Bullying...

[radcen]

Bullying... the new trendy social issue. How are we doing at addressing it?

I don't think any reasonable person would deny that bullying exists, but... are we properly addressing the issue or are we blowing it out of proportion?

 

[opendebate]

Bullying... the new trendy social issue. How are we doing at addressing it?

I don't think any reasonable person would deny that bullying exists, but... are we properly addressing the issue or are we blowing it out of proportion?

We are only addressing it superficially. Truth is bullying is the american way. Let's see people address that deeper reality.

 

[radcen]

We are only addressing it superficially. Truth is bullying is the american way. Let's see people address that deeper reality.

Bullying is human nature. There's nothing exclusively American about it.

 

[opendebate]

Bullying is human nature. There's nothing exclusively American about it.

I never said it was exclusive.

 

[radcen]

I never said it was exclusive.

"Truth is bullying is the american way." suggests otherwise.

 

[DiAnna]

Bullying has always been ignored, and the victim told to "man up" or "quit whining", etc. Teachers pretend it doesn't exist because they don't want to deal with the bully's parents, parents of bullies excuse it with part of growing up, parents of victims wring their hands because they honestly don't know what to do about it.

Fact is, bullying has gone global, and bullying kills. Victims of bullying, even if they don't take their own lives (which all too many do) have their personalities irrevocably changed by what is happening to them. Their sense of self-worth, of safety, of simply being a kid, are all stripped from them. And we as a nation have allowed this to happen.

No, we haven't done enough to stop it... not by a long shot.

 

[Fisher]

In case you have not noticed, the Anti-Bullying campaign is a pro-gay rights campaign in disguise. Every now and then they will throw in a non-white face to make it seem like it isn't what it is, but in the end, that is all it is.

 

[opendebate]

"Truth is bullying is the american way." suggests otherwise.

To you ,but I am letting you know what I did and did not say. Your in interpretation has your spin on it. Your version is yours and mine is accurate.

 

[opendebate]

In case you have not noticed, the Anti-Bullying campaign is a pro-gay rights campaign in disguise. Every now and then they will throw in a non-white face to make it seem like it isn't what it is, but in the end, that is all it is.

Not sure what that means. Are you implying somehow that robs it of it's validity?

 

[lizzie]

Yeah, what we probably need to be doing, as we did when I was young and in school, is let someone kick the bully's ass, rather than teaching children to be passive, and punishing them for fighting back against an aggressor.

 

[radcen]

Bullying has always been ignored, and the victim told to "man up" or "quit whining", etc. Teachers pretend it doesn't exist because they don't want to deal with the bully's parents, parents of bullies excuse it with part of growing up, parents of victims wring their hands because they honestly don't know what to do about it.

Fact is, bullying has gone global, and bullying kills. Victims of bullying, even if they don't take their own lives (which all too many do) have their personalities irrevocably changed by what is happening to them. Their sense of self-worth, of safety, of simply being a kid, are all stripped from them. And we as a nation have allowed this to happen.

No, we haven't done enough to stop it... not by a long shot.

Quite often the parents themselves are adult bullies.

I remember a family in particular when my kids were growing up. They moved to town when my youngest was in 5th grade. We were friends with the school principal and he told me that when their kids would get in trouble... for some type of bullying, usually... the parents would stomp in and threaten lawsuits and the such if the school did any kind of disciplinary action.

 

[Fisher]

Not sure what that means. Are you implying somehow that robs it of it's validity?

I am saying it is not about bullying everybody--just about not bullying certain somebodies.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Yeah, what we probably need to be doing, as we did when I was young and in school, is let someone kick the bully's ass, rather than teaching children to be passive, and punishing them for fighting back against an aggressor.

That's what my dad taught me. It used to work too, if you had the guts to stand up for yourself and face your bully.

Problem is, times have changed. Used to be a one-on-one situation, and even if you lost you still got credit for standing up and most bullies stopped bothering you. Today 3 to ten people will jump on one kid and do a beat down. Then youtube it. Maybe it needs to be addressed today more than it did back in the old days.

 

[opendebate]

I am saying it is not about bullying everybody--just about not bullying certain somebodies.

I've never heard that accusation before. May I ask you what you base it on? And if it is accurate why would they want to mask it behind a broader message like that? (I can draw my own conclusions, I am asking your thoughts) Also, why would you point that out? What is the point? (not being snide, honest question)

 

[lizzie]

That's what my dad taught me. It used to work too, if you had the guts to stand up for yourself and face your bully.

Problem is, times have changed. Used to be a one-on-one situation, and even if you lost you still got credit for standing up and most bullies stopped bothering you. Today 3 to ten people will jump on one kid and do a beat down. Then youtube it. Maybe it needs to be addressed today more than it did back in the old days.

As long as we teach children to be passive, bullying will increase in frequency and in severity.

 

[MMC]

That's what my dad taught me. It used to work too, if you had the guts to stand up for yourself and face your bully.

Problem is, times have changed. Used to be a one-on-one situation, and even if you lost you still got credit for standing up and most bullies stopped bothering you. Today 3 to ten people will jump on one kid and do a beat down. Then youtube it. Maybe it needs to be addressed today more than it did back in the old days.

