Anti-Bullying Laws Argument
Are New Anti-Bullying Laws Really Working?
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself” (Field). These words, quoted from British anti-bullying activist Tim Field, provide great advice for children who may be victims or potential targets for bullies. The State Government is trying to answer the plea for justice and prevention of the rising epidemic of schoolyard bullies; actions which have been linked to cases of school shootings and suicides. The impact of this behavior is detrimental psychologically to both the victims and the bullies. Almost every state in the country has implemented new laws that require all school districts to enforce an anti-bullying program and to prosecute all students who violate the standards quantified in their legislation. The problem that arises with this new regulation is that the definitions used for bullying aren’t concise or in depth enough to help each individual case because of varying factors including, but not limited to, specific behavioral issues, types of bullying, and causes for the bully’s demeanor. These laws also don’t work because of the controversy that they are in direct violation of assorted student’s rights.
There are astounding national statistics related to this school crisis on our children. In 2012, according to Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center, almost one third of every student is bullied in one fashion or another, totaling close to 13 million children every year (“Bullying Statistics”). With these numbers comes a surprising realization, 64% of those victims never report what happens to them leaving a small 36% of children that actually testify to this behavior (“Bullying Statistics”). Another study conducted by the Josephson Institute’s Center for Youth Ethics in 2010 attested that 47% of high school students who participated in the survey had been bullied to some degree but this information demonstrated
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself” (Field). These words, quoted from British anti-bullying activist Tim Field, provide great advice for children who may be victims or potential targets for bullies. The State Government is trying to answer the plea for justice and prevention of the rising epidemic of schoolyard bullies; actions which have been linked to cases of school shootings and suicides. The impact of this behavior is detrimental psychologically to both the victims and the bullies. Almost every state in the country has implemented new laws that require all school districts to enforce an anti-bullying program and to prosecute all students who violate the standards quantified in their legislation. The problem that arises with this new regulation is that the definitions used for bullying aren’t concise or in depth enough to help each individual case because of varying factors including, but not limited to, specific behavioral issues, types of bullying, and causes for the bully’s demeanor. These laws also don’t work because of the controversy that they are in direct violation of assorted student’s rights.
There are astounding national statistics related to this school crisis on our children. In 2012, according to Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center, almost one third of every student is bullied in one fashion or another, totaling close to 13 million children every year (“Bullying Statistics”). With these numbers comes a surprising realization, 64% of those victims never report what happens to them leaving a small 36% of children that actually testify to this behavior (“Bullying Statistics”). Another study conducted by the Josephson Institute’s Center for Youth Ethics in 2010 attested that 47% of high school students who participated in the survey had been bullied to some degree but this information demonstrated
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