...Bullying Laws Worsen the Cause “Strict Anti-bullying Laws Could Actually Make Matters Worse” reports that “Following the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, an event blamed partly on the bullying of the two shooters, 48 states enacted strict anti-bullying laws…Despite such an aggressive approach, however, the problem has not disappeared.” The United States’ battle against bullying has been ineffective, even though anti-bullying laws have been enacted. As school personnel, researchers, and parents can understand, the solution to bullying does not pertain to anti-bullying laws. Instead, schools should rely more on effective ways to stop all cases of bullying, such as prevention programs, policies, rules, and research supported remedies. Using...
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...Cyber Bullying: Reviewing Washington State Law RCW 28A.300.285 Christopher Hinton American Military University Learning institutions require an environment that is conducive to learning and nurtures the absorption of knowledge. Moreover, children require a safe and secure space in order to learn and interact with their peers in a healthy, fit and supportive way. The foregoing cannot be achieved when activities involving bullying and harassment are tolerated and allowed to foster in an institution. The enactment of laws to control and manage the issue of harassment and school bullying is therefore an essential tool to stop these actions from occurring at schools. Law is a critical element when it comes to remedying the problems being faced by society. The importance of this law is also evident in the fact that children need to be protected since their future livelihood depends largely on the environment they are subjected to on a daily basis. Secure and civil surroundings in school are indispensable needs for pupils to pursue education and attain a high level of academic success. Moreover harassment, threats, or maltreatment, like other disrupting or aggressive manners, is a demeanor that interferes with both a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to instruct and teach its students in a protected environment. In addition, students learn and understand by example. It is therefore important to ensure that what children learn in school is not subjecting...
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...Federal Government Prevention of Bullying We have all heard the words; the words that tear us down and break us apart. A person can only bend so far before they break. No one is immune to it, we are all capable of bullying. By no means is bullying right; often times the repercussions of being bullied are devastating. Although there is no Federal law currently in place to prevent bullying, there are discrimination and harassment laws and many states have anti-bullying laws; there is hope for the Federal government to follow suit in enacting anti-bullying laws. Bullying in the United States is continuing to get expand, but the awareness of bullying is also increasing. There are several ideas of what exactly bullying is. The most common definition of bullying is “purposeful attempts to control another person through verbal abuse - which can be in the tone of voice or in content such as teasing or threats.” Sometimes the verbal abuse turns into physical abuse. Bullying is not limited to just schools; bullying is taking place in workplaces, homes, nursing homes and even in the military ("Why do People Bully?"). Research has proven that bullying happens more frequently in the middle school age years than any other school years (“New ways to stop bullying”). Over 160,000 children stay home from school every day in fear of being bullied (“Bullying and Suicide”). Seven percent of eight grade students stay home at least one day a month due to continued bullying and harassment by other students...
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...The Need for Enhanced Anti-Bullying Laws and School Programs Lisa Aparicio Saint Joseph’s College The Need for Enhanced Anti-Bullying Laws and School Programs Bullying was traditionally considered rites of passage, something all children and youth must go through. This is a myth. In today’s violent growing society, bullying has been responsible for several acts of non-punishable crimes. The lack of attention to implementing and enforcing anti-bullying state laws, and funding anti-bullying school programs, is only making this problem worse. There is not enough being done to help prevent bullying, and the reason behind this is merely because, not enough is being enforced by our government and schools systems. There are those who believe that enforcing and creating anti-bullying laws are somewhat of a psychological Greek tragedy. There are those who believe that “When we advocate for laws against bullying, we declare the failure of psychology to solve the problem” (Kalman, 2010). They fail to realize that the lives of victims can’t be relied on the “slight chance” of psychology solving the problem. The truth of the matter is, there are people committing suicide and/or thinking about it, because of day to day bullying. It’s going to take more than just trusting psychology to do its magic. Anti-bullying laws have been claimed to be placed in almost every state in the U.S. However, after going through several of the state laws shown in the State School Healthy...
