Should bullies ages 12 and above get judged/treated as adults?

[Anonymous]

A child ages 12 and above is already judged and sentenced as an adult when he/she commits serious crimes. Long ago, they had a case of a 12 year-old boy that was given a life sentence without parole but it got changed somehow. Now it's life sentence with parole and maybe released after 25 years if they are proven to be rehabilitated. At least that's how it works here in the US. It gives severe prison time even for minors as young as 12.

Junior and High school bullies are vicious. If they are already treated as adults for serious crimes, should it be the same for bullying, for them to get judged as adults for that too, esp if it led to the victim committing suicide?

12-14 year-olds aren't little kids anymore. They know exactly what they're doing by then.

Yes

No

Updates

+1 y

I feel like 12 is the age where you understand more concepts and consequences. You know very well tormenting others and getting pleasure out of it is wrong but still do it.

[Anonymous]

probably will get shit for this but no

the thing is that pretty much everyone has been bullied and bullied someone before at age. it's a normal part of life. if you say you've never ever even slightly gossiped, made fun of someone, etc in middle school or high school, your a liar. usually bullying isn't that severe it's just like shit talking someone behind their back, outcasting them and calling them a loser or something every once in a while. it's usually doesn't go further than that, and typically it doesn't last that long, like bullies get tired quickly. also usually you have some people of your class who stand up for you or talk badly about the bullies for being mean to you. so thinking someone is satan because they're 13 and they called someone a loser is dumb. it's a normal part of developping. most people age out of bullying by mid high school. bullying doesn't tend to happen after 16, and usually it slows down around 15. because people mature and get higher empathy.

even if the bullying is more severe (as long as whe're not in extreme territory, like gang rape, torture, attempted murder etc which can happen but are extremely rare. in those cases yea they should be tried maybe as adults, but i'd say more from like 14 1/2-15 or so on ), like it gets physical or stuff like, they're just doing that cause they're dumb kids. if they were 18 they would never ever do that, unless they're actual criminals

[Asker]

What they meant is there should be consequences for bullying. No one deserves to get humiliated nor dread going to school because they get constantly made fun of. If an adult did that, they would get charged with harassment, not bullying.

[Daniela1982]

I have seen where bullying has resulted in the suicides of young kids, by young kids. So at 12 they should know right from wrong and should therefore be held accountable when they cause someone's death.

[Asker]

Exactly. Bullying someone to the point of suicide should be consider a serious crime.

[BoopBoopBeep]

Depends on the state. If they can be charged as adults for other crimes, sure, most of them aren't going to charge 12 year olds as adults for anything, and bullying is harldy the most serious offense out there, so it makes no sense to make an exception for that specifically if other crimes aren't. Also, I don't know anywhere that actually has a statue criminalizing bullying. You can have harassment, battery certainly if it comes to that, but a lot of bullying is name calling, and that's protected speech. You'd have to have a criminal charge for bullying that would stand up to higher court review, then you'd have to be in a place with a DA who routinely charges minors as adults, then you could work that angle.

[Asker]

How about if instead of bullying its changed to assault if it's physical (bully punching or throwing their victim to the ground) or harassment if the bully is following the victim with constant remarks or humiliating them. Then the parents get fined and kid spends a short jail time for that.

[BoopBoopBeep]

assault sure. calling names is still free speech. you're not going to go through life and not be called names, but you have the right to go through life and not have someone put hands on you violently.

crossing the line into harassment is more a protracted campaign. that is already illegal and they should be charged as adults

[steveusna]

I was in Junior High and walking home from school when i saw my neighbor who was bullying me in school walking with a group of older kids who were rough looking. The bully's little brother (two years younger) walked up to the group and his bully brother beat the shit out of the kid. He left the kid down on the ground bleeding from his face while his friends congratulated him. Nothing happened to the bully. He lettered in three sports and was in the National Honor Society. Then he went to an Ivy League school. This is how sick fucks turn into adult psychopaths.

[Asker]

Yes some people never change. A child with psychopathic tendencies will remain a psychopath forever. There is no cure for the those little spawns from hell.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Nope, but they should be disciplined some way.

[Asker]

How so? By forcing them to write an apology letter, where it's obviously insincere? By physical discipline where they are going to just avoid getting caught but nothing is going to get rid of that bullying mindset?

[strateguy632]

depends which bullying. the stuff now considered bullying should not get judged... even adult. we need protected speech (except things that motivate revenge or motivate physical violence, obviously).

that film with actress emily osment is just drama.

when a kid pushed me down on the scool playground... well that bully was not judged either because minor. but physical violence should judge minor like juvenile delinquent.

[Asker]

The type of bullying where the victim really feels so depressed enough to actually commit suicide. The bully likely even tells them that they're better off pulling a bullet on their heads because no one likes nor loves them, how everyone hates them.
Or the bully constantly follows them, spills milk at them and humiliates them. They aren't necessarily physical there but the victims ends up getting obstracizing and feeling like never coming back to school.

[RavVid]

Completely agree. In my country under 14 children are thought not to be able to comprehend the gravity of what they do and in effect they are not punished at all.

So it is a revolving door. Caught charged and immediately released

[exitseven]

I think that they need to be charged with assault and go to court. If their parents have to get a lawyer and take time off from work I am pretty sure that kid will no longer be sa bully.

[Asker]

Exactly. Enough is enough. If it's physical bullying, it should be called assault or battery. If the bullies are following the victim on the hallways to humiliate them or were to grope them, it should be called harassment.

