Way to go Daniel. I was bullied in school for 13yrs in my home with my mother for 19 yes and have been most of my adult life. I am 68 yes old and fighting back. I am tired of being bullied and walked on. Maybe the bully won't be so ready to pick on another kid now that he has a broken ankle! Hurts doesn't it you little shrimp. Some man you are going to be!
subrosa - 13 years ago
I'm relieved to see at least one rational comment about this video. To the guy who encourages his kids to do "whatever is necessary" to make sure they "don't get hurt," are you absolutely insane?? Have fun driving to juvenile hall—or prison—every weekend for visiting hours. When you say they should "fight back," aren't you really telling them to "get revenge?" Think about it, because there's a difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness.
I read that the smaller boy's ankle was broken. The outcome could have been much worse, and only sheer, dumb luck prevented it. Did anyone see the size difference between those two kids? If he resorts to that type of "self-defense" again, he could wind up killing someone. Accidents happen, especially when kids and violence mix. Then both lives would be ruined. It's extremely foolhardy, or just idiotic, to actively encourage this kind of high-risk behavior in your own children—especially under the guise of "standing up for yourself" which most of the time it isn't. The bigger boy could have walked away at any moment; it's doubtful he would have been detained, had the other tried. So, the reaction we witnessed was not "self-defense," but violent retaliation. When you condone that, you are succumbing to the thing you claim to condemn. Since when has saying "he started it" ever been an acceptable excuse for bad behavior anyway? Two wrongs don't make a right, last time I checked. If we want kids to behave like decent human beings, we're going to have to lead by example first. That means espousing good choices, the ones that move us away from base violence.
Christine Akers - 13 years ago
The child being bullied should most definitely be suspended. He had ample opportunity to walk away from the situation. Also, what he did was not in self-defense, but went above and beyond what the other student did. I can't believe the bully got suspended for as long as he did! I think 21 days is a bit steep if this video shows the only altercation that occurred. Students need to learn that violence is not the answer in ANY circumstance. Otherwise, every time a student is in trouble for hurting another student, he or she could just argue that they were being bullied and just retaliated.
Daniel Lynem - 13 years ago
It would seem that the bully would have been the bigger kid. It also would seem that the smaller kid (the bully) would know that if the kid he was picking on decided to fight back that he would not stand a chance. I would hope that the bully has learned his lesson and if he decides to keep bullying people that he would pick on someone his size. And I would also hope that each time he picks someone to bully that the victim would fight back and give him 's a good butt wippin each and every time. No way that the victim should be suspended for defending hisself. I taught my children to stand up for themselves and to fight back when picked on and/or attacked by a bully and to do whatever they had to do to make sure that they didn't get hurt. I don't know what that school is doing to combat bulling or if they have an active program or not but to suspend a victim is sending the wrong message.
Way to go Daniel. I was bullied in school for 13yrs in my home with my mother for 19 yes and have been most of my adult life. I am 68 yes old and fighting back. I am tired of being bullied and walked on. Maybe the bully won't be so ready to pick on another kid now that he has a broken ankle! Hurts doesn't it you little shrimp. Some man you are going to be!
I'm relieved to see at least one rational comment about this video. To the guy who encourages his kids to do "whatever is necessary" to make sure they "don't get hurt," are you absolutely insane?? Have fun driving to juvenile hall—or prison—every weekend for visiting hours. When you say they should "fight back," aren't you really telling them to "get revenge?" Think about it, because there's a difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness.
I read that the smaller boy's ankle was broken. The outcome could have been much worse, and only sheer, dumb luck prevented it. Did anyone see the size difference between those two kids? If he resorts to that type of "self-defense" again, he could wind up killing someone. Accidents happen, especially when kids and violence mix. Then both lives would be ruined. It's extremely foolhardy, or just idiotic, to actively encourage this kind of high-risk behavior in your own children—especially under the guise of "standing up for yourself" which most of the time it isn't. The bigger boy could have walked away at any moment; it's doubtful he would have been detained, had the other tried. So, the reaction we witnessed was not "self-defense," but violent retaliation. When you condone that, you are succumbing to the thing you claim to condemn. Since when has saying "he started it" ever been an acceptable excuse for bad behavior anyway? Two wrongs don't make a right, last time I checked. If we want kids to behave like decent human beings, we're going to have to lead by example first. That means espousing good choices, the ones that move us away from base violence.
The child being bullied should most definitely be suspended. He had ample opportunity to walk away from the situation. Also, what he did was not in self-defense, but went above and beyond what the other student did. I can't believe the bully got suspended for as long as he did! I think 21 days is a bit steep if this video shows the only altercation that occurred. Students need to learn that violence is not the answer in ANY circumstance. Otherwise, every time a student is in trouble for hurting another student, he or she could just argue that they were being bullied and just retaliated.
It would seem that the bully would have been the bigger kid. It also would seem that the smaller kid (the bully) would know that if the kid he was picking on decided to fight back that he would not stand a chance. I would hope that the bully has learned his lesson and if he decides to keep bullying people that he would pick on someone his size. And I would also hope that each time he picks someone to bully that the victim would fight back and give him 's a good butt wippin each and every time. No way that the victim should be suspended for defending hisself. I taught my children to stand up for themselves and to fight back when picked on and/or attacked by a bully and to do whatever they had to do to make sure that they didn't get hurt. I don't know what that school is doing to combat bulling or if they have an active program or not but to suspend a victim is sending the wrong message.