Students should be legally responsible for bullying if it resulted in the victim's death
Bullying can be any form of behavior, physical or verbal, intended to berate, humiliate, scare, or harass another person. The behavior is usually repetitive, and can extend over a long period of time. Bullies are frequently in a position of power over their victims, either physical or social. Bullying has always existed in schools and in a myriad of other environments from the home to the workplace. In the past, it was viewed as a harmless right of passage children had to go through to ‘toughen up’. But in recent years, a better understanding of the traumatic effects it can have on its victims, has increasingly highlighted how damaging a phenomenon bullying is. It can lead to serious psychological problems, like depression and even suicide. Both the shooters in the Columbine high school massacre (1999) and the Virginia Tech school shooting (2007) had been bullied for years before they opened fire on fellow students and then killed themselves. The media has also shined a light on the problem by widely reporting on high profile cases like that of Tyler Clementi, 18, who committed suicide after being outed as gay on the internet by his roommate, and Phoebe Prince, 15, who hung herself after months of torment by students at her school. There are also indications that the rates of suicide caused by bullying are higher for LGBT youth. This heightened awareness has led to numerous initiatives to tackle the problem, through both government and civil society programmes. But what, if any, should be the legal response against bullies? Should we just focus on prevention and the protection of victims, or should the bullies themselves face the force of the law if their actions lead to loss of life?
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