Should Bullies Be Held Responsible for the Death of a Victim - Essay Example

Bullies: Should They be Held Responsible for the Death of a Victim? Introduction Most definitely, society has had to deal with its fair share of bullies throughout history. In recent years, however, such bullying behavior has become more prevalent and noticeable throughout all sectors of society. One might think that such actions and attitudes are reserved only for adolescents, but the reality is that bullies can be a member of any demographic group, and so can their victims. Such activity can take on many different forms, including either physical or verbal abuse directed at one particular individual, or a group. Bullying can be accomplished be berating another period, humiliating them, scaring them in some way, or outright harassment that does not cease. Bullies do not typically stop after one incidence. They repeat their behavior over and over, often until the other person either strikes back, or the victim decides that they simply cannot take it anymore (iDebate 2014). It is because of this last point that this debate exists. There has been an increasing number of victims of bullying that have ended up dying, either because they have committed suicide or the bully causes their death in some other fashion. If a victim dies as an indirect result of a bullies actions taken against the victim on a consistent basis, many believe that the victim should be held legally responsible. This is regardless of whether or not the bully physically caused the death of the victim or not (iDebate 2014). While there are valid points to be made on either side, it is certainly plausible to think society now demands justice to the point that they bully should be responsible. The intent of this short paper is to analyze arguments made on both sides, and then to reach a conclusion as to why students, who are deemed to be bullies, should be responsible for any action that results in the victim’s death. Understanding Bullying Before someone can issue a judgement on this issue, one must understand that nature of bullying itself and its impact on society. Bullies, by their very nature, go to almost any length imaginable to exert power over their victim. They may do this physically, verbally, or socially. In addition, with the rising influence of social media today, bullies are taking to the Internet to commit their actions. This has also enabled bullies to not actually physically be present in the geographical are of the victim. There are now incidences of bullies adversely impacting the lives of others in another state, or even country, of a person that they have never even met. It is, quite seemingly, a situation has truly spiraled out of control. In the past, many is society saw bullying as just another way that kids were being kids. It was seen, in essence, as a rite of passage that most simply had to endure. Some were bullies, and some were victims, but by and large much of society saw it as a relatively harmless act. Bullying today is no longer harmless. Bullies often say that they are trying to toughen up their victims. Many think that if a victim would just get stronger, they could stand up to a bully on their own. This is not always possible, however, so now society is having to reverse its longstanding stance on the issue and look again at the legal ramifications of the harm that bullies cause for their victims. This harm can often by psychological. It can lead to severe bouts of depression and, in extreme cases, suicide (iDebate 2014). Consider recent school shootings in the United States as an example. In several instances, it has since been determined that the shooters had endured bullying type behavior at the hands of their peers for years. In the end, it seems that they mentally snapped and ended up killing many of their classmates, before killing themselves. Obviously, nobody should condone the killing of people by victims of bullying, but these sad examples illustrate what can happen when a victim of bullying becomes psychologically impacted. It is not harmless behavior any longer, so at some point society feels that bullies must be held responsible for their actions if they take it too far. Only by first understanding what bullying entails, as has just been discussed, can we adequately examine the arguments both for and against holding student bullies legally responsible for what happens to their victims. Arguments for Holding Student Bullies Legally Responsible Let us quickly examine three areas where many in society would argue that student bullies should be held responsible. The first involves a group of people that believes that the law is deigned to punish any behavior that inflict serious harm upon another individual. This harm could be either physical or psychological in nature. Many argue that bullies, by their very nature, understand that their actions may truly harm the other person. While in many cases, the ‘victim’ may never be hurt, there are enough cases to demonstrate that there are a growing number of victims that are hurt as a direct result of the actions of a bully. Many believe that the law should specifically be written to hold students responsible for their bullying actions, even if they did not inflict the physical harm on the victim themselves (iDebate 2014). Another argument in support of this position is that the intentions of the bully are not actually relevant. Perhaps a bully was just trying to have some good clean fun, and it turned horribly wrong. There are cases in the law already when someone who commits a crime that they really did not intend to do, well, they are still found guilty. That should apply in this situation as well. Finally, the current legal structure is not adequate to punish bullying to any extent that would cause such individuals to think twice before performing such actions. There needs to be a law specifically targeting bullying, and it needs to be acted upon, in order to demonstrate that the actions of a bully will no longer be tolerated. It appears that many in society are ready for this and they argue that only when this happens will the law become a true deterrent to bullying types of behavior. Arguments Against Holding Student Bullies Legally Responsible There are equally some members of society who believe it is going too far to write actual law hold student bullies responsible for their actions, even if it can be proven that those action resulted in measurable harm to another person. One such argument is that students, and adults, should only be held responsible for the consequences of their own actions. If another person commits suicide, for example, a bully should not be held responsible because they did not actually kill the individual (iDebate 2014). Others will also argue that such a law would make it difficult to prove whether or not the actions of the bully actually resulted in the tragic results suffered by the victim. One might argue, for example, that the victim was already suffering from long periods of depression that, while the bully might have compounded it, they should not be seen as the only culprit. In addition, many in society worry that making bullying more of an issue for law enforcement will detract from the efforts taking place is schools nationwide that are designed to combat bullying on their own. They argue that many anti-bullying initiatives are beginning to show some promise and they worry that making this matter a legal one will take away from the authority that others adults in a student’s life may currently have. Conclusion Whichever side one comes in on, it should be agreed that bullying has become a problem being encountered by many in our society. The bottom line is that, today, there are literally thousands, and possibly millions, of young people who are literally petrified to go to school or any of a variety of community activities. They are afraid because they are being bullied. For some, it is harmless, but for others it is potentially deadly. No student should live in fear at the hands of another person. If they do, then the bully has certainly gone too far and they should be legally punished. For this reason, I would stand with many American society who believe the time has come to make bullies be held legally responsible for their actions if it is proven that a vicim is harmed as a result. The key, I understand, is being able to prove it. That, however, is what our justice system is for. Afford bullies the same rights as any other citizen. They are certainly proven innocent until proven guilty. If, however, it is proven that the actions lead to the death of a victim as a result of the bullies behavior, then they should be punished according to whatever provisions the law lays out. Perhaps this will make bullies think twice before they continue their behavior. Something needs to happen to stop the spread of bullying, as it has gotten out of control Perhaps this is the way to do it. Works Cited “This House Would Hold Students Legally Responsible for Bullying If It Resulted in the Victim’s Death.” idebate.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Read More