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fucktoyprincess -> RE: Student killed, 4 wounded, at Ohio high school (2/27/2012 10:47:54 AM)
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FR
This is terribly sad anytime anything like this happens, particularly at a school. But I also encourage people to think about another aspect of this story.
The reports that I've seen suggest that the perpetrator was bullied at school, and that he targeted specific people (I imagine he targeted the bullies). When kids that age are relentlessly bullied, typically one of two things happen - they either externalize their feelings or they internalize them. The ones who internalize them often suffer from eating disorders, depression, etc., and are at high risk for suicide. The ones that externalize, also end up suffering from things like depression, but start to become bullies themselves.
When are we, as a society, going to address the bullying issue that is pervasive in our middle and high schools (and actually, I've seen reports of bullying going on even in grade school)? Children need to learn to be respectful of difference and stop bullying other kids (whether it is over the way they look, their sexual orientation, their lack of athletic skills, I don't care what the issue is, but kids should not bully other kids).
I am in NO way condoning what this killer did. I am not condoning guns, and not condoning violence as a means to settle disputes. I am heartbroken for all of the families who may have lost children today. I am just pointing out that there is another aspect to this that also needs to be addressed. Why is it okay for cliques of students to constantly harass other students? Often the bullying that takes place has physical and violent aspects to it. I know of someone whose child was repeatedly bullied and eventually things got sorted out, but not without a lot of intervention from the family, and not without the removal of the ringleader of the bullies - a process that took years to accomplish, and the victim still suffers from the ill-effects of the bullying. I agree that a victim of bullying should not bring a gun into school to attack his tormentors. But at what point do we, as a society, say to the bullies, enough. People are not entitled to torment someone until the victim snaps and either kills themselves or kills others.
Also, children who have psychological issues (both bullies and the bullied), need to have professional help to deal with the issues that are either causing the bullying, or affecting the way the bully is able to cope. All children should have the right to feel safe at school.
p.s. if it turns out that the early reports are inaccurate about this having been a bullying situation, then obviously I won't comment on this specific incident any further, but I still think bullying is something that we should take more seriously. Jodi Picoult's book Nineteen Minutes is a very well written novel that deals with some of these issues, and I encourage people to read it. It is very though-provoking in how it presents multiple sides of the story.
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