Bullying in school

• elbuckeye28

  The problem with bullying these days is that it does not just end when the student leaves school or the setting that the bullying takes place. With the increasing popularity of social networking and other internet sites, students can be bullied at all hours of the day and rumors can be spread to a whole sub-group of individuals in seconds.
  
  I get tired of hearing people say that children have become "weak" and what not. Whereas students a generation or two ago got bullied at school (pushed around, called names, etc.) students today get that same treatment then go home and see stuff posted to them and/or about them on Facebook and Twitter. Not to mention, the non-interpersonal nature of cyber-bullying likely allows individuals to say more extreme and hurtful things without regards to the true consequences of their words and actions. Besides, in addition to the internet making bullying easier and more prevalent, it also makes us more aware of these nationwide stories that we wouldn't have readily been able to access.
• bigdaddy2003

  

  elbuckeye28;787658 wrote:The problem with bullying these days is that it does not just end when the student leaves school or the setting that the bullying takes place. With the increasing popularity of social networking and other internet sites, students can be bullied at all hours of the day and rumors can be spread to a whole sub-group of individuals in seconds.
  
  I get tired of hearing people say that children have become "weak" and what not. Whereas students a generation or two ago got bullied at school (pushed around, called names, etc.) students today get that same treatment then go home and see stuff posted to them and/or about them on Facebook and Twitter. Not to mention, the non-interpersonal nature of cyber-bullying likely allows individuals to say more extreme and hurtful things without regards to the true consequences of their words and actions. Besides, in addition to the internet making bullying easier and more prevalent, it also makes us more aware of these nationwide stories that we wouldn't have readily been able to access.

  
  Embarrassing yes but suicide worthy? Nah.
• elbuckeye28

  Heelz;787642 wrote:Its just more pussification of America. Everything is geared toward as non violent as possible, Taking away dodgeball not allowing you to make cuts in sports so you dont get your feelings hurt. and making the kickballs out of foam now hell taking gym out of some schools and replacing it with Wii Fit. WTF? They are even taking pinata's and making so you dont hit it anymore you pull the strings on the a little door and the candy falls out. We are becoming a nation of fat, lazy pussy's who for the most part dont have any control over kids. If I hear a mom count to 3 ten times in WalMart to a screaming kid im gonna lose it.
  
  I dont see a thread fail, I see a thread that obviously some people have opinions on and would like to discuss it.

  
  Except those lazy and fat parents were raised in a generation where they were allowed to participate in all of the activities you're arguing that, because they are being taken away, are hurting and making this generation weak. It is somewhat of a fallacy to blame the problems of this generation on the environment that is being perpetuated of the previous generation(their parents), when they grew up is the antithesis of this current problematic environment
• Thread Bomber

  

  A few years ago, my boy was being picked on at school by a group of kids. Talking to the principal was no help. It only made it worse. I told the boy to defend himself.
  
  Eventually, It came to a head when on of the kids tripped him in the hall. A shoving match ensued, and a teacher saw the whole thing. My son was given a 2 Saturday detention for retaliating.
  
  When this happened again, my boy went apeshit on these 3 kids. Again a teacher saw the whole thing. By the time the teacher had got to the scene to intervene, My son had bloodied one of the kids noses, Kicked one of them in the balls, and had the third one in a headlock, raming his head in the locker.
  
  Even though the teacher saw the events unfold and explained that my boy was defending himself, The principal tried to expell my son for the last 3 weeks of the semester. (this was retracted quickly when my lawyer contacted the Superintendant) Total 1-1/2 day suspension.
  
  The other boys were given only three days suspension and their parents threatened to sue me. I dared them to and they never followed through. One of them had the balls to send me a dentist bill. I called them and threatened to kick their asses.
  
  My son was in 8th grade when this happened, and never had a problem after that.... Go figure.
• elbuckeye28

  bigdaddy2003;787665 wrote:Embarrassing yes but suicide worthy? Nah.

  
  Well obviously, but that usually is the case with suicide in general. The problem is, we are judging these situations from a somewhat "normal" state and perspective. Those that commit suicide are rarely processing information from this normal state and do not have the perspective that we have. Not to mention, we are talking about adolescents here. Adolescence is a time in one's where decision-making is less than ideal and emotional state is quite volatile, even for the most psychologically healthy individual.
• fan_from_texas

  elbuckeye28;787682 wrote:Well obviously, but that usually is the case with suicide in general. The problem is, we are judging these situations from a somewhat "normal" state and perspective. Those that commit suicide are rarely processing information from this normal state and do not have the perspective that we have. Not to mention, we are talking about adolescents here. Adolescence is a time in one's where decision-making is less than ideal and emotional state is quite volatile, even for the most psychologically healthy individual.

