Although we are college students, we still hear the term 'bullying' all the time. It starts in elementary school and continues until some are old and grey. It is a serious matter that is constantly talked about. Some of us have dealt with it from personal experience while others have witnessed it.
Recently 15 year old Audrie Pott made the decision to take her own life after becoming a victim to online bullying.
Audrie was allegedly sexually assaulted at a party and then demeaning pictures of the assault were posted online. She then took to her Facebook account and posted that her life was ruined and that it was the worst day later. Sadly that was her last post because following that she hung herself. This past Thursday, seven months after the tragedy, three 16 year old boys have been arrested on charges of sexual battery. Justice has been served….or has it?
I don’t have the solution to bullying but I can offer a suggestion. I honestly believe that bullying should be against the law. If bullying was an offense, it would seriously cut down on the crime and suicide rates. We all know that a lot of mass attacks come from people who have been victims to bullying.
An example would be James Holmes who on July 20, 2012 decided to fire off shots at a theatre in Aurora, Colorado that left 12 dead and 58 injured. He had no criminal record prior to the shooting but he was a victim to bullying. And another example is 20 year old Dylan Quick who decided to stab 14 people at Lone Star College near Houston Texas on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. He is also a victim to bullying.
Bullying can lead people to hurt themselves or others. I wish we could all treat people the way that we would like to be treated but I know that, that doesn’t always happen. However, if we witness somebody being bullied, I feel like we should be a friend to that person and we should also tell an authority figure. Bullying is a serious problem in today’s society and I don’t feel like the law addresses it, until it is too late. But if someone is reported for bullying, I feel like there should be consequences. It could start with tickets and then go up from there. But it should definitely be addressed as a crime.
What do you feel about bullying? Is there really nothing that can be done about it until it’s too late or should it be addressed early on?
-Kenisha Durley
Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/audrie-pott-california-teen-tortured-belief-friends-sexually/story?id=18943024#.UWtO4yoo6tU
http://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram/articles/2013/04/10/texas-stabber-dylan-andrew-quick-was-bullied-fantasized-about-murdering-with-knife-reports-say
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/24/james-holmes-threats-aurora-colorado_n_1828616.html
This is really a tough topic to handle. I think outlawing bullying would be tough because, as sad as it sounds, it is almost a staple of middle school. People's bodies are doing weird things and since they don't know how to handle it they decide to call other people out on their insecurities. When I was in 7th grade, I was less than five feet tall and I had a matching voice. I did get pestered for this, but I also had the ego of somebody less than five feet tall and tried to not let it get to me.
ReplyDeleteIf somebody were to ask me if I thought these people deserved financial penalties, I'd probably laugh at the idea. But what these people did to me is also pretty minimal. Eventually I wore the name "Squeaky" like a badge. What you mentioned in this comes to me as more than bullying. You mentioned sexual assault, which is already a crime. Now I can see the cyber bullying part of the story, which brings about a whole new level of issues. I still don't see how you could punish middle schoolers, who are the primary problem.
While it is tough to put a legal cost on bullying I agree that we should try to do something about it. However, I think the something should be more in terms of providing support to the person bullied. I think providing opportunities of maybe therapy or just giving the person an opportunity to get away from the negativity could go a long way.
This comment is kind of scattered because my mind is extremely scattered at this point, so I'll try to summarize my thoughts right here. I don't agree with bullying; I was bullied. I don't think inflicting legal action is the proper course as placing legal penalties on middle schoolers whose primary intent for acting like a punk is personal insecurities seems a bit extreme to me. Instead, let's provide support and something positive for the kids who are being bullied. A lot of times, the bullying only seems unbearable because the person doesn't have anything to truly distract them and to help them realize that there are good things.
I hate bullying. While I was never bullied, from what I witnessed growing up I agree with Zach about those who bully out of their own insecurities. It would be extremely hard to punish young people who are still figuring themselves out on a legal level, but we should do everything we can to help the situation.
ReplyDeleteHaving strong support for those who are being bullied would definitely help, and there should probably be some sort of help for the bullies themselves. They could be learning to bully from either someone who bullied them or from a negative place that they are in, so maybe that would help them cope in a way that does not hurt others.
Unfortunately I think a lot of people who are being bullied keep quiet about it and feel alone, helpless or ashamed. It can be hard to ask for help- especially when you are not sure that the help you get will actually be effective. I know some people think that trying to fight a bully could only end up making the situation worse, or that bullying is just a natural part of growing up.
It is impossible to prevent people from getting hurt in life. I do think that at some point bullying should be illegal, but where to draw that line and how to define bullying would be hard. Obviously the situation with Audrie Pott is on a different level than one kid making fun of another kid's appearance, even though it could still really hurt.
Overall, I think people need to stay aware of bullying and stand up for those who are being bullied. If there are five kids bullying one kid, it is going to be a lot harder for that kid to cope than if there is only one kid bullying them and they have friends who have their back.
I absolutely HATE bullying. Anti-bullying is actually my platform for the Miss Alabama USA pageant. I was bullied all through elementary and middle school and my little brother experiences bullying now. It absolutely breaks my heart when people are made fun of and picked on for no reason. God created us all equally and we should treat each other that way.
ReplyDeleteI don't think having a federal offense for bullying is a bad idea, but it would be hard to determine guidelines for what constitutes bullying and what offenses would match the crime. Punishment for such an awful thing is definitely needed.
So many lives have been taken due to bullying and its negative effects on self-esteem. If more people are made aware of bullying that occurs by paying close attention to interaction, it could be greatly decreased and lives could ultimately be saved.
As much as I hate to say this, bullying is a part of life. I think it will be impossible to outlaw bullying completely because I believe there are many stories that go untold.
ReplyDeleteI have been very impressed with the media stance on anti-bullying. On social media and on the news, it seems there is constant coverage on anti-bullying. I think it is important to inform not only children about the effects of bullying and what it is but also parents.
Since we are human, we are not going to get along with everyone. It is human nature to argue and have different opinions. By informing children and adults about bullying and the emotional and physical effects it can have on people, I believe we are slowly stopping bullying.
Bullying is in no sense ok, but I do believe it should start in the home. Parents must teach their children the correct way to treat other people. However, I don't believe making it a federal offense will stop it.
ReplyDeletePeople commit crimes everyday that are considered illegal, but that stop them from committing it?
I do think it is great that it is being brought to the attention of homes, though. This will give parents a chance to talk to their children and show them the possible outcomes of bullying and the effects it can have on people in the long run.