BULLIES cited in kids suicide

[Armpit_licker]

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2004/12/03/763183.html

A real sad story out of Strathroy, Ontario. Funny thing was, I watched "Without a Trace" Thursday night, and they dealt with this issue. I didn't think that it was realistic, but apparently it was.

I worked with a lady this past summer who's son was being bullied... he was pushed down a flight of stairs, and they even set him on fire. The bully's parents reactions? "What are we supposed to do with our kid while he's off school for three days?"

Why does there seem to be such extreme negative reaction to bullying these days? Some would say it is because kids are taught not to fight. I'm sure it's not to be encouraged, but there's something to be said for sticking up for yourself. The kid out of Strathroy knew marshall arts, but refused to use it. I remember getting in fights growing up, and immediately after, we were best friends. Fighting lets you get the anger, frustration, and embarrassment out of your system. You've shown how far you can be pushed, set your limits.

Any thoughts?

 

[Armpit_licker]

Errr, double post!🙄

 

[BlackmoonDoll]

That is todays society for you. truely sad 🙁 and it's only going to get worse

 

[Mitchell]

This is a sad and tragic instance. Having been a target of bullying in school from time to time, I know a bit of what this poor boy must have felt. Unfortunately, he resorted to drastic measures which only cost him his life, and shattered his family forever.
When I was in grade school,JR high, and into the first year of high school, I was a thin, scrawny ugly kid. During that period, I was the target of incessant bullying, on the bus, and in school. One time I was ganged up on by a group of bullies, and had my notebook and such ripped all over the floor. Another time I was in woodshop class, and some people pinned me to the floor and waved a toxic paint rag filled with wood stain in my face. At the time, the stupid Vice Principal of the middle school and principal of the High School chalked it off and made nothing out of it. The JR High VP brushing it off to the "boys will be boys theory" As for the paintrag, the moronic principal of the high school, after hearing the offender lie through his teeth that he didnt wave a toxic substance in my face, accused me of lying about the incident, and didnt believe that the paint rag waver could do such a thing because he was on the lacrosse team.
Although I cant ever say that I came close to committing suicide because of any of this, it is demoralizing to have this happen to one each day at school. Interesting part is that in my final year of high school, and into college, I had no bullying problems. I was well liked, and people seemed to behave differently. The school bullying thing is a common problem, and too often school officials like the morons in my schools didnt take it seriously enough. When you have a depressed enough person like that boy, tradegy such as what happened can occur. I blame the officials in that case. They need to take bullying more seriously. School is a tough time of life, with puberty and such, as everyone grows at a different pace. If officals held bullies more accountable and punished them more severely, with long suspensions, or placing them on homebound study, that might help allieviate some of the bullying that goes on in schools.

Mitch

 

[featherfingers]

I was the target of bullies during my elementary school years...I was a quiet kid who was an easy target for assholes who wanted to show off to the girls or prove to the other guys how 'tough' they were. Had I known a martial art I would have had those bullies crying and running home to their mommies. Bullies always seem to pick on the kids that look like they can't defend themselves. Makes the bully look like a bigger sissy than the kid he's picking on. Some of those bullies grow up to be wife beaters or crooks, unless they do some soul searching and feel remorse for their behavior.

 

[Swimmingbird]

I went to school in a Japanese area of L.A. until junior high, then we moved to the midwest my high school years. I was never really the target of bullying, but I definitely experienced some racism in high school. My parents were baffled, they always thought I'd be the target of racism in L.A., simply because I'm more Italian than I am Japanese and because at that period, we were kids. Anyway, I didn't sit quietly through it, I did know martial arts, but still got beat up more than a few times. In my junior and senior years, it practically went away. I always had the suspicion it went away because people found out I was a guitarist, strange if that was the case. Anyway, when I have kids, I will definitely try my best to teach them tolerance and the brotherhood of the human race.

I know kids will be kids, but when someone can't defend themself, or even attempt to, that must weigh heavily on them for years. I never minded a black eye or two, but in drama class I met a lot of kids who wouldn't defend themselves at all, and I also met kids who were bullied, than turned around and bullied the smaller kids. I tried to stick up for people, but even then, I never knew how they felt about someone else fighting their battles for them, especially because I was a skinny guy in high school. Like to call myself slender now. 😎

 

[dman68]

That is so horrible

Everything you guys were saying about bullies is absolutely horrible. I can't believe the schools let them get away with that. I was lucky, our school was extremely strict on bullying and hazing and the kid would receive automatic suspensions or possibly expulsions.