  
  Exactly--a normal, healthy adult wouldn't commit suicide over bullying. But emotionally vulnerable adolescents are not good decisionmakers and lack the long-term thinking skills to process this stuff appropriately.
• Steel Valley Football

  The thread starter knows it all already - no need to waste your time, elbuckeye.
• Tobias Fünke

  

  I went to a Catholic elementary school where the extremely conservative parents on the school board went nuts about bullying. It got to the point where us boys as grade schoolers couldn't tease each other. Someone forgot to inform the administration that the majority of the time two kids are rippin on each other, and they're both smiling and laughing, it's not bullying. Fucking nuns and their ridiculous authority hahah
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Tobias Fünke;787727 wrote:I went to a Catholic elementary school where the extremely conservative parents on the school board went nuts about bullying. It got to the point where us boys as grade schoolers couldn't tease each other. Someone forgot to inform the administration that the majority of the time two kids are rippin on each other, and they're both smiling and laughing, it's not bullying. Fucking nuns and their ridiculous authority hahah

  
  hahahaaaaa. fuck.
• bigdaddy2003

  

  Steel Valley Football;787722 wrote:The thread starter knows it all already - no need to waste your time, elbuckeye.

  
  Did I say that I knew everything? Negative. So please reply to my last question. What is happening these days that is so bad?
• Heelz

  

  bigdaddy2003;787743 wrote:Did I say that I knew everything? Negative. So please reply to my last question. What is happening these days that is so bad?

  
  One thing that could help push kids toward nowdays ( like someone else said) all of the technology. All of the bullying happening used to end at the bell, but now they go home and its everywhere. I don't think that its suicide worthy at all, kids just dont know how to deal with all of the shit that comes with growing up.
• Heelz

  

  elbuckeye28;787670 wrote:Except those lazy and fat parents were raised in a generation where they were allowed to participate in all of the activities you're arguing that, because they are being taken away, are hurting and making this generation weak. It is somewhat of a fallacy to blame the problems of this generation on the environment that is being perpetuated of the previous generation(their parents), when they grew up is the antithesis of this current problematic environment

  
  ok, noted.
  
  What I'm trying to say is that we are starting to become weak and instead of teaching our kids to stand up for themselves they are taught to just get slapped around and head home to hit the video games. I dont think that fighting is the 1st option but after talking to an adult and all those rounds are made nothing gets done at some point its time to act. All the active things that kids use to do are slowly fading.
• Websurfinbird

  

  I think the main theme running through this thread is that much of today's bullying is psychological (and perpetuated through Facebook, texting, etc.) and IMO a lot more damaging than physical bullying (not that getting pummeled by someone is nothing).
  
  Also, I'd wonder if the fact that more kids are on antidepressants and what not if that contributes to an increased number of suicides.
  
  I will also agree that perhaps some young people are a bit oversensitive and perhaps just an attentive parent or caregiver would have helped them work things out in a less tragic way.
  
  That said there are still cases where bullying does go too far. The Rutgers case comes to mind. (Which I know is an old story by now).
  
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/29/dharun-revi-molly-wei-charged_n_743539.html
  
  Update
  
  http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/23/us-crime-student-idUSTRE74M46F20110523
• End of Line

  

  I was bullied a lot during middle school. The one day I stood up for myself it all stopped, granted I was suspended for 5 days.
  
  Kids just need to stand up for themselves and put an end to it.
• Rotinaj

  

  The_Crosby_Show;787793 wrote:I was bullied a lot during middle school. The one day I stood up for myself it all stopped, granted I was suspended for 5 days.
  
  Kids just need to stand up for themselves and put an end to it.

  
  What about the kids that stand up for themselves and get the shit kicked out of them for it? I'm willing to bet that happens far more than your story.
• End of Line

  

  Rotinaj;787809 wrote:What about the kids that stand up for themselves and get the shit kicked out of them for it? I'm willing to bet that happens far more than your story.

  
  True.
• I Wear Pants

  Belly35;787634 wrote:If being suspended or explulsion is what is holding some back from standing up for themself then they should be picked on.
  Being suspended or expelled a few day fom school was right of passage ............ in my time.
  
  Bullying can go a different path: You can be a bully and defend the under dog cool kid in school so he or she will not be picked on ( done that) is that wrong?

  Belly, the problem is that you can get a very permanent black mark on your record if you stand up for yourself with the stupid "no tolerance" policies. No tolerance really means "we're too fucking lazy to actually make decisions on a case by case basis and would rather just make blanked decisions.
  
  But honestly you can't stop it because there are always douchebags and they are always the bullies. Because the people that think it's cool to gang up (usually groups of bullies) on the weakest kids in the school are the biggest losers there. To think that is cool you've got to have something wrong with you. Really they should offer some sort of basic MMA type stuff in gym or in afterschool programs if kids want to learn it since to me it's an important thing. Not only for being able to defend yourself better but because of the confidence and character that comes along with it.
  
  Bas sums up what I mean perfectly in the first few minutes of this video:
  [video=youtube;zCSXIeZgU4k][/video]
• FatHobbit

  

  Rotinaj;787809 wrote:What about the kids that stand up for themselves and get the shit kicked out of them for it? I'm willing to bet that happens far more than your story.

  
  All I had to do was fight back. I didn't have to win, I just made sure they knew if they messed with me I was going to leave a mark. (I weighed 105 lbs when I was a freshman and 120 as a senior, so I wasn't going to win too many fights.) The first time I got in a fight, the teacher wouldn't believe it because I never caused any trouble. The second time there was nobody else around. The third time I got a 1 day in school suspension, but everybody left me alone after that.
• DeyDurkie5

  

  How about stop bullying younger kids? Seems like a simple concept to me
• Glory Days

  

  elbuckeye28;787658 wrote:The problem with bullying these days is that it does not just end when the student leaves school or the setting that the bullying takes place. With the increasing popularity of social networking and other internet sites, students can be bullied at all hours of the day and rumors can be spread to a whole sub-group of individuals in seconds.
  
  I get tired of hearing people say that children have become "weak" and what not. Whereas students a generation or two ago got bullied at school (pushed around, called names, etc.) students today get that same treatment then go home and see stuff posted to them and/or about them on Facebook and Twitter. Not to mention, the non-interpersonal nature of cyber-bullying likely allows individuals to say more extreme and hurtful things without regards to the true consequences of their words and actions. Besides, in addition to the internet making bullying easier and more prevalent, it also makes us more aware of these nationwide stories that we wouldn't have readily been able to access.

  
  the bullying can easily end when the kids go home. no reason for children to have facebook pages and cell phones. and those can easily be monitored by parents. and no true consequences to their words? why arent the kids that are getting cyber bullied on facebook kicking the other kid's ass in school the next morning?
  
  its easy to make excuses instead of taking action.
• elbuckeye28

  Glory Days;788022 wrote:the bullying can easily end when the kids go home. no reason for children to have facebook pages and cell phones. and those can easily be monitored by parents. and no true consequences to their words? why arent the kids that are getting cyber bullied on facebook kicking the other kid's ass in school the next morning?
  
  its easy to make excuses instead of taking action.

  
  Yes, the parents can take away facebook, IM serivces, cell phones, and email, but all that might do is isolate the child from the world more. Also, much of the cyber-bullying involves students making facebook pages, writing blogs, etc. making fun of an individual where all students can see these comments, rumors, photos etc. I am sure that many students do fight back, but I would venture a guess that many of the students that get picked on are easier targets because they won't fight back.
• I Wear Pants

  ccrunner609;788108 wrote:bullying has been around since man crawled from the muck.....its not going away either. Its human nature to create a pecking order. Every animals/plant/organism on this planet does this. THe human being has evolved just enough to be aware that this is going on but not enough to move past it.
  
  What we call "bullying" still serves a purpose in creating our human condition.

  Did you just suggest bullying is a good thing? It isn't.
  
  And everyone realizes that no one or no program is going to rid the world of bullying. But that doesn't mean we can't discourage it and show that it isn't cool an take steps to prevent it.
  
  We aren't going to end forest fires but that doesn't mean Smokey should stop telling everyone to be responsible with their cigarette butts and such.
• Mulva

  

  I don't get cyber bullying. Can't you block people on Facebook?
• bigdaddy2003

  

  Mulva;788144 wrote:I don't get cyber bullying. Can't you block people on Facebook?

  
  Yes you can.
• I Wear Pants

  ccrunner609;788123 wrote:no I didnt suggest it was good. I said its human nature and we are never going to see it go away.

  Well yeah, but doesn't mean we should just accept it. I'm sure you see a bundle of it in your profession.