What should society do with bullies such as the 6 girls that beat up Victoria Linsay in Poke County Florida and received no prison time?

Answer 1

Especially while kids are still young, it is important to put them through behavior programs and peer mediation so they can learn to respect their peers and to deal with their anger and issues.

Most bullies are bullied at home by parents, siblings and other family members. Bullying case of Victoria Linsay in Poke County, Florida: * The media has suggested that the lead girl in the beating of Victoria Linsay was angry over some makeup not returned. Whether this is merely poor reporting or the truth the point is ... there is no excuse for the brutal and 'pack mentality' these girls used against Victoria. * The most disgusting point of this case is that these girls thought they would retain their 'cool' by showing this video on YouTube and MySpace! It is well noted that many students will use their cell phones to take pictures of mainly young male students fighting and then putting it on YouTube and MySpace. * Victoria was enticed to the house of her so-called friends where she was then repeatedly punched and was unconscious for a time, but once regaining consciousness she was beaten severely again. Two boys stood outside the door of the house to warn the girls if anyone was coming. * Victoria was beaten so badly she had loose teeth; her face so swollen her father didn't even recognize her; eye and ear trauma, bruises and psychological trauma. * All eight suspects (ranging from 14 - 18) were charged with false imprisonment and battery and three of them were charged with kidnapping because they forced Victoria Lindsay into a care and drove her to another location after the beating. * It was reported by two police officers that one girl said, 'Does this mean I won't be able to attend my cheer leading practice?' The other girl said, 'Can I still go on Spring Break?' The officers were floored! The girls giggled and carried on sure to be set free and showing absolutely no signs of remorse for what they had done. The smirks were taken off their face when it was decided they would be tried as adults! * Mr. Shumarker (Stephen Shumaker's father) insisted to the media his son was not present so he couldn't have been watching the door and even made the statement that the video was over rated and it didn't look like a savage attack at all. It's obvious by this statement Mr. Schumaker needs to attend parenting classes and to make his son responsible for his own actions instead of covering it up as something trivial. * All six girls attend Mulberry High School. * All eight involved were tried as adults! Good! Unfortunately, instead of sending the six girls to do prison time in a secured area of prison (perhaps a controlled scare or two along the way would help) their parents had to pay fines, bonds for the release of the girls; they received Community Service; they are not to attend or go near Mulberry High School; they will be on probation and they are not to go near Victoria Linsay's home or in the vicinity of any place Victoria may be and they are absolutely not to have contact with her. It has been reported recently that Victoria is being home schooled and is too afraid to go to school or even go out to shop and is still suffering from psychological trauma. Dr. Phil (I would still like to see where he got his actual diploma in psychiatry or, the State he got it in didn't have very high standards) came forward and wanted to help the bullies! Poor choice, because recently on the news Dr. Phil was told to 'back off' and keep his nose out of it. If he was to help anyone it would make more sense to help the victim and not the perpetrators. So .. what's the message the bullies and their parents are getting? Not much! In cases such as this there was a public out cry for 'the pack mentality' of these girls and no showing of remorse and the constant problem of bullying in and out of school. What should have happened: * Children's Aid running a full investigation into the parenting skills of the parents and why their daughters (and sons) are left free at this age to do as they wish. Our questions are ...'where are the parents?' If the parents are found unfit then they receive heavy fines and programs to learn how to be a better parents and to control their teens! * Although the two boys standing guard outside the door didn't beat Victoria up they were an accessory to the crime along with the six girls. All should have been given a good year in a secured area of a prison along with psychological counseling. The girls especially needed to know what fear was and they would have gotten a taste of it in prison. * Once released from prison all eight should receive regular psychological counseling until the courts deemed otherwise. * Parole for all eight for five years. * Parents of the bullies should be made to pay all medical bills that Victoria's family has had to pay, including psychological counseling for trauma. * This case should have been re tried by another judge. This was the perfect case to use as to what can happen to bullies if they break the law and the American Judicial System let Victoria Linsay down and many more to follow. This leaves the perpetrators feeling more powerful and they have the chance to boast to their friends about 'how they got away with it' and laugh like they did in their cells when arrested. People everywhere (whether they have children or not) need to get involved in the growing number of bullies against other students. Not only are students bullied, but in some cases so have teachers been bullied and threatened. Society has to wake up and realize that victims of bullying are in constant terror of walking the streets to school, etc., and bullying is not just a bloody nose, black eye, but some lead to murder (several cases in Canada) and some students that are bullied constantly feel there is no way out and feel hopeless and some commit suicide. What a waste of beautiful souls and minds. We can turn away; say 'Oh well, I don't have kids ... have enough problems without worrying about this', but if you don't petition along with other parents and knock the Judicial System and the Government flat on their butts with a 'not enough laws against bullies and no protection for victims of bullying and we're not putting up with it any longer' then you are part of the problem! Good, decent kids count on adults to protect them.