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

Here's a 30 second anti-bullying commercial currently being played here in Canada. Just goes to show that words can pack a "punch" just as much as hitting, slapping, shoving, pushing and punching.

This video might be lost on some of you, but I hope it gives us pause for thought. I see so many posts on ATS that are vicious and mean spirited. People calling others names, demeaning others and I hear, "You need to grow a thicker skin". I don't want a thick skin, I want others to be kind and gentle with each other, and not harsh. I want to have a tender heart to listen and hear, and yet it seems that is not the way of the world. Maybe I am not one to like those ways, and I can imagine a world where we do take a little more time, listen a little more, and share with gentleness.

Maybe I just don't understand your words, and maybe we need to use different words to get the change we really want to see:



If you want to watch something else amazing see what one woman did to overcome the pain of bullying

To the ones who think people who kill themselves are weak.

To jump from a silo or a cliff takes a certain type of will that is not weakness. People who have not been at that point of needing that much release and staring death in the face do not understand it. Imagine standing in front of a cliff with your body shaking and crying and trying everything to stay alive. The survival mechanism is incredible strong in a human body. The will to even be in control and standing in front of a cliff contemplating your jump while your mind keeps desperately to find reasons to abort is extreme. Those who think jumping to your death is weak willed have no clue at all.

I am not advocating for or against suicide since it is up to every soul to choose it's path and pay whatever Consequences for it.

reply to post by onequestion


I think they should all be taught yoga, martial arts, and have options for other courses, yes self defense would be good, in fact in higher grades, after a general wide open introduction to many things, you should be able to choose your focus.

But bullying has a emotional and core issue harm being dealt, and usually the ones being targetted are more sensitive and not the kind who take up the sword. In addition, self defense laws mean force of equal value.

While most workers go through the busy day unaffected, many around them are being slowly brought down physically and mentally buy this work place disease. This is a real problem that most employers don't know how to deal with. As a person that went through a couple of company mergers I have experienced this myself. The chain of command didn't work. The abusers were all friends and family and now in charge as middle managers. After years of several people being abused daily, and reported instances with no action other than the abused person being reassigned, it was to late. The good employees just seemed to fade away. The final mgt, team that came in after many years was shocked at how long it had been happening. I believe a video such as the one I present to you could have helped stop this hush hush subject. This should be required viewing for employees and students.

reply to post by SadistNocturne


I've read a lot of your posts. I don't like anything you say. You seem to deliberately incite others.

I hope those jerks are locked away for a long time. It takes a lot of harassment to drive someone to suicide. I know. I've been there.

I'm glad this is classified as a felony. It should be.

Painterz
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.

Agreed. This thread is sickening.

reply to post by MysterX


That is the worst kind of victim blaming.

My child was bullied, by both children and teachers. We pulled him out to home school, and went as as moving an hour away to a brand new city, his growth and inner light have amazed us ever since we removed him from the toxic environment.

For those of you who think bullying is just a 'fact of life', would you be proud of your child if he/she
were a bully? Would you try to stop them from being a bully or just ignore it? If your child constantly
bullied, harassed and terrorized another child to the point of suicide, how would you feel then?

Does anyone have any empathy anymore?

boncho
Some kids that are "bullied" are secretly just seeking attention.

I have never encountered such a thing. Every child I know who has been picked on or tormented
hated it and didn't seek it out. Those I know who were bullied even switched schools to make it
stop. That's pretty extreme.

I'll have to go read up on people who want to get bullied. I've never encountered that ....

reply to post by defcon5


"Cyberstalking" There's some Politically Correct BS. Last time I checked my computer had this little thing called a "power switch". When it is in the off position, how can I be "Cyberstalked"? Even if I am on line how can I be "Cyberstalked" unless I go to one of the social media sites? Physical stalking, I can understand charges being brought forth, but, as I said before "Cyberstalking" laws are just BS.

reply to post by MysterX

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?