I remember when I was a freshman in high school, a bunch of the football players and cheerleaders werecaught in a McDonald's forcing girls to take their bra off and throw it on the wall or something to that extent. The cheerleaders were thrown off the squad and I believe the football players were too.

At the time I was a freshman football player, I can say that the coaches were baffled. For weeks they had been telling us to look up to the football players on the varsity team because we would be there some day. And then this happened and they just started telling us to be smart.

This bullying just sickens me and I think there should be more police involvement in school these days. More than just one cop who doesn't care about what goes on at least.

 

[featherfingers]

This one guy who had an ego the size of Mount Rushmore tried to screw with my car back in the high school days. I tried to start my car and it wouldn't turn over. Here comes 'Johnny Bravo' who opens the hood and just happens to find the problem in two seconds. I knew it was him who messed with it to begin with because he had this smirk on his face. A Guardian Angel friend must have been watching because two or three days later, 'Johnny' tries to start his car and guess what? His car won't turn over either. What does he do? He begins yelling and screaming, "Who the %#&* messed with my car?! How can people be such jerks?!!" I guess he doesn't like taking his own medicine. I still don't know who did that to his car, but I'd still like to thank them.

 

[Armpit_licker]

A great pic to go along with this..

http://nechako.cmsd.bc.ca/davidq.html

 

[featherfingers]

A great pic to go along with this..

http://nechako.cmsd.bc.ca/davidq.html

I hope the kid who drew and wrote all of that stuff has a positive influence on his classmates and people in his life in general.

 

[He-Man]

Had I known a martial art I would have had those bullies crying and running home to their mommies. Bullies always seem to pick on the kids that look like they can't defend themselves.

I hear ya. I actually did know martial arts at the time I was picked on (fourth grade was the year I was picked on the most) and there was more than one time I wanted to kick the asses of a few kids who'd pick on me..unfortunately, worrying about what would happen if I did (for example if I'd get suspended for fighting or something)kept me from fighting back...and of course the teachers and principal never did SHIT!😡

So I made a choice that summer...two choice, actually. I started praciticing with 200 % effort in karate class...and also decided that if some kid gave me trouble again, I'd kick his/her ass if they went too far...and the f*ck with it if kicking their ass got me suspended or expelled. The ones that picked on me seemed to only stop once they realized I was ready to let my fists meet their faces.

Defending yourself from bullies seems like it's harder now..well, it would be if I was still in highschool...even the good kids get in trouble if they fight..doesn't even matter who started it.

Maybe instead of a "zero tolerance" policy, they should have a "bullied students are allowed to kick the bully's ass till the dumbasses stop harrassing others" policy

 

[bellystrokes]

I think it was a few years that I read a boy in elementary school was being expelled, psychoanalyzed etc for creating a list of kids he wanted to kill. Many parents and teachers were very worried and upset. But the article also stated how this young boy had been teased and picked on but nothing about how those children were being discplined or how their parents were being asked to teach their children manners. As far as I am concerned, the adults involved have learned nothing over the years and have done nothing to help save a child or prevent future problems.

 

[jugner]

It's weird, I feel bad, but many people have dealt with this, and have got through it just fine, so who do you really blame? It's easy to say the bullies, but some can handle it just fine.

 

[tactillianlover]

I think part of it is pecking order...whether
kittens or bulls or man, there will always
be those who shove and those who move with the flow.

However there is a point where shove becomes
uncivilized, and in our civilization ,that
is the point where tolerence should
be put in the hip pocket.


By my sons seventh b-day, He knew fighting is a
last resort. He new avoiding fights, diffusing
fights, that there are bullies you could
get the best of in a fight and the bully may
still come back another day, fights that led to
friendship, everyone deserves
a fresh start occasionally, when your sorely
overmatched and in danger, Jackie chan's the limit.

 

[tactillianlover]

Exuse me - I left out the fight or flight option.

flight is a reasonable exit plan other than violence.

fight is when you are in danger- back to the wall or
thoughts unclear due to immediate physical
threat or injury .