react towards injustice because we are come to learn that we are not alone.

Bullying was as bad in 1950, 1980, 2000 and today, no better, no worse, but just as intolerable especially to a victim.

[Roxy]

I don't believe the tragedies are increasing. When I was 13 I lost 3 friends from my school to suicice.

The difference between the 1980's (and before) and the 2010's is that you would pick up the paper and read todays local news and by the time foreign news came to our shores it ceased to be news, unless it was something big like Kennedy, Elvis, Lennon.

Today, a kid commits suicide, the whole world knows in the matter of minutes due entirely to the internet.

The issues have ALWAYS been there, today we are more aware of the issues then 30 years ago or 100 years ago.

NOTHING has changed except our awareness which has empowered us to act/react towards injustice because we are come to learn that we are not alone.

Bullying was as bad in 1950, 1980, 2000 and today, no better, no worse, but just as intolerable especially to a victim.

Ah I see. It's still very distressing though. Whether it's increasing or it's just that there is more exposure- each incident is heart breaking. Perhaps because I hear of so many suicide attempts and hear of people talking about it, contemplating it, it adds to the feel that it has increased?

[dfiant]

Ah I see. It's still very distressing though.Whether it's increasing or it's just that there is more exposure- each incident is heart breaking.

It is terribly distressing to know what you went through as a child is the same thing that other children are going through today. I can begin to tell you haw many times I have shed a tear the last few years since focus has been put on bullying and photo after photo of handsome teenage boys and the occasional pretty teenage girl is plastered on the internet and a sad suicide story under it.

Perhaps because I hear of so many suicide attempts and hear of people talking about it, contemplating it, it adds to the feel that it has increased?

The focus on the subject has definately shifted in the last few years.