Bullied Boy Dies

[Hotwire]

To me, bullies are among the lowest form of life there is. The kids responsible for this need to serve jail time. They have committed manslaughter. Far too often, too many people just role their eyes at bullying and say, "Well, it's just part of growing up." That is not acceptable! THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR BULLYING AND BULLIES SHOULD BE PUNISHED!

Link to the article.

Counselors are at the school today where 12-year-old Bailey O'Neill was allegedly bullied before he died.

• Investigators Question Role Bullying Played

Flags at Darby Township School are at half-staff in his memory.


O'Neill died at the hospital Sunday morning after being taken off life support. O'Neill, who turned 12 the day before he died, had been in a medically-induced coma after suffering several seizures.


Those seizures started nearly two weeks after O'Neill was jumped by two classmates during recess, according to O'Neill's family. He suffered a concussion as well as a broken nose in the fight. After the seizures began, doctors put the boy in a medically-induced coma.


Joy Fecanin, the boy's grandmother, told NBC10's Katy Zachry that O'Neill had to have a blood transfusion after getting pneumonia.


On Sunday, the following message was posted on the Building Hope for Bailey Facebook Page:
"I would like to thank everyone who has prayed and supported Bailey and his family!! Bailey has been the strongest toughest boy I know. He has fought this battle long and hard. There just wasn't a way to fix this. I wish I could say he will get better but I can't. Bailey has gone to be with God today I love you Jina Risoldi with all my heart and I will help you through this. Bailey I love you!!! Please keep Baileys family in your prayers!!!"

While the students who jumped Bailey were suspended for two days, investigators have not revealed whether they will be criminally charged.


“I would like to see these kids punished,” said Fecanin when she spoke to Zachry last month. “Something has to be done. I don’t know what’s taking them so long.”


Southeast Delco School District Superintendent Stephen D. Butz says the school sends its condolences to the boy's friends and family. He said additional counselors are being made available for both students and staff.


Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan says investigators are trying to determine if the injuries Bailey received in the fight caused his seizures. Investigators interviewed students and recess aides who were on the playground when the fight broke out.


“We can assure them that we are going to continue with our investigation,” said Whelan.


Bailey’s younger brother was taken out of the school because his parents were worried that he'd also be the victim of bullying.

 

[NickNitro]

I read this earlier....words cant explain how much I can't stand to read something like this. I was bullied as a child and its the worst feeling a child can feel. These kids should absolutely serve time.

 

[Marvolo]

While I detest a bully, there are factors on the bully's side that play a role. Their home life being one. The bully's parents are to blame in just as many cases as not. If the child is abused both psychologically and physically it can have a profound effect on them and lead them to return the violence on other weaker people and creatures. Yes, these bullies should answer for what they did, and be punished, but sending them to jail to be further abused and emotionally damaged in the penal system will only intensify the behavior we wish to stop. At their age, summary judgment won't solve anything.

My thoughts go out to the victims parents.

 

[CastlesInTheAir]

Thats not bullying. Thats assault. Its illegal.

 

[ThePhantasm]

Yeah, would anyone use the word bullying if this were a story about adults and not children? Bullying doesn't sound like a strong enough word for what happened here.

 

[CastlesInTheAir]

As far as I'm concerned, "bullying" is anything thats not severe enough to be called a crime. This is definitely a crime and their should definitely be punishment for those involved.

 

[Marvolo]

Thats not bullying. Thats assault. Its illegal.

Yeah, would anyone use the word bullying if this were a story about adults and not children? Bullying doesn't sound like a strong enough word for what happened here.

Anytime a bully strikes another kid it is assault. This just happened to be an extreme example of it. Extreme to the point that I would not expect this from a healthy sane kid. Which makes me think something else is going on. This does go beyond your typical bullying.

 

[CastlesInTheAir]

I know people with the most loving parents and comfortable home life who still end up becoming *****heads. I don't think parents should be blamed every time someone does something they know is wrong. The only person who should be blamed is the person who committed the crime in the first place.

 

[ThePhantasm]

I know people with the most loving parents and comfortable home life who still end up becoming *****heads. I don't think parents should be blamed every time someone does something they know is wrong. The only person who should be blamed is the person who committed the crime in the first place.

Parents don't have direct responsibility for their child's actions but they do have indirect responsibility.

