We need tough new anti-school bullying laws

Bullying in schools should not be tolerated. It should be repressively punished, and kids who are bullied should have the right to defend themselves when they are violently attacked. In fact, if it were up to me, I'd make provision such that kids who are being bullied should be able to launch retaliatory attacks upon the school bully; that way they can hit back against the bully first, before the bully hurts someone.

But make no mistake about it, I think that school bullies should be thrown out of school. Expelled. Given the heave ho. Goodbye. Gone. I'd also like to see their parents sued or possibly face criminal charges themselves. Repeat bullies should be not only permanently expelled, but thrown in jail. I won't apologize. I want their lives ruined. No education. No future. There aren't enough jobs to go around anyway.

Although I agree with much of what you say

Christians to be able to bully gays and others they deem not worthy.

Sho nuff!!

I want civility classes taught in schools... or whatever it's called. Save the laws for parents.

You can't always single out one bully.

Civility to one another needs to be required teaching from the earliest years and carried through to high school. It helps one grow into an accountable and productive adult.

A bit dramatic, no?

we have laws against assault. we have laws against making threats.

"bullying laws" will thus be either overbroad, or redundant

the schools of course can take administrative actions for stuff that does not even rise to the level of criminality. for example, being verbally abusive isn't illegal, but schools can punish name calling and such.

That's not a popular stance here.

Ruin a kid or possibly his parents because of what could possibly have been a mistake. Kids learn from mistakes. Now, I'm opposed to bullying, don't get me wrong. The tone of your post sounds so overzealous. To say you want a kids life ruined is a little bit over the top. As a recently retired military guy that was on recruiting duty, I've seen plenty of lives ruined by regrettable mistakes, whether it was a joint, an ass grab, or a fight that was blown out of proportion. If I weren't put on recruiting duty, I'd of had no idea, how punishments that seem just can screw a kid for life. I will agree that repeat bullies should be expelled or go to school in an alternative system, but it sounds like a bad experience is possibly clouding your judgement.

You punish them every time and you don't allow other kids to hit back. You train them just like puppies.

everybody thinks that the solution to every problem is that "there oughta be a law"...most often there already are laws.

If someone assaults you there's a law.

If someone threatens you there's a law.

If someone blackmails you there's a law.

If someone vandalizes your property there's a law.

If someone steals your property there's a law.

If someone slanders or libels you there's a law.

That pretty much covers all the things a bully can do to you.

Outside of that, toughen up and get over it - I'd rather have a First Amendment than live in a nanny-state thank you very much.

Laws that apply to adults. We're talking about kids in school. Those laws don't apply...yet.

It wouldn't hurt to start teaching civility to kids (at school) in preparation for the reality of real life adult expectations in a civilized society.

I feel strongly that schools should be 'bully-free zones'. Children deserve a safe school environment. Fear is not conducive to learning.

A lesson in actions and consequences for bullies--->> One free warning, followed by a series of increasingly costly tickets should be effective to curb the bullying. If tickets and fines don't put a stop to the bad behavior, then the bully is clearly in need of discipline outside of a public school system and more than likely on the fast track to prison when he turns 18. That kid has no business and no right to stay in the public school system if his main objective is to torment and disrupt.

What ever happened to 'juvie'? Send the bullies there.

TYY

How many parents of bullied kids ever actually call the police and/or file charges against the bullies? Damn few, it seems, from what I've read and heard. Why the hell not? These are CRIMES that are taking place, and crimes should be reported to the police.

...and how they apply to bullying in schools. In total, there are only 15 states with formal laws on the books that address bullying.

Of those 15 states, there are currently only 6 states that encourage individuals to report incidents of bullying to actual 'authorities', but not as a first line approach. They want you to exhaust other in-school avenues first, such as reports to the principle and arbitration.

Although there is an increased awareness and advances in proposed legislation specific to cyber bullying, the state laws primarily encourage improved education among staff and students. Some states encourage implementation of a prevention program focused on encouraging employee training programs but don't include involving law enforcement unless there is extreme physical injury involved. Or weapons, bomb threats, etc.