I was not big enough nor strong enough to stop it when it started. I was at his mercy and he knew it. I tried to stand up to him and I got my ass kicked worse for it. That was when I was 10. When I was 17 it was a whole different story. I grew bigger than him and much stronger. When he came home on leave from the marines he thought he was tough. He thought he was bad because he was a marine. He wasn't. His arms and legs broke and being a marine did not prevent it.

I think maybe before age 10 they should be identified and liquidated. At age 10 you basically become the person you are going to be. So by then being a bully is set. I do not care why they are like that. I have no compassion for whatever they may be going through. It is no excuse and should not be tolerated in any way. The only good bully is a dead one. If parent do not like the idea of having a kid put down like that then they should raise their children better. No excuses, no mercy.

Oh, and yeah I did go to the hospital. He got me down and broke my face. I had 3 fractures from it. He held me on the ground and punched in my face until my face broke. So i broke his. And his arms, and his legs, and a few ribs.

I think it the US bully culture at school thats partly to blame for mass shootings.

Maybe tackle it?

Ok im kinda in the middle on this one.


What happen to the time where people complain on the bully? sisters tell their brothers? daughters tell their dads?

Kids are programmed to a level where they can't complain (snitch) or get harassed further, so they get scared.


Here is where i point at the other side.

Here come the online bullying which in fact the targets fault. Why? the word "Attention whores". People attract unwanted attention and gets criticized to a point where they cant handle. If you put yourself on the stage be prepared to take the heat. Many "online bullying" victim are in fact went out of their ways for something and found something nasty.

Come on, there is a reason why certain people get targeted, just look at their past history on online activity.

Posting how good you are with getting girls/guys? get rdy.

Posting how you did "stuff" with guy? get rdy.

Doing a "show" on webcam views? get rdy.

Posting stuff with someone else's ex? yup.


All these will backfire.

i was big for my age, so i had a pretty good "anti-bully" presence in my school years, but online? of course, even for somethings i wrote without realizing.


Online is where a spineless kid can feel like hulk. with more attention comes many critics.

reply to post by SadistNocturne


When you actively pursue the person in order to bully them yes its a crime. If they just ran into them said something mean and she killed herself that different. Its when a bully starts to actively harass someone that its illegal. Like if they start going to there home or job or waiting outside there class.

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)

There is some truth to your post. However, if the person committed suicide because of being "bullied", then the "bully" played a significant role in the death of another human being, and hence is illegal.

This is not an opinion, this is logic.

So If she killed them instead she'd go to prison, mentally they killed her, murder is murder, on a side-note if I was her, yes I'd be in Prison cause they'd be in caskets. I taught my children the same, don't take no # and kill or be killed...nobody can take any action against my children and not receive cruel and swift retaliation. Also Florida and stand your ground actually could've gotten her off the charges had she killed the two anuses instead of herself.

reply to post by ldyserenity


If people verbally harass you.. you going to kill them? and you taught your kids that?

sick world indeed.

reply to post by JIMC5499

What you're saying makes about as much sense as telling a real world stalking victim that they shouldn't leave their house if they are worried about being stalked. The fact is that she has every right to use electronic media the same as you or I, the folks harassing her DO NOT have the right to do that in any format electronic (even including telephone harassment) or otherwise. What you are saying is that the victim should lose rights because of the harassing activities of a criminal.

In this particular case the stalking was not only electronic, but was also going on at school. I believe that there was also real world physical stalking, harassment, and even battery that had occurred.

Notice that in this case it was “aggravated” stalking?
As the girls doing it were of the same age as their victim, I doubt that is because of section 5 under Florida law, rather I suspect that it was due to section 3. Section 3 states “and makes a credible threat to that person”. That means that the stalker has ability to carry out the threat, which in the case of threatening physical punishment means that they had to be within range of being able to carry out that threat at the time they made it. In other words, some of these threats were being made against her at school.