provoked fighting #3

[kkornek]

Kay Kornek
English 2
Period 3
September 14, 2008

Most bullies won’t start a physical fight, they will just try their hardest to provoke one. Parents and teachers will tell someone being teased and taunted to rise above it; don’t show the bullies that they got to them. For most teenagers, it is a lot easier said than done. It can be very hard to ignore someone who teases them relentlessly.
Emotional abuse can be far more hurtful than physical abuse. Another person’s taunting words may stay with them forever while the bumps and bruises from a fight will fade away. If someone thinks they are capable of getting through to a bully by fighting them, they should. Maybe they can get them to back off. It is worth a try, but most teenagers that are the victims, like Peter, aren’t strong or brave enough to go up against a bully in a fight.
For the people who decide to fight, they should be prepared for the consequences. There are always consequences for fighting, but I think the victim of the bullying should get off easy. It could be seen as a type of self defense. They were defending themselves from the non-stop verbal abuse. The bully should be punished for provoking the fight.
I definitely think you should be responsible to intervene when a friend is being teased. If Peter had friends that supported him and comforted him when he was taunted, he would not have dwelled on it as much. It would have made it easier for him to brush it off and forget about it. I also think that it would have eventually stopped the bullying. If the bullies noticed that it didn’t affect him as much, they wouldn’t have spent so much time trying to hurt him.

[paige]

I agree with a lot of what you said here. Yes, bumps and bruises will fade away, but the words will stick with you forever. That is a great point. But why is it right to fight the bully if it could be possible? Peter fought the bully in his own way, and he killed 10 of the students at Sterling High. Maybe a simple fist fight can take place, but all and all it's still violence. I agree that the bully's victim-who may have started violence- should be taken into consideration he or she was only defending themselves. But when does that go to far? Should a shooting fall under that category?

[kkornek]

Thanks. I don't think a shooting should fall under this category though. I didn't entirely consider that when i wrote this. A bully may make someone's life difficult but that doesn't justify their actions of taking someone's life. When a victim gets older, they may always remember the taunting words of a bully, but if they react by taking their life, that bully will never get older. They don't get a chance at life. If they were to get into a fist fight, it may not end all of their problems, but it may gain the attention of a teacher or principal, and that could help them.

[dwyer]

I completely agree that words can hurt more than physical harm. Injuries will most likely go away and you can get over it but words can hurt you so much and can sometimes result with physical harm as well. Bullies will often be just hurt inside so they pick on others. Though it may be difficult for you, it is better to show compassion to them instead of fighting back. It can really change their life and make them and you both happy inside. I somewhat agree on how bullies should be punished. I agree action should be taken but the consequence should be something helpful to them in which they learn a lesson that could make them a better person. I think that Peter should have handled it differently and seeked out help. It ended up in terrible fate. I strongly agree if the bullies in school get help, none of this would ever happen.

[shanicerivera]

I do think that if people like peter had friends to help him brush the situation off, but sometimes people just doesnt have friends and thats life but i also thin that you just cant start a fight because someone is bullying you. I mean that the whole self defense part depends on who hits who first not just who is more innocent or better. Yes, words are very hurtful but a fight is not the only way to solve something, but yes there are consequences to fighting. And both the bully and the victim should serve them becuse those who fight could make things worse do you think that fightin would really work? I guess sometimes it does but I dont think it will truly solve the problem.