Parents can bring lawsuits, but that's always been an option. Parents can also request a restraining order.

Get this--->> As states are now working harder to pass anti-bullying laws in response to cyber bullying, GOP lawmakers are working hard to exclude gay students from the protection of those bills. Aaarghh.

If you feel that my research is incorrect or outdated, please feel free to provide updated information.

TYY

That would solve the problem immediately.

It appears to me to be something else for lawyers to make a pile of money off of already cash-strapped school districts or rather their insurance companies.

"Bullying" is often in the eye of the beholder.

It's pretty good.

http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/

But teachers and support staff need to be consistent, and constantly evaluate & adjust to the needs of the students. You can't start something with all the "bells and whistles," and then forget about it. I have to say that our school is doing a pretty good job with this. Is anyone else here familiar with this program?

The cycle of violence is strong with this authoritarian.

I would suggest boxing and self defense courses be taught as part of the Phys Ed curriculum.

is also punished the same as the attacker, so the principal won't have to "figure out" who instigated the situation. Even worse, if the bully has a friend or two who will say the victim threw the first punch, it's even more certain that the victim will be punbished for being attacked.

Part of the problem is that by 8th or 9th grade a lot of boys are big enough and mean enough to be scary to the teachers and administrators, and they know that if they try to control the kids, they are subject to lawsuits.

Once when he was in seventh grade, my very slender son and his even shorter, thinner friend were being slammed up against the wall by a couple of burly ninth graders. My son told me that he saw a teacher start around the corner and freeze the moment he realized what was going on, and then the teacher hurried back the way he came!

I had to seriously threaten lawsuits and major publicity to get them to do anything about the bullying. I am articulate and aggressive enough that they took me at my word and finally made an effort to ensure my son and his friend were not bullied any more. But I am quite sure other bullying continued that I was not informed about.

My son is 30 years old now, so this is what was going on in 1991!

Sorry I couldn't resist. I've done much worse. :toast:

3rd grade? 4th grade? 5th grade?

What age should we make the final determination that these kids should become part of a permanent underclass?

It's a stupid idea.

I'll go with 5th grade.

At that age the schools and government should step in and decide because of the kid's actions that from that moment forward they should have their life forcibly ruined. That is ridiculous. Talk about bullying.

I'm guess you aren't entering this conversation from a rational place.

I was bullied. I kicked some dude in the balls. They left me alone after that.

a gang of girls..they were called "cholos" used to harrass me day after day trying to trip me down the halls. One day I snapped and grapped one of the girl's big hair and pulled her head down while I upcutted my closed fist into her fact at the same time. They all scattered after that. This girl had a gangbanger boyfriend and I thought for sure I was dead.

Never happened. I was left alone after that. Her boyfriend nodded at me in the halls daily after that. I guess if I was crazy enough to hit a girl, lord knows what I would do to a guy!

I know you shouldn't hit girls, but these young women were asking for it after months of assault and harrassment. I was picked on because I was fat.

I cannot continue be the 'bad cop' in my building. And by bad cop, I mean I'm the one who tells students to stop running, hitting, kicking, etc., while other around me are afraid to get their hands dirty or draw the ire of administration. You find a way to change that, a lot of bullying would simply disappear.

program developed by a Canadian in 1996 called Roots of Empathy. It has been proven to reduce levels of aggression in children by increasing empathy and it does so by having mothers or fathers bring babies into elementary school classes.

snip

It's an classroom parenting program which fosters development of empathy in elementary school children by helping children learn to identify and label feelings and recognize the emotions of others and in so doing reduces levels of bullying, aggression and violence.

snip

There is an inverse relationship between empathy and aggression. As levels of empathy rise, violence and aggression decrease. When children are able to understand another's point of view and respect their feelings, agressive behaviour is less likely to occur. This has a direct impact on bullying and future levels of family and societal violence.


http://www.district6.nbed.nb.ca/programs/dhac/roe/



http://www.rootsofempathy.org/

If every kid is armed, then schools will be a safer place.

:sarcasm: