Bullied disabled boy's story draws outrage

I guess we'll never be able to put a stop to this, bullying seems like ingrained behavior in many (all?) people. But this kid needs protection.

EVERY kid needs protection. This is not bullying anymore, this is assault. The moment it gets physical, the bullying becomes assault, imho.

But boys will fight. Girls these days too. Are you really going to charge all of them with assault. I certainly don't think kids fighting is a good thing, but possibly taking it too seriously is worse. In this case the bully is much bigger and the victim is disabled - clear case for intervention. But two equal sized boys going at it - would you step in there too?

But boys will fight. Girls these days too. Are you really going to charge all of them with assault. I certainly don't think kids fighting is a good thing, but possibly taking it too seriously is worse. In this case the bully is much bigger and the victim is disabled - clear case for intervention. But two equal sized boys going at it - would you step in there too?
Would you consider that bullying?
And yes, I would, and take them apart. But there is a difference between bullying and just a schoolyard fight.

Agreed. And if the school refuses to do anything about it, I'd have them charged with complicity. And sorry folks but, a detention just don't cut it in these types of cases.

All kids need protection from bullies, but that isn't going to happen until the punishments become more severe. A mere detention is in no way a fitting punishment, how about expulsion for these kids, then that gets the parents involved as the school isn't just a babysitter for junior at the end of the school day and the parents are forced to deal with thier childs behavior. What I'd like to know is why a kid 3 years older and bigger would pick on a handicapped kid? Maybe what needs to happen here beyond expulsion is mandatory counselling for these bullies, get to the root of the problem before this behavior may go beyond just bullying.

Yes, and their parents too. Individual child counselling doesn't do much if you send the kid right back into the environment that created the problem. Expulsion won't do anything, just shift the problem to another school.

Some schools seem to have anti-bullying programs that work, that involve the kids. That's the biggest factor that allows bullying to take place - other kids doing nothing.

Yes, and their parents too. Individual child counselling doesn't do much if you send the kid right back into the environment that created the problem. Expulsion won't do anything, just shift the problem to another school.

Some schools seem to have anti-bullying programs that work, that involve the kids. That's the biggest factor that allows bullying to take place - other kids doing nothing.

Agreed and I meant that the parents be involved with the counselling. Won't work otherwise.

In the 'good old days' the bully would get a paddling from the school principal and the matter would be closed. In this case nothing will happen until the handicapped kid dies and then people will wonder why someone didn't do something?

Is it any wonder that bullied kids bring weapons to school when the detestable faculty does nothing about bully behaviors that would be prosecutable felonies if done amongst adults?

Sorry Bart, I don't think the good old days ever existed. Go to any generation and there are terrible stories of bullying. I think it was mostly ignored in the good old days.

Nope, no wonder at all. Also no wonder that some of these bullied kids go on to commit suicide. There has to be a change to the system that lets these bullies get away with their actions with limited punishment and I can't stress enough...limited intervention at the first sign of bullying behavior.

The young man I'm instructing in a particular skill has had fewer problems at school since he punched one of his tormentors in the throat.

Teaching kids how to defend themselves is a good idea - maybe should be part of the curriculum. As long as your protege doesn't turn into a bully himself. But it's only a partial solution - bullying isn't just violence.

And where things are probably worse today is with with gangs - ie being bullied by a whole group. Hard to stand up to that by yourself.

This is a bit of a different case I think , being that the victim is disabled, I think that it might be a case of the bully being ignorant to the conditions his victim lives with every day, not that I'm excusing it, but a bit of education on the matter might help.

I think they need to actually make bullying a criminal offense, I know we are dealing with kids here, most under the age so they cannot actually press charges but a scared straight program might help as well, though some kids are just rotten and don't really care.

Another though I had was to make parents of bully's (those that are continuous offenders) crimially responsable for their kids actions, or impose fines on parents whos kids continuously bully others, I'm sure if Mom and Dad had to pay up $100 everytime their kid hit someone things would change.