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...Bullying and cyberbullying cases have been increasing each year. The number of suicides related to bullying has increased as well. I have always been interested in the school’s liability in bullying cases. I have also wanted to know how responsible the courts held the bully for the victim’s emotional distress, or death. With these inquisitive thoughts, I continued to question whether or not the bullying laws actually protected the recipient of the bullying, or if they were put in place to not hold schools or districts responsible for the suffering these children went through. In my research I have found there is no federal law that addresses bullying directly. However, schools have an obligation to resolve the harassment, majority of bullying concerns aren’t adequately resolved. Sometimes the bullying escalates after the bully is reprimanded for their actions. When families feel the issue hasn’t been resolved and/or the bullying has worsened, they are able to file a lawsuit against the school or school district. Although there aren’t any federal laws against bullying, there are instances in which bullying overlaps with discrimination which are covered under federal civil rights laws. These laws are enforced by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice. Whether it the harassment is referred to as bullying, hazing, or teasing, schools are obligated to provide a safe learning environment for all students. This is to be done regardless of race...
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...Bullying has become such a major problem within our education system that we have to result to anti bullying laws and criminal punishment just to try and save our children from this horrific and cruel act. Students’ right to learn in a safe and secure environment without fear has been destroy, because of this act. Bullying once thought of as harmless behavior, and seen as kids just being kids has now evolved into explosive tragedy in some cases. This horrendous act is such a widespread problem, that students are ready to go up against the government in order to get harsher punishment enforced in the school system. In a research article by Morais, C. (2012), two specific questions were asked that helped guide the course of study. First, were the actions of the teen warranted of a felony charge, because in the state of Massachusetts where this article is referenced from. The two crimes that the teens committed if they were tried as an adult would carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. So what age limit that an adolescent can no longer be tried in the juvenile court? Second, should the status of the victim weigh-in on the punishment? Case in-point, the victim ultimately committed suicide from the constant badgering and tormenting. The focus of this article case study was on the torture that 15-year-old Phoebe Prince was subjected to from her high school classmates. This young lady was stalked and harassed by fellow students for an excessive period of time. Feeling of isolation...
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...Bullying in Schools: Can It Be Stopped? Even though schools face cost issues in education of staff and anti-bullying enforcement, bullying is a serious problem that is not being properly addressed. With the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado, where on April 20, 1999 two students started a massacre where 12 students and one teacher were killed, and suicides in multiple places, it’s clear that bullying causes tragedies. All of the events, in some way, are related to bullying. In recent years, there has been more media coverage of incidences of bullying and its repercussions. There was a girl in Massachusetts named Phoebe Prince that after being bullied for months went home after school on January 14, 2010 and committed suicide by hanging herself. She just couldn’t take it anymore. Prior to this, the school where she went did little in the ways of anti-bullying education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, “In 2007, about 32 percent of 12- to 18-year-old students reported having been bullied at school during the school year and 4 percent reported having been cyber-bullied”(“Indicator 11”). Our children are dying due to being bullied at school. My own children have gone through being bullied at school. My twelve-year-old was bullied to the point of being physically injured. As a parent, I find this unacceptable. The following graph shows these numbers: Figure 11.1. Percentage of students ages...
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...What is bullying? Bullying defined Bullying is a repeated aggressive behavior where one person (or group of people) in a position of power deliberately intimidates, abuses, or coerces an individual with the intention to hurt that person physically or emotionally. Acts of bullying can be physical or verbal. Many young people can be unkind to each other during adolescence as they refine social skills and grow into adults. While these interactions are unpleasant, there is a clear line between conflict and bullying. Incidents of bullying must include all 3 of these characteristics: 1) Intentional- the behavior was aggressive and a deliberate attempt to hurt another person 2) Repeated- these aggressive actions occur repeatedly over time to the same person or group of people 3) Power imbalance- the person bullying has more physical or social power than the child or children being bullied Bullying almost always takes an emotional toll upon the child being bullied, but the actions that constitute bullying vary. There are four types of bullying, which can occur separately or simultaneously: 1) Physical bullying such as kicking or pushing 2) Verbal bullying such as name-calling or yelling 3) Relational bullying such as excluding or rumor-spreading 4) Cyberbullying which involves sending hurtful messages over digital devices like computers and cell phones. Cyberbullying continues to increase as digital media become more prevalent...