Times may have changed.....but whether there is one or more doesn't really matter. As long as one stand up for themselves. Regardless if they take an asswhipping or can win. Such now imparts that you will stand up for yourself. Win lose or draw.

Still works today and even in prisons. Any dealing with gang-bangers knows about bullying. Even from their very own. Once respect is earned.....it can't be taken. Only lost.

 

[Captain Adverse]

As long as we teach children to be passive, bullying will increase in frequency and in severity.

Well, I am not advocating passivity. You still need to stand up for yourself if you want to accomplish anything in this world. That doesn't mean as parents and civic minded citizens we should ignore the social differences kids face today. Gang jumping in and cyber-bullying weren't as much of an issue then as now.

 

[Dapper Andy]

To you ,but I am letting you know what I did and did not say. Your in interpretation has your spin on it. Your version is yours and mine is accurate.

Why can't you just acknowledge you said something stupid, correct yourself, and move on?

 

[Grand Mal]

In case you have not noticed, the Anti-Bullying campaign is a pro-gay rights campaign in disguise. Every now and then they will throw in a non-white face to make it seem like it isn't what it is, but in the end, that is all it is.

You're about 90 degrees wrong on the pro-gay thing. For one thing, a lot of the victims of bullying are girls.
In high school I fought bullies, several times, because I hated how they picked on weaker people. It is what it's always been but it doesn't have to always be that way.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Times may have changed.....but whether there is one or more doesn't really matter. As long as one stand up for themselves. Regardless if they take an asswhipping or can win. Such now imparts that you will stand up for yourself. Win lose or draw.

Still works today and even in prisons. Any dealing with gang-bangers knows about bullying. Even from their very own. Once respect is earned.....it can't be taken. Only lost.

Not really. If I am a crip and 5 bloods see me? I can fight my ass off and they'll still gladly beat the crap out of me and spit on me too. Prison? Gangs respect power and they don't waste it on minor issues. So in there sometimes facing up works, in others not so much.

Now back the the real world...how do you handle a situation when some mean girls post embarassing things about your daughter on the internet...for millions to see? How do you handle your son getting a beat down so bad he almost loses an eye or suffers a broken bone? Tell him to go back so they can happily do it again? Back in the day I belonged to a teen gang, and unless it was a gang battle they pretty much let it be one on one. Now? Pssh, it's a gang beat-down.

 

[Dapper Andy]

Bullying... the new trendy social issue. How are we doing at addressing it?

I don't think any reasonable person would deny that bullying exists, but... are we properly addressing the issue or are we blowing it out of proportion?

Obviously some people take it to an extreme and that needs to be dealt with but, overall, I think we should spend a lot less time on children's feelings and more on whether they're learning in school. I think we need to drop the whole "I'm offended" stuff altogether though. I'm not really sure when offending someone became the biggest deal ever and I'm less sure on why it is such a bad idea.

 

[nota bene]

Bullying has always been ignored, and the victim told to "man up" or "quit whining", etc. Teachers pretend it doesn't exist because they don't want to deal with the bully's parents, parents of bullies excuse it with part of growing up, parents of victims wring their hands because they honestly don't know what to do about it.

Fact is, bullying has gone global, and bullying kills. Victims of bullying, even if they don't take their own lives (which all too many do) have their personalities irrevocably changed by what is happening to them. Their sense of self-worth, of safety, of simply being a kid, are all stripped from them. And we as a nation have allowed this to happen.

No, we haven't done enough to stop it... not by a long shot.

Technology has outpaced the law. Nobody could've predicted the rise and immense popularity of social utilities such as Facebook and Twitter and etc., and these are used so frequently now to bully. Here's just one example: Hannah Smith, Bullying Suicide: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know | HEAVY

 

[opendebate]

Why can't you just acknowledge you said something stupid, correct yourself, and move on?

If you understood what I said accurately and brought it back to me and I recognized it as stupid then I would, but if you assign it a meaning that is inaccurate and MAKES it stupid I really don't need to own that.

 

[Dapper Andy]

Not really. If I am a crip and 5 bloods see me? I can fight my ass off and they'll still gladly beat the crap out of me and spit on me too. Prison? Gangs respect power and they don't waste it on minor issues. So in there sometimes facing up works, in others not so much.

Now back the the real world...how do you handle a situation when some mean girls post embarassing things about your daughter on the internet...for millions to see? How do you handle your son getting a beat down so bad he almost loses an eye or suffers a broken bone? Tell him to go back so they can happily do it again? Back in the day I belonged to a teen gang, and unless it was a gang battle they pretty much let it be one on one. Now? Pssh, it's a gang beat-down.

I know everything has to be taken to an extreme on a political message board but is bloods fighting crips over turf really an example of bullying?

 

[Dapper Andy]

If you understood what I said accurately and brought it back to me and I recognized it as stupid then I would, but if you assign it a meaning that is inaccurate and MAKES it stupid I really don't need to own that.

I guess stupidity is just the "opendebate way".

Which obviously doesn't mean I'm singling out you because ... ya know ... that makes sense.

:roll: