What do you think the consequence for bullying should be? Should we slap someone on the wrist and say "it's okay, just don't do it again"? Or should we expel them from school for a few days? There are several different ways we could handle it, but I just want to say that, if something isn't done and if we don't acknowledge it, things will never change. There has been a multitude of issues stemming from bullying. Columbine High will always be a reminder of school violence. Innocent lives were taken and the guilty ones took their own. How many school shootings have there been since? What about suicides? What causes these? I believe bullying does. I think that kids who are getting teased or getting beat up are very vulnerable to a multitude of emotions. They may be scared, sad or depressed, angry or resentful. This can lead to a couple of different things.
Suicide is very common among bullied kids. They may not have the ability to cope with it and may get so withdrawn and depressed, that they may feel there is no other way to escape from it. For instance, if someone is getting teased or bullied online it usually involves several people. Then, the child goes to school and gets it there too. Some get nasty text messages. So the child literally can't escape it. How much can a child take before they get to the point of feeling there is not way out but suicide? It's easy for someone who is emotionally strong to say that these kids are just feeling sorry for themselves, and that there are just taking the easy way out. I know from experience that very empty feeling is the worst feeling.
School shootings seem to continue happening. I used to think that bullying or teasing could possibly be the cause of these. It can go both ways. Maybe the shooter is a bully themselves and wants to take it further and end someones life. Or, perhaps the shooter is the one being bullied. I am here to talk about the one that is being bullied. Some will argue that being bullied is no excuse for shooting someone. I agree, but I would like to look into why they might have done it. When someone is being bullied or teased by a certain group of people it can really mess them up. Getting angry and resentful toward the offender is a normal response, but some don't know how to handle it, and they may end up becoming so angry that they just want the bullying to stop, and if it doesn't they may feel the only way to get rid of it is to get rid of the bully. The victim in this situation is both the bully and the one being bullied. But again, no one has the right to take another person's life, no matter what the reason may be.. But you need to ask yourself, "would it have happened if that person wasn't being mistreated?". This is an argument that really has no winner.
No one should EVER have to feel like they need to kill themselves or others to escape being bullied. There needs to be something done. A lot of schools are doing searches for weapons, but not many have a strict policy about bullying. My daughter was just in a position where she got into a little trouble at school and the Asst. principle told her straight out that some people are going to be asking questions and that she may get a little grief for what she did, but he told her if anyone starts teasing her and getting in her face about it she needs to tell him right away. He said they have a zero tolerance for bullying. Unfortunately most kids don't want to say anything, and if they do, some teachers, and sometimes even parents, don't want to address the situation.
I think that if the schools could get some strict policies in place and have experienced counselors on site, it would help a lot. A lot of these children need to have someone to talk to. If they are feeling depressed, make sure they have someone to talk to. Get them as much support as you can. If they are feeling angry and resentful, again make sure they are talking to someone. They need to have a way to divert their anger. Maybe they should be monitored, so than they don't do anything stupid. But jumping the gun and treating them like criminals before the criminal act has even taken place isn't right either. They need help, so make sure they get it.
I am not blaming schools, students, or parents for any of this. I just really believe with all my heart that something needs to be done about bullying. Bullies really need to be punished. Make schools safe, from not only physical violence, but emotional too. It takes a group effort. Parents if you ask your child everyday they come home from school if they bullied anyone, or if anyone bullied them. If the answer is yes to one or both, talk to child. If teachers, or other students for that matter, see something happening, do something about it. Don't just ignore it. It isn't going to go away.
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