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...initiation in fraternity and includes a comprehensive comparative analysis of feasible solution to stop fraternity in school. B. Objectives 1: To know the effects of fraternity in a person. 2: To make a solution about fraternity. 3: To enforce the law about fraternity. C. Hypothesis 1: If every school has a program against fraternity hood then the case of joining fraternity will be lessen. 2: If the school institution are not aware of having fraternity gang it will stay as a big problem of school and of course the student who are the victim of this case. 3: If the parents and school institution help to the implementation law about compulsory joining of some students in fraternity and discipline to every student then the student will be aware to the consequence of joining into this brotherhood. C. Scope and Delimination This study shall focus on fraternity which is the cause of destroying the education and lives of every student who are suffering in this worst form of brotherhood. It shall also present the law against compulsory recruiting and this study and also promote or present the difference program against joining or compulsory recruiting of students in fraternities in every school institution . Much of this data shall be on its safe official page that is made and pilot by the...
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...Bullying Info and Facts Defining Bullying Behavior What is bullying? At first glance, it might appear that this behavior is easy to define. A common image of bullying might be of a physically intimidating boy beating up a smaller classmate or of one child shoving another inside a hallway locker. While that is still considered bullying, it's important to know that bullying behaviors can be much more complex and varied than historical stereotypes. For example, while some bullying is physical and easy to recognize, bullying can also occur quietly and covertly, through gossip or on a smart phone or the internet, causing emotional damage. As a starting point, there are elements that are included in most definitions of bullying. Although definitions vary from source to source, most agree that an act is defined as bullying when: * The behavior hurts, humiliates, or harms another person physically or emotionally. * Those targeted by the behavior have difficulty stopping the action directed at them, and struggle to defend themselves. * There is also a real or perceived “imbalance of power,” which is described as when the student with the bullying behavior has more “power,” either physically, socially, or emotionally, such as a higher social status, or is physically larger or emotionally intimidating. Many definitions also include: * The types of Bullying: The behavior can be overt and direct, with physical behaviors, such as fighting, hitting or name calling, or it...
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...Running Head: Juvenile Justice Juvenile Justice Case Law Capella University PSF5372 - History of the Juvenile Justice System Introduction Approximately 12, 8-10 year old children commit suicide every year because they are victims of bullying, whereas 1.3 million children a year bully others. Recent incidents of school violence have brought bullying to the nation’s attention in a dramatic way. Research shows that approximately 30% of teens in the United States either bully, are targets of bullying, or both (National Youth, n.d.). Some bullies attack their targets physically, which can mean anything from shoving or tripping to punching or hitting, or even sexual assault. Others use psychological control or verbal insults to put themselves in charge (Hurst, 2005). Two of the main reasons people are bullied are because of appearance and social status. Bullies pick on the people they think don't fit in, maybe because of how they look, how they act (for example, kids who are shy and withdrawn), their race or religion, or because the bullies think their target may be gay or lesbian. One of the cases associated with bullying is that of Megan Taylor Meier (November 6, 1992 – October 17, 2006) an American teenager from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, who had committed suicide by hanging three weeks before her fourteenth birthday. Meier attended Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Dardenne Prairie, with a uniform and policy against makeup and jewelry that the Meier’s...
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...teenagers putting their lives at risk because of bullying. Bullying can lead a person to commit suicide, and become under pressure causing them to release there’s feeling by bullying. First, research has shown that children who are bullied often experience low self- esteem, depression, feeling of loneliness, and difficulty making friends. Students who bully are likely to have poor grades, smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and commit crimes. For example, the percentages of students who has been bullied are ages 12-18 experience low self-esteem, and feeling not safe around others causing depression. Second, females who are bullied suggest that there are three different type of adolescent female’s aggression: relational, indirect and social. Example of relation aggression include damage or the threat of damage to a relationship, friendship or group inclusion; ignoring someone to punish or get ones way; and using negative body language or facial expressions. One of the quotes that the author uses is “Children who are bullied often suffer from depression and low self- esteem well into adulthood” Third, an opposing view of the article is that adults wants to make bullying a law basically which means that bullying won’t be aloud anymore. If bullying does become a law it some people will end up braking the law. For example, if you do bully someone then you can go to jail or there will be a fine that will be appointed with law. Police officers will have to end up taking little...
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...Bullying in Schools Patrick J. Mullan Empire State College Bullying in Schools There are times in one’s life when something so deeply touches us that we have to stop what we are doing and either blink, smile or cry. For me, such a moment occurred on January 3, 2013 when I read in The Staten Island Advance that a 15 year old girl threw herself in front of a bus while carrying a suicide note in her pocket. This young lady had lived close to my home in Staten Island. Her name was Amanda Cummings, a high school student and a very attractive young woman. It was revealed that she was the victim of bullying both at school. She was also bullied on her cell phone and on the internet when she was at home. Apparently there was some romantic imbroglio over a boy that triggered a group of teenagers to target Amanda with relentless bullying. The young Romeo was 19 years old and apparently he was also involved with the ringleader of the bullies. The gang of bullies urged Amanda to kill herself on numerous occasions. The 19 year old male eventually broke up with Amanda, but the bullying did not cease. Faced with non-ending bullying and the loss of the boy, Amanda felt that she had no choice but to end her short life. In the days that followed Amanda’s death, students at her school posted the vilest messages on her Facebook page and continued their bullying even after she was dead. They expressed happiness over her decision to die and ridiculed her. Not everyone on Facebook was abominable...
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...Ashleigh Falls Shaffer ENG 123-022 4 May 2011 Bullying in Schools Every morning, Lauren’s alarm starts buzzing at six o’clock. She dreads this moment because it means one thing to her: she has to get ready for school where she must face her bully. My sister Lauren has shared with me her many experiences at school where she has been victimized by this girl named Makayla. She steals her food, pulls her hair, and tries to turn Lauren’s friends against her. One incident was specifically disturbing for Lauren to deal with. They were both riding the bus home one afternoon when Makayla told Lauren to give her some of the cookies that she was eating. Lauren told her no, and as a result, Makayla started pulling her hair. The next day, Makayla went to the principal and told a huge lie that Lauren had been the one trying to steal her food, and that Lauren had pulled her hair. This put my little sister over the edge. She could not believe that Makayla would actually go to the school and tell a lie just to try and get her in trouble. The ironic thing about this situation is that Makayla is about half of Lauren’s size. She is still able to successfully bully her though because of Lauren’s very meek and reserved personality, making her an ideal victim for a bully. Bullies are not always bigger kids who just push the small kids down; emotional abuse is just as effective and detrimental to the victim. Lauren comes home crying almost every day because of the constant torment she deals with...
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...Stopping Bullying Jessica Messer DeVry University Stopping Bullying Rachael, a seventeen year old high school student from Kentucky just wanted a regular high school experience just like everyone else gets. She wanted to be able to go to classes, dances, and the prom without having to look over her shoulder for someone stalking her and might even be trying to kill her. The great high school experience did not happen for her because she started getting harassing and threatening e-mails on her MySpace account. The e-mails consist of her activities during school hours and after school so she knew it was someone at her school. Her parents went to the principal with the problem, but the school did nothing about it. She received an e-mail stating, “I am not going to put you in the hospital; I am going to put you in the morgue.” After receiving this e-mail she committed suicide on October 9, 2006. Many of the children that take their own lives have bullies that don’t understand that their “words hurt”. (Neblett, 2010). Rachael was not the only life that was lost in that year. She had two friends Kristin Settles, (Settles, 2010) and Karissa Smith, (Smith, 2010) that took their own lives after Rachael did. The three teens all went to the same high school and was known as “The Three Musketeers.” Bullying has caused this community so much heart ache and pain that we as human beings need to step in and try to stop another child from making a choice that can never...
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