Do you agree with this punishment?

Question

my friend Anna was accused of "bullying" for calling another one of her peers "short". The situation was as follows;

Anna was walking with another friend towards the band room. From there they were confronted by another peer. Anna's friend had initially called the peer, "short". He replied by calling her "zit face". Anna and her friend turned away, while her friend had said "When I get older, I'll kill him." Anna replies "Well, he's so short you can just step on him." Resulting in Anna getting 1 day of ISS.

Her parent's as well her friends and peers are well against this act, and the administration refuses to back away from their punishment. Forcing her parents to think about sending her off to another school. Which no one wants.

Do you agree that my friend shouldn't get ISS for this ?

Please state your opinions below.

Answer 1

Whoever started the problem should do the punishment. It that can't be determined, then All should do the Time.

That is my answer.

Answer 2

why are the parents so quick to send her to another school? If a rule is broken and you (the child and the parents) knew ahead of time (schools always make students and parents sign off on rules and regs.) what the punishment would be, you should comply with it. One day, come on now thats nothing to get in a big huff about. No ones rights were violated. Now the killing part, thats a whole different situation, those parents should be greatly worried about their child's mental health, you just don't say stuff like that. Life ain't always fair, and punishment is never fair, but for get the school or ISS, this child who made death threats over something so minor needs some help.  

Answer 3

Something about this story just does not ring true - sorry.  I mean what parent would change schools over just a small incident such as this??

Is there a history you have not mentioned??

Answer 4

The ISS punishment is to teach her to refrain from making another snarky comment to someone without thinking first. The punishment is a little out there but at least it may get the "think before you speak" moral in her head.

Answer 5

Whoever started the confrontation should be the one punished. From your answer it seems that either this other peer did it or Anna's friend. I guess it hurt your peer that Anna was hilarious with her insult.

So nothing happens to the kid who calls her 'Zit face', nothing happens to the kid that says 'I'm going to KILL him' but something happens to a less violent approach?

Talk to the parent governors at your school.  

Answer 6

Many schools have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying. Obviously your friend was overheard by a teacher or someone in authority at the school. Apparently, in their eyes, your friend was guilty of bullying.

Answer 7

What your friend did was join in bullying.  School is suppose to be a safe zone.  Anna should have stayed out.  She did not.

Answer 8

uhm well thats mean SERISOULY i used to be really short and i hated it when they called me short ughh! like seriosuly it got on my last nerve!!!! but i ended up taller then that girl so i beat her up. no im just playing but i did end up taller than her so i called her short and she regreted saying it to me KARMA is a______  yeah i think u knwo the word but it was mean wen u said that but the punishmeent is too drastic thats waht i think so dik maybe the day of "ISS" SOoooo yeah

Answer 9

She might have to just "grin and bear it," for a day. Why make this incident into such an ordeal like transferring schools? Sorry, you friend was wrongly punished but it happens all the time.

Answer 10

That's a bit harsh considering that it happens all the time.  The sad part is that the "short" kid actually told on her.  

Answer 11

sounds like they all should be kicked out of school

Answer 12

They should have done something about the kid that said he wanted to kill someone instead of the one that made the "short" comment. In most schools (especially those with zero tolerance policies) that would be considered a threat even if it wasn't serious). Bring that up at the next board meeting.

Answer 13

The entire situation is ridiculous.  Schools have gotten way to sensitive.  They keep censoring everyone and pretty soon everybody will need prozac.

Answer 14

nope try peer mediation or take it its only a day.

Answer 15

Well, I think it's kind of a harsh punishment. The kid kind of provoked them by calling her zit face..although she shouldn't have called him short. And I don't think they should talk about killing him..But I still thing its sort of a harsh punishment.

Answer 16

Sounds like all involved should have been counseled or lectured, but no one should have been given ISS or any other disciplinary action.  It's all childish c**p, and they should have been told that.

Edit:  This does not sound like bullying to me, just name-calling.  And her statement that one day she'll kill him was not a direct threat to him, but a comment to her friend.  Had she said it to him, then it would be a threat, which would constitute simple assault under the law.

Answer 17

no...people say stuff like that all the time at my school...iss for that?...i think thats a really really really really really stupid punishment...she shouldnt get punished at all...she hardly did anything...although they did mention something about killing him...thats probably the only reason she got in trouble other then that she did nothing worse then the boy did by calling her zit face

Answer 18

Obiously, the person who gave her ISS was someone who didn't care about other peoples feelings, resolting in this predicament that adults don't care about younger childrens/teenagers feelings when it comes to mean old teachers

Answer 19

I'm so glad I don't go to school anymore.....oh yeah, I agree with the punishment.....

Answer 20

Why is this 8th grade drama in the law section.

Anywho, tell her not to go and stay home?

Answer 21

umm imo, the person who said "when i get older, ill kill him" should of gotten expelled.

they dont take to kindly to death threats, or threats of any kind in schools anymore.

not sure why anything happened to anna though if she wasnt the one who said that.

its just 1 day of ISS too, its not the end of the world. everyone is overreacting about that part.

EDIT: ISS isnt put on a record....its nothing to worry about. Her parents are way way way over reacting and need to chill, like..majorly.

Answer 22

ISS isnt that bad for one day

sure the school over reacted a little bit (detention would have been a better choice) but her parents are also over reacting by sending her to another school

plus abou the one day im gonna kill him part is techinically a death threat

our school has a zero tolerance bullying policy here in kentucky it is against the law and you could get charges pressed agasint you too if the parents wanted too

Answer 23

She probably got ISS for (whether jokingly or not) threatening to kill him.  And it doesn't matter if it was her friend, she was in on the conversation. I hope her friend was punished as well. Basically, it's not your school so the principals can do as they please within reason. I don't think you should be defending this person, and I don't think this is a worthy question for the ethics section either.