Why are we criminalizing childhood independence?

[Berkut]

Bullying is fucking bullshit, and asking children to deal with it simply doesn't work. If child A knows how to handle the bully, whether by temperment or good instruction, then the bully simply moves to another child who cannot handle it well. And there will eventually be a victim.

Not always the case.  I think it's at least as likely that standing up to the bully (especially in front of other kids) will put him in his place.  Can't imagine getting the cops involved unless it gets really, really serious.

We're never going to get rid of bullying.  Best we can do IMO is teach our kids how to effectively deal with it.

I wouldn't bother. I just realised we had this discussion before and it always ends with Berkut building his strawman where bullying is something akin to maiming and raping (as opposed to making fun of) and then proceeds as usual.

That's also why I asked what bullying means in American schools. As I said, from my school days, "bullying" meant, usually kids making fun of other kids, and calling them names. And then I said that when you listen to today's American celebrities, it's as if everyone was severely bullied which left them traumatised. So it must be a cultural thing I guess.

Go fuck yourself Marty. I never said bullyiing was akin to maiming or raping, I said it was assault, which of course it is.

But as usual you just lie, lie, lie about what people say. So, again, go fuck yourself.

Pathetic that a gay man would play "blame the victim" when it comes to people treating others like shit because they don't conform, but it is par for the course for you on Languish. You are all for treating others like pieces of shit as long as it isn't YOUR demographic being targeted. Bigotry is ugly.

[derspiess]

One hopes Spicey misread the post when he responded to it.

Maybe I did.  Is it really the end of the world for a kid to delete their Facebook/Twitter/Instagram profiles for a cooling off period?  Are kids completely unable to function without that?

[Warspite]

One hopes Spicey misread the post when he responded to it.

Maybe I did.  Is it really the end of the world for a kid to delete their Facebook/Twitter/Instagram profiles for a cooling off period?  Are kids completely unable to function without that?

It wouldn't be the end of the world, but the kid is then cut off from fairly common means of communications with his or her friends. It's the relative isolation that hurts, as Malthus describes very well.

[crazy canuck]

One hopes Spicey misread the post when he responded to it.

Maybe I did.  Is it really the end of the world for a kid to delete their Facebook/Twitter/Instagram profiles for a cooling off period?  Are kids completely unable to function without that?

Pretty much yes.  My kids communicate with their friends, team mates, coaches and classmates using facebook and other social media.  That is what makes cyberbullying so serious.  In order for a child to function in society they need to access the net otherwise they are completely cut off and, in the case of Amanda Todd and too many others, that isolation is part of the reason they commit suicide.

[derspiess]

Still don't get it. Plenty of other ways to communicate with their friends.  At what age to kids start doing the social media thing anyway?  I plan to keep my kids off of it for as long as absolutely possible.

[crazy canuck]

Still don't get it. Plenty of other ways to communicate with their friends.  At what age to kids start doing the social media thing anyway?  I plan to keep my kids off of it for as long as absolutely possible.

Like what?

Example, a team organizes its practices through facebook.  Discussions about the practice and compliments about how well people did fly back and forth along with jokes and the usual kind of banter one expects from team mates.  Sure it might be possible for a kid who is disconnected to find out when the practice time is but they then miss out on all the other social interactions which are occurring.

Multiply that across all the other forms of communication that occur everyday on social media.

Kids don't use phones to actually talk to one another anymore.  They text and use social media.

I plan to keep my kids off of it for as long as absolutely possible.

Imo, much better to teach them how to use it properly.  It is going to be a central part of their lives whether you like it or not.  Better for you to teach them what they need to know.

[CountDeMoney]

Now that I think about it, I doubt my particular bully would've had the wattage for cyberbullying.  Just a lot easier to throw my lunch out into the street and punch me in the mouth.

[Martinus]

Hey CC, were you bullied as a kid?

[crazy canuck]

Hey CC, were you bullied as a kid?

Hey Marti, are you able to read?

[Martinus]

Hey CC, were you bullied as a kid?

Hey Marti, are you able to read?

You didn't say. Just that you were in many fights.

[Berkut]

One hopes Spicey misread the post when he responded to it.

Maybe I did.  Is it really the end of the world for a kid to delete their Facebook/Twitter/Instagram profiles for a cooling off period?  Are kids completely unable to function without that?

It wouldn't be the end of the world, but the kid is then cut off from fairly common means of communications with his or her friends. It's the relative isolation that hurts, as Malthus describes very well.

How serious being cut off is isn't even the point.

The point is that whether or not to use Facebook or not should not be under the control of some other asshole who has decided to torment someone for their amusement.

Saying "Gee, well, not being on FB isn't such a bad thing..." misses the point entirely. It's like saying someone who isn't allowed to go on the swings because some kid decided he would beat him up if they did is fine, because the swing is lame anyway.

[crazy canuck]

Hey CC, were you bullied as a kid?

Hey Marti, are you able to read?

You didn't say. Just that you were in many fights.

Ok, so Berkut may have been wrong about you being dishonest about what others say.  It may be that your level of reading comprehension is so poor that you are not intentionally being dishonest.

[Eddie Teach]

So, sticks and stones may break my bones, but apparently words are sufficient for people born after 1990.   

[Martinus]

Then grow a pair and stop worrying about cyber bullying?

Seriously, this is heading towards making the world this cushy place where nothing offensive ever gets said by anyone. And then people wonder why we got to a point where a university bans "Vagina Monologues" because it "excludes women without a vagina." Don't you see the connection? We are creating a world of fucking pussies.

Parents should stop teaching their children how not to offend, but how not to take offense or care about someone saying something mean or disagreeable.

[crazy canuck]

So, sticks and stones may break my bones, but apparently words are sufficient for people born after 1990.   

Did you look at the Amanda Todd link I posted?