Failure to protect

[princealbertofb]

Anybody else wonder why its ok to physically/mentally attack someone in school, and just recive minimal punishment, but doing it anywhere else is a criminal offence?:confused:

I mean SURE between the ages of 5 and 10 a child might still be learning right from wrong. But any bullying done after that I beleave should be a criminal offence.
Sure the punishment could be reduced due to age, I just want something done to get it into these idiots heads that its NOT ok to treat people in such a manner, as it's obviously it seems the schools themselves do not have enough power to do such.

.......Sorry. That was a bit of a rant, and a bit harsh i guess.:redface:

Actually, Genz, you are right, in that schools and school authorities have little power in how families bring up their kids. It is ok to show the good example in school when possible, but families have to make that extra effort too, and the things is, will they? Until something is done on a national basis and anti-bullying put into practice in schools, teachers and staff will have little control on what goes into young people's heads. Dialogue is what is essential in these cases, and maybe some forms of punishment that benefits the community and sets the right example;.. But you'd have to catch kids in the crib to instill that kind of positive response.

[Genersis]

My heart is wrecked, torn to pieces. I cannot find the words to express just how much it hurts to read those lines up there. Rest In Peace, all of you.

I don't know what to say. I am on the verge of crying. I try my best to shhow my support to all LGBT teens out there; I demostrate my love for gays more openly than I probably should. I will be going to gay prides, I will be tlking to anybody in need. But what else can I do to prevent all those teens out there from being harrassed and treated like shit? (this is a serious question) *sigh* my whole being is enveloped by pain.

You're trying Irina. And thats enough in my books.mile:

[princealbertofb]

Bullying is never right. Sadly, in many places, people tolerate it and accept it as a tradition. When the line between right and wrong is not clear, people mistake their behavior of bullying as justice. I know straight kids who bully queer kid because they want to make thing right. They have learned that from their parents, from TV, from their churches. Hence, as long as there are still discrimination and hatred, there are still bullier and suicidal kids.

Sadly, in my school A&M, some forms of bullying behaviors are accepted as tradition. When I know about the Corps of Cadets and the fish drill, I feel really sad for the freshman who are the victims of bullying. But no one speaks out about that because people seem it as a value tradition in my school. For me, I seem it as criminal.

There's a difference between traditional "rites of passage' (ragging or hazing ==> bizutage in French),which maybe only happen once in a freshman's year when they arrive newly to the institution, and constant harrassment. Most people could probably rise to the challenge of the rite of passage, if it was not too harsh.
In France such rituals for freshmen have been made illegal within the school limits, which means that they can still happen outside (whether these are brutal or mildly harrassing - - sometimes they are monitored by teachers, who make sure they are not too rough). Our Minister of Education reminded staff and students that these rituals were not allowed and reprehensible by law, so if anyone was to take it to court, there would be shit to pay, in a case of rough handling and dishonourable conduct.

[codis]

R.I.P. my rainbow pals. to anyone else considering doing the unthinkable, please reconsider. it gets better, never easier but a lot better i guarantee it.

[Genersis]

Actually, Genz, you are right, in that schools and school authorities have little power in how families bring up their kids. It is ok to show the good example in school when possible, but families have to make that extra effort too, and the things is, will they? Until something is done on a national basis and anti-bullying put into practice in schools, teachers and staff will have little control on what goes into young people's heads. Dialogue is what is essential in these cases, and maybe some forms of punishment that benefits the community and sets the right example;.. But you'd have to catch kids in the crib to instill that kind of positive response.

Its a shame. Any kind of movement to try and create some form of punishment will probably be challenged by parents trying to "protect" their children.(In schools AND in general)

Parents need to learn to teach their children to treat others with respect.
Do you think all this bullying is mainly due to the parents inability to discipline there child, Ignorence of their childs behavior or is it inherited bigotry?:confused:

[princealbertofb]

Actually Genz, I think kids are quite naturally cruel and can go far in misconduct, which is why it definitely IS the parents' duty (and consequent fault) to educate and punish accordingly (which also means explaining why it's wrong)... It's the old story of "Do unto others as you'd like to be done to..." or something like that. You can't earn people's respect if you don't start respecting them. Unfortunately, being meek and mild and gentle and kind, isn't always met with respect...

[Genersis]

.....Unfortunately, being meek and mild and gentle and kind, isn't always met with respect...

In my expirence its met with being taken advantage of.:redface:

[MegaFullbuster]

People are despicable.
I doubt things will really change anytime soon.
Things like this really make me despise humanity.

[Rychard the Lionheart]

There is already an UN human rights treaty which relates to the protection of children, it states that every child has the right of life. The U. S. federal government could use the treaty to help prevent any further deaths, but will fail to implement the treaty.
Why, because the United States government which played an active role in the drafting of the Convention and signed it on 16 February 1995, but has not ratified it. Along with Somalia, the United States is one of only two countries in the world which have not ratified the Convention. It has been claimed that opposition to the Convention stems primarily from political and religious conservatives. For example, the Heritage Foundation sees it as threatening national control over domestic policy. However, non-partisan and secular groups such as the Home School Legal Defense Association argue that the CRC threatens homeschooling, and parental rights groups claim that it would would automatically override almost all domestic laws on children and families because of the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause in Article VI, and undermines parental rights by granting State officials the power to micromanage families and review all parental decisions to verify that they are truly in the "best interests" of the child, when the best interests standard is highly subjective, in addition to allowing minors to have abortions without the knowledge or consent of parents. President Barack Obama has described the failure to ratify the Convention as 'embarrassing' and has promised to review this.

Until the United States of America respects human rights and ratify the treaty, sadly more gay teenagers will die.


I have listed below two articles from the treaty which if made law could have prevented the deaths of the teenagers.

United Nations Human Rights Treaty - 11 . Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Article 16

1. No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation.

2. The child has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.


Article 29

1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:

1. The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;

2. The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;

3. The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;

4. The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;

The protection is already there in the treaty, it just needs the United States government to use it.

[princealbertofb]

Hear hear!!!
Wonderful piece of information there, Rychard. Thanks... mile: