What kind of sick depraved world do we live in where bullies like this exist?

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10-16-2013, 16:12
Ronin13

What kind of sick depraved world do we live in where bullies like this exist?

So while on lunch today I got a stark and sad reminder of why I got into the law enforcement profession... While eating my lunch in my car, I had the Glenn Beck Program on the radio. Glenn told the story of Shea Shawhan, an 18 year old special needs girl in a Plano, TX high school who suffered a brain injury at birth and while looks like a normal 18 year old, she has the mental capacity of an 8 year old. The details of her being bullied are gut wrenching, saddening, angering, and brought tears to my eyes as Glenn described the awful, vile texts she gets constantly from anonymous numbers. Her mother has even set up a Facebook page in support of her daughter and I can't help but think, why are Plano Police and Prosecutors not seeking out these bullies and punishing them to the fullest extent allowed by law?

This sad and hurtful story reminds my why I am pursuing the career that I am, to help protect and defend victims like Shea from the evil, disgusting monsters with which we share this world. [Mad] I implore everyone here to share Shea's story so we can put an end to crap like this, and I dare anyone here to read/hear this story and not get choked up... Warning, it contains quite graphic material.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013...n=ShareButtons
10-16-2013, 16:15
Great-Kazoo

While sad, you cannot protect them, unless alerted by friends or family. Your job is reactive. react to a 911, DV, etc call.
10-16-2013, 16:19
Dave_L

I also heard that segment and it made me sad. :( Kids are so mean and technology is NOT helping that.
10-16-2013, 16:20
RblDiver

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronin13

why are Plano Police and Prosecutors not seeking out these bullies and punishing them to the fullest extent allowed by law?

I'll admit up-front I've not read the article yet, but I take issue with this bit of your comment. I think bullying, while a problem, shouldn't be an issue for law enforcement generally. Yeah, I know there're exceptions (harassment etc), but my personal preference is to A) teach the person being bullied to stand up for themself (harder for people like this one yes, but I'm speaking generalities), B) teach the person to let it slide off their back ("why should I care what you think" mentality), and C) return the favor to the bully (by this I mean talk to their parents, let people know who did it, etc).
10-16-2013, 16:23
Dave_L

Quote:

Originally Posted by RblDiver

C) return the favor to the bully (by this I mean talk to their parents, let people know who did it, etc).

That is not as easy as you might think. In this case, kids used apps to send text from anonymous numbers. There are social media sites that allows kids to make comments anonymously also. It's not the old school "Little johnny said it to my face" situation.
10-16-2013, 16:26
RblDiver

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_L

That is not as easy as you might think. In this case, kids used apps to send text from anonymous numbers. There are social media sites that allows kids to make comments anonymously also. It's not the old school "Little johnny said it to my face" situation.

True and fair enough. In this case, I still wouldn't support prosecution, but if they can get the companies to reveal their sources, so much the better.
10-16-2013, 16:29
Ronin13

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim

While sad, you cannot protect them, unless alerted by friends or family. Your job is reactive. react to a 911, DV, etc call.

False, good police work relies on preventative measures just as much as reactionary measures. While most of the job is handing calls, a lot of it is just presence to deter crime.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RblDiver

I'll admit up-front I've not read the article yet, but I take issue with this bit of your comment. I think bullying, while a problem, shouldn't be an issue for law enforcement generally. Yeah, I know there're exceptions (harassment etc), but my personal preference is to A) teach the person being bullied to stand up for themself (harder for people like this one yes, but I'm speaking generalities), B) teach the person to let it slide off their back ("why should I care what you think" mentality), and C) return the favor to the bully (by this I mean talk to their parents, let people know who did it, etc).

You must never have been bullied growing up, or have kids that have been bullied... Some things are quite easy to say, but doing them is a completely different ball game. And I'm not talking of your typical bullying- read the article, these kids make threats of violence, rape, and murder, I would definitely investigate that and hope there is something there to give to the DA.
10-16-2013, 16:33
blacklabel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronin13

You must never have been bullied growing up, or have kids that have been bullied... Some things are quite easy to say, but doing them is a completely different ball game. And I'm not talking of your typical bullying- read the article, these kids make threats of violence, rape, and murder, I would definitely investigate that and hope there is something there to give to the DA.

That's not bullying, it's harassment and should be treated as such. We need to quit blurring the line between the two.

Typical bullying should be handled by the parent and used to build a strong kid. It's just another form of adversity.
10-16-2013, 16:35
Great-Kazoo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronin13

False, good police work relies on preventative measures just as much as reactionary measures. While most of the job is handing calls, a lot of it is just presence to deter crime.

You must never have been bullied growing up, or have kids that have been bullied... Some things are quite easy to say, but doing them is a completely different ball game. And I'm not talking of your typical bullying- read the article, these kids make threats of violence, rape, and murder, I would definitely investigate that and hope there is something there to give to the DA.

Unless you're monitoring web sites for this , you have no way if not informed, it is happening. Unless you're advocating "PreCrime" units ?

Regarding the pursuit of criminal charges I agree.

somewhat OT : When a school, mall or movie shooting happens The masses Cry Out for ACTION, NOW. What we ignore are the early phases where bullying, mutilation of animals, are present. HOWEVER in the name of MEDICAL CONFIDENTIALITY WE TURN OUR HEADS.
10-16-2013, 16:38
cstone

The first layer of protection for children should be their parents. If you have children, you have an obligation to provide for their needs and look out for their welfare. Good parents already know this.

On a personal level, I would not let my 8 year old child have unsupervised access to the Internet, social media, email, text, etc.., and I mean any access would be closely supervised if I deemed it necessary for such a young child to have this type of access at all.

Probably the toughest thing I've been dealing with as a parent is balancing my responsibilities to protect my children with educating and equipping them to live in the world and be self sufficient. Some parents realize that they have children who will never be self sufficient. While the job of a parent is truly never over, these parents will be working harder and longer than most. I pray for these parents and hope I never do anything to increase their workload.

The world is full of nasty and evil people. Fortunately, the truly evil are far outnumbered by the truly stupid. Even more fortunately, the truly stupid are outnumbered by the people who are decent and hard working. If I didn't believe this, I would have given up long ago.

Sheepdogs never go off duty. [Coffee]

Be safe.
10-16-2013, 16:38
davsel

Not to diminish the BS of bullying, but...
If she has the "mental capacity of an 8 year old," why is she in High School, and why does she have a cell phone? My 9 year old is in the 4th grade and does not have a cell phone - due to her having the mental capacity of a 9 year old.
10-16-2013, 16:38
Dave_L

I do find it interesting at how schools say "There's nothing we can do" in regards to internet/text bullying but they're quick to act on a kid using a toy gun at the bus stop.
10-16-2013, 17:58
Ronin13

Quote:

Originally Posted by davsel

Not to diminish the BS of bullying, but...
If she has the "mental capacity of an 8 year old," why is she in High School, and why does she have a cell phone? My 9 year old is in the 4th grade and does not have a cell phone - due to her having the mental capacity of a 9 year old.

Mental capacity and intelligence/capabilities are two different things. That's why schools have special needs programs, so we don't have 40 year old high school students.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_L

I do find it interesting at how schools say "There's nothing we can do" in regards to internet/text bullying but they're quick to act on a kid using a toy gun at the bus stop.

I find it pathetic and depressing. Kinda makes you wonder, had we been better able to combat bullying back in the mid-90's, would Columbine have happened?

Sent from my evil, black smartphone. now Free
10-16-2013, 18:16
blacklabel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronin13

Mental capacity and intelligence/capabilities are two different things. That's why schools have special needs programs, so we don't have 40 year old high school students.

I find it pathetic and depressing. Kinda makes you wonder, had we been better able to combat bullying back in the mid-90's, would Columbine have happened?

Sent from my evil, black smartphone. now Free

Maybe we should have a war on bullying and dump tons of money at it.

This kind of crap gets fixed in the home. If you're kid is a dick to other kids then put him in his place and if your kid is getting bullied then teach them to deal with it. This isn't rocket science.
10-16-2013, 18:40
BushMasterBoy

I was a military kid that changed schools every few years. The first kid that started bullying me, I attacked like my life depended upon it. Once everybody saw I was gonna retaliate ferociously, the bullying stopped. School officials are generally useless assholes...
10-16-2013, 18:47
def90

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_L

I do find it interesting at how schools say "There's nothing we can do" in regards to internet/text bullying but they're quick to act on a kid using a toy gun at the bus stop.

Bingo..

If they started expelling kids for bullying like they do for drawing a picture of a gun it would probably actually have the end game effect they want in decreasing violence and suicide unlike expelling a kid for drawing a picture of a gun.
10-16-2013, 18:48
def90

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacklabel

Maybe we should have a war on bullying and dump tons of money at it.

This kind of crap gets fixed in the home. If you're kid is a dick to other kids then put him in his place and if your kid is getting bullied then teach them to deal with it. This isn't rocket science.

Parents can't even figure out when their kid might want to kill them in the middle of the night while they are sleeping and then drive to the local elementary school and kill another dozen or two people, do you really think any of these parents have a clue or care what their kids are doing?
10-16-2013, 18:50
def90

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushMasterBoy

I was a military kid that changed schools every few years. The first kid that started bullying me, I attacked like my life depended upon it. Once everybody saw I was gonna retaliate ferociously, the bullying stopped. School officials are generally useless assholes...

That works for a few but in reality many kids are bullied because they are different or easy prey and wouldn't have the means to retaliate even if they wanted to.
10-16-2013, 19:43
Tinelement

Heard his program this morning.

Little shitheads.
10-16-2013, 19:58
TFOGGER

As someone that was bullied pretty mercilessly from 4th to 8th grades (I was pretty scrawny, and a brain), I really feel for the poor girl. The difference is that I gained 6 inches in height and 45 pounds the summer between 8th and 9th grades, which allowed me to take it to the bullies in spades. She is unlikely to be able to defend herself against the attacks, so the good, decent people around her must do it for her.
10-16-2013, 20:03
Irving

So change her cell phone number and don't give her the phone for school.
10-16-2013, 20:04
cstone

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronin13

Kinda makes you wonder, had we been better able to combat bullying back in the mid-90's, would Columbine have happened?

This is one of the myths of Columbine - http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/...ne-myths_N.htm

Harris and Klebold, in layman's terms were, "not wired right." Harris was most likely a certifiable sociopath.
10-16-2013, 21:42
sniper7

The bullying is bad, her mom needs to change her phone number at this point, tell her not to give out the number to people and/or not let them know she even has a phone.

I am wondering what the background is that led up to this? seems to me that something with sex with another student is involved based on the content of the texts. The reality is that kids will always come up with something to pick on people for. Once it gets going and takes hold, others jump on.

The biggest problem in the texts was the grammar. I swear I am going to read my sons texts for spelling and grammar. that shit bothers me.
10-16-2013, 21:46
JM Ver. 2.0

If you think you're going to stop this kind of stuff, Ronin, you're further gone than I thought.

Sent from my teepee using smoke signals.
10-16-2013, 21:47
cstone

Quote:

Originally Posted by sniper7

The biggest problem in the texts was the grammar. I swear I am going to read my sons texts for spelling and grammar. that shit bothers me.

I know right? I want to tell my daughter she is welcome to be a terrible person, but she damn well better be intelligent and articulate in her rude and threatening behavior [hahhah-no]
10-16-2013, 21:48
cstone

Quote:

Originally Posted by JM Ver. 2.0

If you think you're going to stop this kind of stuff, Ronin, you're further gone than I thought.

Sent from my teepee using smoke signals.

A lot of us entered the profession with a crusader personality. You get over it... or move on.
10-16-2013, 21:50
Great-Kazoo

Quote:

Originally Posted by JM Ver. 2.0

If you think you're going to stop this kind of stuff, Ronin, you're further gone than I thought.

Sent from my teepee using smoke signals.

Almost every ACADEMY recruit has visions of grandeur regarding how "Life on the Street" will be once in uniform. The cold hard slap of reality usually happens after their first Drunk driver fatality, DV, or child abuse call. Shit ain't pretty in the real world.
The flip side is the time being there when needed, makes all the difference in the world. No matter how small it seems to everyone else.
10-16-2013, 21:51
JM Ver. 2.0

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstone

A lot of us entered the profession with a crusader personality. You get over it... or move on.

I got over it pretty quick... Especially when you see the people caught in the revolving door.

Sent from my teepee using smoke signals.
10-16-2013, 22:00
cstone

Quote:

Originally Posted by JM Ver. 2.0

I got over it pretty quick... Especially when you see the people caught in the revolving door.

Sent from my teepee using smoke signals.

On a good day, I have about a 6' circular sphere of influence and maybe a square meter of control. The rest of the world is on it's own.

On a bad day, I don't even have control over myself.

To the OP's original question: "What kind of sick depraved world do we live in where bullies like this exist?" My personal answer is; A fallen, broken, needy world, full of broken and needy people. It's always better to tread the water than to try to breath it. Fight the good fight.

Be safe.
10-17-2013, 14:10
Skip

Sad.

I wonder how much the PC policies have caused this. Back in the day, there were kids that stood up for one another. These days those kids would be just as punished as the bullies for doing so.
10-17-2013, 14:31
sniper7

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstone

I know right? I want to tell my daughter she is welcome to be a terrible person, but she damn well better be intelligent and articulate in her rude and threatening behavior [hahhah-no]

I wasn't condoning the behavior at all. Just stating the grammar bothers me and it is a piece of the puzzle that is part of the overall problem.
10-17-2013, 14:55
generalmeow

I thought this thread was going to be about Jim.
10-17-2013, 15:15
sniper7

or Jim picking on Ronin! [ROFL3] I miss those threads
10-17-2013, 16:32
Great-Kazoo

Quote:

Originally Posted by sniper7

or Jim picking on Ronin! [ROFL3] I miss those threads

WINTER'S COMING it's not picking on someone,merely disagreeing. Unless you're on of the flag burners here. Then All bets are off, same for the gloves.
10-17-2013, 16:33
Great-Kazoo

Quote:

Originally Posted by generalmeow

I thought this thread was going to be about Jim.

If you think i'm a bully, you've lived a very sheltered life.
10-17-2013, 16:39
Ronin13

Quote:

Originally Posted by JM Ver. 2.0

If you think you're going to stop this kind of stuff, Ronin, you're further gone than I thought.

Not stop, I'm not naive. But the whole motivating factor for anyone doing the right thing is to, at a minimum, make some kind of a difference. If I could help my own children not be victims of bullying, and in turn they help a few of their peers to not be bullied, I'll put a mark in the win category.

To address Blacklabel's post about "war on bullying" and how "parents/kids can do more to prevent it," I can't help but come to the conclusion that you have very little experience in the world of bullying. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but I was bullied in school, and the guy's parents were d-bags, so nothing could be done on that end. As far as just "Standing up to the bully" that could have brought on more trouble as the kid (learned this later) was an absolute psycho and probably would have killed me had I stood up to him. Not to mention the fact that our "kinder, gentler" society does not allow any school violence of any kind- so sure, tell your kid the kick the snot out of the bully, and watch as they get punished too. Besides, I don't want to sound like a pacifist here, but I don't think giving a bully a beating will really help with some kids these days- it might lead to more, harsher, retaliatory action against the victim.

ETA: Jim's not a bully, I never considered him one, and, unless something changes, I don't think he'll ever be one- unless it's concerning nynco or someone like that. I like how Jim provides a different perspective, it add color to the conversation.
10-17-2013, 16:42
Great-Kazoo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronin13

Not stop, I'm not naive. But the whole motivating factor for anyone doing the right thing is to, at a minimum, make some kind of a difference. If I could help my own children not be victims of bullying, and in turn they help a few of their peers to not be bullied, I'll put a mark in the win category.

To address Blacklabel's post about "war on bullying" and how "parents/kids can do more to prevent it," I can't help but come to the conclusion that you have very little experience in the world of bullying. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but I was bullied in school, and the guy's parents were d-bags, so nothing could be done on that end. As far as just "Standing up to the bully" that could have brought on more trouble as the kid (learned this later) was an absolute psycho and probably would have killed me had I stood up to him. Not to mention the fact that our "kinder, gentler" society does not allow any school violence of any kind- so sure, tell your kid the kick the snot out of the bully, and watch as they get punished too. Besides, I don't want to sound like a pacifist here, but I don't think giving a bully a beating will really help with some kids these days- it might lead to more, harsher, retaliatory action against the victim.

When you drag them off a bus, cause they're picking on some downs syndrome kid,and put the boot to them, it get a message across, real fast. Especially when their "associates" are standing with their thumb up their ass, trying to figure out if they should jump in, or run. OOPS
10-17-2013, 19:02
Squeeze

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim

When you drag them off a bus, cause they're picking on some downs syndrome kid,and put the boot to them, it get a message across, real fast. Especially when their "associates" are standing with their thumb up their ass, trying to figure out if they should jump in, or run. OOPS

^^^This. Many years ago, had a kid who was 4 years older bullying my kid at an "after school" care center. I had a meeting with turd-child's parents, school director and we tried to hash it out like adults. Parents of turd-child refused to believe their kid was acting in this manner. I made a clear & present promise to the father of what my future action(s) would be if his perfect little child didn't knock it the f*** off. It didn't go so well after that. Ended up taking my child out of that place due to an "unfavorable" letter I received from the director 2 days later. However, problem was solved.

Parents need to do the best they can to try and stay as involved as possible in their child's life. Be realistic and be aware. As it was mentioned in a previous post, children are using techonology to dispense their evil, vile natured ways onto others. I just find it humorous and sad at the same time how everybody wants to stay all "happy, kind & gentle" with every situation because they are afraid to hurt someone's fragile sensibilities. Screw that. Cut to the chase, tell it like it is, be done with it. The poor girl in this article and her parents are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope they find some resolution to this. IMO, it all falls back on the parents.

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