Bullies, Should they be held accountable?
By dloveli
@dloveli (4366)
United States
January 15, 2011 7:53am CST
Recently the subject of bullying is back in the headlines. Reason being is that the trial of the students accused of being responsible for bullying another female to the point that she committed suicide. Are these children responsible? In my opinion, Yes they are to some extent. I dont think they should be charged with murder. They should be held accountable as should their parents. Yes, I said it, HER PARENTS as well. These kids were harrassing this girl in person, through others, by letters, computer, email, etc. They knew it bothered her so they went with it. You cant tell me that the parents of these bullys didnt hear them talking or see anything on the computer regarding the bullying. This poor girl. I think we've all been bullied at one time or another. From my experiences, bullying hurts, inside and out. Do you think these kids should be held responsible in some part for the suicide of this girl?
7 people like this
10 responses
@jbrooks0127 (2324)
• United States
16 Jan 11
They absolutely should be held responsible. What they did to this girl should be told in every way possible far and wide and every one of their names used.
To perhaps a lesser extent the parents should not get a pass. I say this because it is highly unlikely that each and every one of these kids would have done this on there own but when banned together they seem to have the gall to do it.
Clearly they can not be held criminally responsible as she took her own life. But in every other way possible they should be. Children have no clue what they do to others when they pick on them like this. We all fear being the only outcast so most go alone with the plan so they will not be the outcast either.
If the child who is being bullied then feels there is no one that cares for them they can, and often do, turn it inward and they cannot be objective. This is perhaps where the parents have failed. She, as well as the ones doing the bullying were not taught that it is okay to say what ever is on your mind. To know they have someone they can talk with.
One would hope that if even one of the bullies had been able to open up about this it may have been preventable but most importantly her parents needed to have fostered that in her.
1 person likes this
@dloveli (4366)
• United States
16 Jan 11
That's EXACTLY how I feel. NOONE has the right to make anyone feel bad! Unfortunately not everybody feels this way. Im pi$$ed at the parents because they didnt stop it. Im a parent. So dont tell me that they didnt have any idea of what was going on or what they were doing. You hear things. Bits and peices. They just were too busy to notice that their kids were bullying this one girl for their personal entertainment. From what the parents and friends of the victim say, this went on for some time and nothing was done. If they have any typt of conscience they should feel guilty for the rest of their natural lives.thanks dl
1 person likes this
@jbrooks0127 (2324)
• United States
16 Jan 11
This happened to my daughter during her middle school years. My wife was very much an, in your face, kind of person and it would seem my daughter knew this so she didn't say anything until she was out of that school. Now it was only two girls that picked on her, but they were merciless, so it was a pretty miserable time for her.
We ask her why she did not tell us. She said that if she did she knew her mother would go to the school and face these girls down, she is and always was a very protective mother, and then it would get even worse so she just lived with it. We are very fortunate that she is a very strong minded girl and understood that it was only their opinion and had nothing to do with her self worth. As a result she could live with it and not let it do her in like the girl you talk about. We were very happy that she was never bothered again but feel bad that she had to endure that.
We tried our best, once we knew about it, to make her understand that she never, ever, had to face that kind of stuff on her own again. She did understand that and has now raised three very good boys. They will all do very well in life and I attribute that to my daughter being able to raise them the way she has. And yes she is indeed one of those in your face kind of people, and I love her dearly for it. If she knew that any one of her boys were in that kind of situation she would be all over it.
Going through our teen years is one of the most difficult times in our life. For those of us who make it we come to realize that the things that happen then mold us and will influence the rest of our life. What happened to the girl you talk about happens far to often in this country and as a result children taking their own lives occur far to often and more than ever before. There are as many reasons for it as there are children but I believe it still comes back to how well the parents love, and try their best, to let them know they are loved. When we know we are loved and valued at home we can survive almost anything.
@grecychunny26 (9483)
• Philippines
18 Jan 11
I don't think so, if they were children of course not of legal age, their parents should be held accountable for the wrong doings. Parents should guide their children. I always wonder bullies do not have guardians or parents at all or in either way, they have but do not care about their existence because they became bullies. Bullies wants attention, they are all big craps and useless and brainless. If they have parents, they will not be like that. Parents should teach their children how to be a human, not to be an animal.
1 person likes this
@dloveli (4366)
• United States
18 Jan 11
I have a big problem with bullying. Some people try to chalk it up to kids stuff but no it goes way beyond that. Im not talking about name calling between six year olds. Im talking about teenagers that make it their lifes work to make another miserable. What upsets me is that when they are caught, the parents act as if they had no idea. NOPE, SORRY,NOT BUYING IT! If you are any kind of a parent you make sure you have an idea of what your child is up to. My daughters are 23 and 15 and I know what they are doing to a point. Its funny because my 23 year old doesnt even live home anymore and I know what she's doing and who she's fighting with. I may not know every detail but I could always tell when either of them were up to something, being hurt or picked on, or whatever...So I think better parenting could help some of it. However, there are instances where we have just troublemakers. People who just like to think they are above others. With those types its easily solved, two words...A$$ Wippin. Happy MyLotting dl
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
15 Jan 11
I was bullied and I was not even a lesbian or some one like that. I was a geek and extremely shy, was told that children shold be seen or not heard, so was not a talker or joiner.. The teacher stopped it, I laughed hysterically and I got a scolding. I think the parents should talk to their children who bully and it is the teacher's or princpal's job to tell the parent so she or they could stop it.
Also the bullies should apologize. I find that many bullies think by making fun, that they can change the child, but it does not work. Being nice works better,
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
7 Feb 11
absolutely.they know darn well they're tormenting that person.
i won't say bullies are worse then they were when i went to school,but
now they have more ways to pick on someone even in their own home(internet) and do it 24/7.so if it isn't stopped,this kid's life becomes a living hell.
@wydtron (302)
• Portugal
15 Jan 11
Dude i totally agree with you in that subject. Most of the times the fault comes all from the parents, because they dont listen the kids they give a damn and after all they just ask to their kids just take good grades and they give a crap to the rest and even sometimes they dont care about that. That is a subject that always pisses me off because the bully is almost always treated like an innocent and the same to the parents because they are the 1st reason for all to happen.
Thanks for reading and commenting people :)
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
15 Jan 11
Absolutely, positively they should be held accountable and so should the parents of the bullies! It would seem that the parents would have some inkling of what their children are doing but even if they don't it's their responsibility to raise their kids to NOT do things like bully others! If holding the parents of the bullies accountable for their children's actions teaches a lesson to one other set of parents to make sure their kids don't participate in this disgusting activity it will have done some good.
Annie
@dodo19 (47066)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
15 Jan 11
Yes, they really should be accounted for. They have done something wrong. They have hurt someone. They do need to be accounted for, as they are responsible for their actions, just like we all are. I also agree that the parents are also partly responsible. In some way, they are, when you think about it.
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
15 Jan 11
Sadly bullying isn't against the law. I hear of situations all the time. There is a commercial on tv regarding bullying too. It isn't cool. I hope the commercial on the kid's stations is helping. It is such a common thing and psychologically so basic. Yes, this poor girl. I think the parents should have seen something was wrong. Why is this poor child so emotionally sensitive to ridicule and harassment? Should she have been in some counseling? I think that a good judge could find a punishment for these kids that would reach the headlines and help a score of other kids before something as bad or worse happens again.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
15 Jan 11
I believe that a bully should always be held accountable for his actions. When they see how their deeds and words affect someone else, perhaps it can show them the way to stop being a bully.