 

[Marvolo]

I know people with the most loving parents and comfortable home life who still end up becoming *****heads. I don't think parents should be blamed every time someone does something they know is wrong. The only person who should be blamed is the person who committed the crime in the first place.

No one is saying blame every parent, but parents should not be automatically ruled out. Also, just because a child commits a horrible act does not mean that they should forever be pegged as a violent socipath. Children are very impressionable and vulnerable to outside influences. At this age if possible the kid may still be saved. I'm more interested in getting to the bottom of the problem and rehabilitating the kid if possible rather than locking the kid away and letting him be further warped by the penal system. Obviously some are beyond help, but we should make sure of that first.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

No one is saying blame every parent, but parents should not be automatically ruled out. Also, just because a child commits a horrible act does not mean that they should forever be pegged as a violent socipath. Children are very impressionable and vulnerable to outside influences. At this age if possible the kid may still be saved. I'm more interested in getting to the bottom of the problem and rehabilitating the kid if possible rather than locking the kid away and letting him be further warped by the penal system. Obviously some are beyond help, but we should make sure of that first.

This.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Thats not bullying. Thats assault. Its illegal.

This. I think saying it's bullying is oversimplifying the situation.

 

[Siby]

This. I think saying it's bullying is oversimplifying the situation.

I totally agree. While there are grades of bullying this seems like an all out attack on the poor kid.

I was bullied in high school by a big fat kid who wanted the cliche lunch money and just wanted to intimidate me. He would follow me home and shout things at me and my brother. One day I had enough and punched him several times and then it all stopped. Strangely, he wanted to be friends after that.

This story just makes me want to cry. I have a son almost that age and I cannot imagine the pain those parents must be feeling. I would go insane!

 

[terry78]

Nobody wants to call things like murder and assualt because honestly...they're kids. Even if we were picked on at that age we all did some pretty unsavory and idiotic **** back then that we only got away with because we were underage. If you're 12 and you murder someone you'll be punished but it won't be jail time or the death penalty.

 

[CastlesInTheAir]

Honestly, 12 is old enough to realize the consequences of your actions. "They're just kids" is not a good enough excuse for me. I've heard kids tell each other "If you're going to commit a crime do it before you're 18 so you your record stays clean". Calling someone names is one thing, but getting a group together and jumping someone after school is obviously wrong, and if they don't understand that well then theres no hope for them.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

If you're old enough to kill, you're old enough to face the consequences.

 

[Marvolo]

Honestly, 12 is old enough to realize the consequences of your actions. "They're just kids" is not a good enough excuse for me. I've heard kids tell each other "If you're going to commit a crime do it before you're 18 so you your record stays clean". Calling someone names is one thing, but getting a group together and jumping someone after school is obviously wrong, and if they don't understand that well then theres no hope for them.

Twelve is a long way from an adult. A person changes a lot physically and emotionally in their teenage years so to take someone who isn't even a teenager and forever peg them as a sociopathic killer is frankly irresponsible and wrong of the adults. We are the adults. We should do what is best for all the children involved in this. That means swallowing our passion for vengeance. If we throw them in jail or scowl at them and scorn them for the rest of their lives especially in their teenage years they will either get worse and completely fall into a sociopathic hatred of society and its laws or they will hurt themselves. Two outcomes that neither brings back this poor child nor helps the other children.

Crimes and punishment are fairly straightforward with an adult because they are fully matured or well on their way to who they will always be. With children this age they will go through so much change in the next ten years that anything we do to them now could seriously mess them up down the road, and have the opposite effect of what we want. With children we can't go looking for blood payment and vengeance. We have to handle it gently and with a sound unbiased mind not driven by rage. We have to be mindful of the effects our actions will have on their future and who they become. We also have to remember that none of us fully grown can possibly say we are the same people we were when we were 12. These are still children, and they still can change a lot.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying hold their hand and say they did nothing wrong. They should be made to feel guilt, but not at the expense of their development. If they can be made to feel guilt it will do the rest.

 

[titansupes]

These little punks should be punished. I can't believe there's even a debate about this.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

There's always some bleeding hearts.

 

[Figs]

There's always some bleeding hearts.

Exactly!

