Bullying: Kids Will Be Kids Essay

â€Å"Kids will be kids. † Time and time again, this phrase has been used to dismiss the countless cases of bullying that take place in schools across the country. Such a carefree attitude towards a violent and brutal problem like bullying is a disturbing trend to see. Every year thousands of kids fall victim to schoolyard and online bulling. A child who has suffered from bullying is â€Å"2 to 9 times more likely to commit or attempt suicide† (Teen Health) and more often then not, cruelty from peers is a motivator for tragedies such as school shootings. These acts of torture among adolescents need to stop. Whether enforced in the home, at school or by the law, there needs to be consequences for students who participate in bullying their peers. Proposed Solution It is estimated that â€Å"1 out of 4 elementary-school bullies will have a criminal record by the time they are 30† (Teen Health). The behavior of most bullies is fueled by emotional or psychological problems. Some have been victim of violence or abuse in their home environment while others may suffer from low self-esteem and lack of self-worth. Regardless of the reason, these kids use bullying as form of coping with their own issues. It allows the child to synthesize the feelings of power and control; both of which most troubled children lack. Less extreme, but just as problematic, reasons for bullies to act out are the pressure to fit in with a certain peer group, the need to prove their â€Å"toughness† or â€Å"masculinity† and sometimes they will even lash out in response to have been bullied themselves. Since most bullying begins in the school setting, schools should recognize the responsibility they have in preventing and discouraging such behavior. As I mentioned before, bullying is usually a response to some psychological issue faced by the bully. A zero tolerance policy is essential to maintaining a safe learning environment for our youth. Kids who display ridicule towards their peers should be required to have a psychological analysis and attend a number of therapy sessions. If the problem continues, suspension and expulsion should be utilized as appropriate courses of disciplinary action. If caught cyber bullying, the child should lose computer privileges in school even if the bullying was committed outside of school property. Alternative schools should also be considered as an option or children who repeatedly display aggressive behavior towards their peers. Being a school created to manage behavioral problems, alternative schools provide a structured environment where the children are monitored closely and the staff is trained for dealing with deviant behavior. Tolerance should be taught in the home as well as in school. So, the responsibility of managing this problem should also lie in the hands of the parents. Up until the child reaches the age of 18, parents should also be held responsible for any bullying that their child may be participating in. In instances of multiple failed attempts by the school to handle the problem, parents should be required to step in as a mediator and work with the school. A parent who refuses to intervene with the school should be faced with legal ramifications. Perhaps when running the risk of being fined, parents might show more incentive to intervene when it comes to the behavior of their child. Monitoring their child’s Internet activity is a good way to identify and prevents cases of cyber bullying. In extreme cases of violence or physical threats, the law should be allowed to step in and get involved. Beating up a kid on the playground should be treated like a battery case. Instead of slapping the child with a few detentions, they, or their parents, should be forced to face criminal charges in court. In the case of suicides caused by bullying, the bully or their parents should be required to pay hefty fines and perhaps be sentenced to a stay in jail. Social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, have created an increase in instances of cyber-bullying. By using these websites, bullies can create emotional chaos from the comfort of their own home. Cyber-bullying is usually particularly vicious because kids can hide their identity behind a screen name thus avoiding responsibility for their actions. Kids who are caught cyber-bulling should lose their computer privileges at school whether or not the incident took place on school grounds. In the case of physical threats and sexual harassment, the law should become involved in prosecuting the bully. Just because it falls under the category of bullying doesn’t mean it’s not illegal. Physical threats are illegal and shouldn’t be discredited on the basis of â€Å"kids will be kids. Conclusion Due to recent suicides committed by a number of gay teenagers, the issue of bullying has been pulled into the national spotlight. It is time to stop standing by and turning the other cheek. Our schools, parents and the law need to work together to create a violence free environment where all of our children can go to get an education. By strengthening existing disciplinary actions and adding new ones to the arsenal, we can curb the rate of bullying and avoid the devastating effects it has on our community and our youth.