Many parents of bullies/thugs, it seems, can't and won't accept that their children do wrong, because if they do, then they are accepting their own failings. Or maybe they don't care what their kids do, as long as they are out of the way. If their offspring can't take it when someone retaliates, then they shouldn't give it out in the first place. It wouldn't surprise me if a few bullies, whilst not obviously as extreme, have an upbringing rather similar to that of "Biffa Bacon" in the comic "Viz".
Children see their parents as role models and can act like them in school, social situations and in life, so such behaviour will be natural and an expected part of life to those who haven't ever seen anything different.
It is often found that bullies are raised by parents who do not teach their children how to negotiate or share things with other people. Such parents typically resort to harsh and arbitrary physical punishments which reflect their own moods rather than anything else.
If confronted with undeniable evidence of their children's bad behaviour, some parents say to a teacher or headmaster, "He hasn't done it, he isn't that sort" or "Well if he has done this, then he has been put up to it". Other similar reactions may be, "So what if he did?" or "What's that got to do with me?" or "That's your problem. It's for you to decide what to do" or "That's right. I told him to do it and if you say anything to him then I will decorate this room with your blood". If that is their attitude, I would fine parents £2,000 for their offspring's behaviour. If they refuse to pay, jail them for six months and make them serve six months.
Whilst a lot of the blame for thugs and bullies must be laid on upbringing and parents, there are also other factors. Most, but not all, Conduct Disorder people can be school-bullies, but they also can engage in other acts such as torturing and killing animals, thieving, lying and disruptive behaviour.
Often I have noticed that the criminals of the future have been bullies when young or have engaged themselves in similar kinds of dysfunctional behaviour. Whilst one's upbringing largely shapes one's personality and nature, another factor is one's genes, so perhaps nature also plays a part in determining whether somebody becomes a bully, along with nurture. It seems to me that bullies operate on and are driven by inner feelings of hate and have a strong need for power and control.
A few school bullies may turn to bullying for self-preservation. They may think to themselves "If I don't join the bullies then they may get me". Peer-Pressure also plays a part. Many of the bullies friends often say "If you are going to knock around with us you must behave like this" or they may inquire, "What sort of soft so and so are you?" just like they do when they would goad someone one with Asperger's Syndrome to misbehave in school. Both have almost certainly happened in the past.
The Police should be called in if the School and parents of bullies and thugs won't or refuse to do anything. Thugs and bullies aged over 10 should be subject to ASBO's. The Parents should also face prosecution if they refuse to make any attempts to stop their children's violent behaviour. Why shouldn't the Police be called into school's? If you are 35 or 50 or 70 years old and are walking down the street and someone punches you in the face for no apparent reason it is assault. This sort of behaviour is a violation of someone's rights and represents a criminal offence.
I personally think that bullies who bully their victims to the point of suicide should face a manslaughter charge.
The problem with bullying is that there are often no deterrents or punishments for them. There are of course, always a few hardcore cases who will do what they do regardless of what punishment's or sanctions they face in school or society, but when there is no deterrent or fear, then it will make someone more likely to offend than if there isn't
There are many good teachers about. Anyone in that position has a difficult job, and it is more difficult when they have to put up with people like I have mentioned above. There should be hidden cameras placed in playgrounds and corridors, so ALL behaviour can be covertly or secretly filmed. The videos of what has happened in school can be played back at the end of the day, so any events, which teachers may miss, can be seen. If a bully is seen demanding dinner money from someone or punching someone for no apparent reason or threatening him or her, then it will be caught on camera. The bully or bullies can't deny it then.
Bullies and thugs should get a black mark against their names and school records should future teachers be altered. Any new ones then know what to expect from them and are thus prepared. There must be inspectors quizzing pupils and parents to rate schools bullying problems. Sin-bins should be introduced across the UK for bullies and thugs, where they are excluded for months at a special school unless their behaviour is shown to improve.
Schools and Education Authorities have a duty to ensure that thugs and bullies they can't do what they want to anyone in schools and get away with it. They may get away with it at home. They may not, but they must not be allowed to bring it into school. They, or anyone else, can't any longer employ the weak argument's that bullying is a part of life and a part of growing up.
It is NOT a natural part of life. It is not a joke. It is not a bit of fun. It is not big, it is not funny and is not clever, to repeat that hackneyed phrase. If you are in a class with bullies and they are picking on someone, don't laugh with or encourage them. Bullying can seriously screw up the victims mind up and cause mental health problems to develop in the victim in later life, or even when it is going on. It can cause the victim to find it hard to form and develop relationships with people in later life, or it can make the victim as bitter and warped as the bullies themselves.
It is a social EVIL in society. It is up there with child abuse, paedophilia and racism, and it must be stamped out and made clear it is totally and utterly unacceptable, whether at school, at work or elsewhere, like attempts are now being made to stamp out the other three social evils I have just mentioned.
Bullies must be stopped early in life. Not only to protect others from them, but to protect themselves from themselves. It is vital that they are. If they aren't, and if they get away with it at home, or in school, they will grow up thinking they can behave like this in life generally, and will become embittered, arrogant, bullies as adults. However, the law may not tolerate this like their parents or schools or fellow pupils did, and they could end up in prison, or getting a good hiding from another adult.
