Bullying to be made a criminal offence by lawmakers: What are your thoughts?
All we can say is, it's about time...
Bullying is something that has been happening for years, in all walks of life. In fact, bullying doesn't just take place in school and work, but even in other places like in public and online.
And the question is what actually happens to bullies? What are the repercussions for causing someone to hurt themselves or someone else? What sort of accountability exists? These are all questions that many people don't know the answers to and that's mainly because bullying is not considered a priority in many situations that end up in tragedy.
Well, in light of that, French lawmakers have now decided that bullying should be given more attention, especially in schools. And, of course, that makes sense, as we can assume that most adult bullying stems from school years.
Sometimes just being bullied can turn you into one. "School bullies whose victim commits suicide or attempts to take their own life could be jailed for up ten years under new plans being considered by French lawmakers." (Daily Mail)
"The offence would carry a maximum three-year jail term and a fine of up to 45,000 euros, depending on the severity of the case and the age of the culprit. In cases that involved the victim committing suicide, or attempting to, the punishment could be up to 10 years in prison." (Daily Mail)
For those of you thinking that those are some harsh terms, you obviously have not been a victim of bullying. Life can become pretty upsetting and the walls can seemingly feel like they're closing in when someone is constantly taunting you.
There have been several cases of bullying that have resulted in tragedy in France this year. One such incident was of a 14-year-old girl who revealed to her classmates that she was gay and was harassed about it, this eventually led to her suicide.
Another incident in March showed the discovery of a 14-year-old girl's body. "She had suffered severe bullying from fellow pupils after photos of her in her underwear were stolen from her phone. She was then allegedly attacked and murdered by two teenagers who were arrested afterwards." (Daily Mail)
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The effects of bullying can be endless and it needs to be given some sort of attention, even if not criminalising it then some sort of action needs to be taken. What do you think?
Would you be pro making bullying a criminal offence with jail time?
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