Cross Posted at Legal Schnauzer
Bullying, and its potentially deadly consequences, has become one of the most discussed topics in America. The suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi is the best known of at least five cases where gay teens have killed themselves after reportedly being bullied. In the Cleveland suburb of Mentor, Ohio, four teens have died by their own hands in the past two years after being bullied.
The Web is awash with articles from both the academic and mainstream press about bullying, almost all focusing on youths. But here is an ugly truth about bullying: It doesn't end with the teen years. It can extend well into adulthood, and in some respects, adult bullying is even nastier than the teen variety--with consequences that can be just as severe.
One has to wonder if our culture somehow encourages bullying--in all age groups.
Consider the subject matter of this blog. If I were asked to give a one-sentence description of Legal Schnauzer , I might say, "It's about adult bullying and a court system that seems to sanction it." The vast majority of our posts, in one way or another, can be summed up in that simple statement. Come to think of it, I might need to change our tag line at the top of the blog.
You might say that I have experienced "bullying in reverse." I don't recall ever being bullied as a kid. But for some reason, The Man Upstairs has seen fit to get me well acquainted with it in adulthood.
If we examine the elements of the personal story we've laid out here at Legal Schnauzer, what do we learn?
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