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Originally Posted by CanadaCraig
Hi Everyone!! 
I hope you're OK.
The sad thing is.... I have been listening to ALL of the exact same arguments SINCE the mid 1970's. The bottom line of [ almost] all of your ideas [Including yours Jack] can be summed up in two words.
DO NOTHING!! |
How so? I said nothing of the sort.
In fact, I stated that better teacher training on bullying and lessons which teach the value of tolerance are needed. That just seems an easy way of avoiding answering all my questions and points. Please try and answer them because then you will probably be able to see why criminalising children is a really silly idea. (Also because I didn't spend a while typing them up to be ignored
)
Now also, supposing that I did say "DO NOTHING" (which I didn't), then how is putting forward a badly concieved idea with a high probability of backfiring better than doing nothing?
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As for the argument that 'bullies are victims too' - I agree. But so what? They can be helped AFTER they have been arrested and/or charged and/or held accountable - legally - in some way. Besides - haven't most criminals been victims of one thing or another?!
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As for the only point you answered. So why not cut out the being arrested part? Give them help and don't give them a criminal conviction (which as I said above restricts your job opportunities. Not wanting a criminal record is also a deterrant for crime and if they've already got one then they'll be more likely not to care). Why do they need to be held legally accountable when a better system can be implemented? A kid at my school used to beat up other kids, they gave him the choice of getting chucked out or compulsory anger management. He took the anger management and he is now a changed guy. I would hate to see how differently he would have turned out if he'd been left to the police's tender embrace.
Putting a 4-10 year old in jail, juvie or even simply through the court procedure would be incredibly harmful for them no matter whether they're a "bully" or not. Most kids do not understand the implications of bullying and mya not think they're doing it even if they did, how is it fair to prosecute them?