[exitseven]

I worked in a K-12 school system. There was a kid in high school who was getting bullied by some bigger kid. He actually called the cops and wanted the kid to be arrested for assault. There was plenty of witnesses. The cop had to arrest the kid and drag him to the PD. His father had to get a lawyer and take time off work. I don't know how it all ended up with this kid but I bet he was never picked on again.

[Anonymous]

What exactly do you mean when you say "bullying?" Because much of the activity that fits under that label (name calling for example) is in NO WAY a crime of ANY sort. Whereas OTHER things that are labelled as "bullying" (assault and battery) are very much crimes. So it really depends on what exactly you're talking about.

[Asker]

What if it's not just name calling but the whole class humiliating them, the victim doesn't feel safe nor happy at school, develops great depression and the bullies even tell them ''do us a favor, just shoot yourself, the world is better off without you'' and the victim does it.

[Opinion Owner]

You think kids over 12 should be held criminally liable for manslaughter if a depressed kid in their school kills himself? Have you really thought through that position and its implications?

[Asker]

Well bullying can easily fall into the categories of assault, battery or harassment, which are crimes. That's what it would be called if an adult did all those things. If it's so devastating enough to cause emotional breakdown/distress then it can be considered as involuntary manslaughter and has according to this article:
www.californiacriminaldefenselawyerblog.com/.../

[Asker]

So yes bullying someone to the point they commit suicide can indeed be a type of manslaughter charge. Yes judge them as adults.

[Unit1]

I'm strongly in favor for it.

However not with the penalties like life in prison. It's not North Korea, where a 2 year old was sent to prison for life because their parents got caught smuggling in a bible.

[Asker]

Exactly. Obviously not life in prison for bullying as not even an adult would get that sentence for that but similar punishment. For instance instead of calling it bullying, have them charged for assault if it was physical or harassment if it was constant taunting or the victim got humiliated.

[Unit1]

Its the same criminal charge thing

[AngryCarl]

Kids are idiots. Most of them don't know what they are doing or why they are doing it. Bullies are commonly from broken homes or victims of parental abuse. Trying them as adults makes no sense.

[Asker]

So why bring your suffering towards others? You're getting abused and taking it out on others that have nothing to do with your home life is pathetic.

[AngryCarl]

Kids don't think about that stuff. They don't think about anything because they're kids. They just react.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

That's the responsibility of their parents for raising bullies. They're also chances that they may be bullies in school but abused at home. If their parents cannot raise them well then they shouldn't have children.

[Asker]

Sadly, many of those parents are raising little monsters, little narcissists.

[OtterMan68]

No, kids do stupid things, and it shouldn't ruin their lives.

[Asker]

That's already a preteen and teen by then, the age of reasoning. Several of those stupid things (bullyings) have led other students to commit suicide.

[OtterMan68]

Teens brains are not fully formed. I don't think life in prison for a 13 year old who insulted someone is appropriate

[Asker]

Obviously not even an adult would get given a life term for bullying something but rather get charged with assault if they got physical or harassment. The teen could be charged with those charges and perhaps spend a week in jail and do community services hours.

[NewgodOmega]

Bullies have one treated they should be bullied to the point where they are suicidal there is no other cure for that disease

[Asker]

Several of them are future narcissists by then and the personality is almost formed. Yeah no amount of lecturing or forcing them to apologizing and shake hands with the victim will make them change; it has to be a harsh punishment for sure to get through those stubborn minds.

[NewgodOmega]

You can't fix something unless you break that thing

[Jackblue]

If we say that 12 year olds aren't capable of living and working on their own, smoking or drinking then they aren't capable of facing the full consequences of their actions either.

[Asker]

yet they sure are sentenced as adults for a long time for serious crimes. Bullying someone to the point the victim develops mental health issues or depression or commits suicide is serious.

[laly520]

they need to be supervised n punished for that

lot of young kids died cuz of bullying

[Asker]

Indeed and the punishment has to be effective, not the pathetic making the bully apologize to the victim or threatened them with a suspension and making them shake hands; FAKE apologies where they don't learn anything other just to avoid trouble but still have that bullying mindset in them.

[laly520]

agree with you

[deus_ex_sisyphus]

This sounds like a prologue to a George Orwell novel. No, this is a terrible idea for many reasons.

[Djaay]

So you believe in government judiciary disapline but not parental disapline? And girls ages 12-24 are not little baby's anymore like all the other women depict them to be?

[Massageman]

Shoot them- just like an adult. Save 25 years of support payments from the welfare system.

[worldscolide]

No that's stupidity.. Though I do believe the parents should be charged with something.

[CuriousMufuxka]

Of course not! A simple ass whoopin should suffice.

[Asker]

They would likely stop bullying (temporarily though) out of fear of getting caught but not really because they feel bad about it. Same as the ''forcing them to apologize'' to their them. It's not coming out of their own will.

[CuriousMufuxka]

And an adult sentencing would? That's nonsense! They are children, you anon pearl clutcher!

[Asker]

If it's physical then instead of bullying, it needs to be called assault or battery. If they are constantly following the victims on the hallways, humiliating them and don't stop, it needs to be called harassment. Perhaps a couple weeks of jail time at juvie and their parents fined so they get an idea of what it's really like getting treated as an adult and really pay the consequences.

[_no_one_]

Do adult crime do adult time

[Asker]

Yup pretty much it. If they are big enough to bully their victim to the point they commit suicide, that's a crime already.

[Dongie]

No. Get big brother to teach said 12 year old not to be a bully.

[msc545]

Might as well. The US will never spend the money to treat them properly.

[jahaims]

Bullies are a part of life

[Asker]

They are destructive towards people. They are causing others to have depression, mental health issues and stunt their social development. They are like a cancer in society.

[jahaims]

Weak people are victims.

[Anonymous]

Bullies should be banned.