I couldn't believe the **** I was hearing a number of years ago, when the bleeding hearts where trying to take pity on bullies. Saying that they're only doing it to lash out because they are growing up in a broken home and possibly getting beat by their daddies.

Even if they have anger issues because they're "possibly" being abused at home, doesn't justify taking it out on other kids.

What it's always come down to, is that most of them are just trying to look cool in front of their friends.

 

[Schlosser85]

Just to be clear, I'm not saying hold their hand and say they did nothing wrong. They should be made to feel guilt, but not at the expense of their development. If they can be made to feel guilt it will do the rest.

This isn't a matter of throwing spitballs in class and writing on the chalkboard 100 times that you won't do it again.

They murdered a kid.

 

[Snow Queen]

I'm usually not for punishing children with jail time at this age but these kids deserve it.

 

[Hotwire]

Twelve is a long way from an adult. A person changes a lot physically and emotionally in their teenage years so to take someone who isn't even a teenager and forever peg them as a sociopathic killer is frankly irresponsible and wrong of the adults. We are the adults. We should do what is best for all the children involved in this. That means swallowing our passion for vengeance. If we throw them in jail or scowl at them and scorn them for the rest of their lives especially in their teenage years they will either get worse and completely fall into a sociopathic hatred of society and its laws or they will hurt themselves. Two outcomes that neither brings back this poor child nor helps the other children.

Crimes and punishment are fairly straightforward with an adult because they are fully matured or well on their way to who they will always be. With children this age they will go through so much change in the next ten years that anything we do to them now could seriously mess them up down the road, and have the opposite effect of what we want. With children we can't go looking for blood payment and vengeance. We have to handle it gently and with a sound unbiased mind not driven by rage. We have to be mindful of the effects our actions will have on their future and who they become. We also have to remember that none of us fully grown can possibly say we are the same people we were when we were 12. These are still children, and they still can change a lot.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying hold their hand and say they did nothing wrong. They should be made to feel guilt, but not at the expense of their development. If they can be made to feel guilt it will do the rest.

Made to feel guilt? Really? Where the Hell do we draw the f***ing line?!?! These kids went WAY beyond the point of getting off so light that they are only "made to feel guilt". That sounds an awful lot like, "Go to your room and think about what you've done." Give me a God damn break! Perhaps, just maybe, if these little s***s are sent to prison for manslaughter, some bullies elsewhere will think twice before they try to do something like this. This is going to haunt that poor boy's parents for the rest of their lives, it damn well better haunt these bullies for the rest of theirs.

 

[chaseter]

Yes this is assault, not bullying. Saying 'bullied teen dies' sounds like someone was calling him names or laughing at him and he just died from anxiety. He got beat up and had a concussion that later killed him. This is murder, not bullying.

 

[Beanjuice]

Twelve is a long way from an adult. A person changes a lot physically and emotionally in their teenage years so to take someone who isn't even a teenager and forever peg them as a sociopathic killer is frankly irresponsible and wrong of the adults. We are the adults. We should do what is best for all the children involved in this. That means swallowing our passion for vengeance. If we throw them in jail or scowl at them and scorn them for the rest of their lives especially in their teenage years they will either get worse and completely fall into a sociopathic hatred of society and its laws or they will hurt themselves. Two outcomes that neither brings back this poor child nor helps the other children.

Crimes and punishment are fairly straightforward with an adult because they are fully matured or well on their way to who they will always be. With children this age they will go through so much change in the next ten years that anything we do to them now could seriously mess them up down the road, and have the opposite effect of what we want. With children we can't go looking for blood payment and vengeance. We have to handle it gently and with a sound unbiased mind not driven by rage. We have to be mindful of the effects our actions will have on their future and who they become. We also have to remember that none of us fully grown can possibly say we are the same people we were when we were 12. These are still children, and they still can change a lot.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying hold their hand and say they did nothing wrong. They should be made to feel guilt, but not at the expense of their development. If they can be made to feel guilt it will do the rest.

Read what you just wrote back to yourself and maybe you'll see how stupid you sound. Make them feel guilt and let that do the rest? Are you high? Kids in a position like this, or any position when they've done something wrong, will do anything, say anything, or feel anything to get out of trouble. If you give them just a slap on the wrist and scolding, they'll feel that they got away with it, and if they think they can do it once, they'll do it again. Their development is no longer a concern. They already chose to act like violent criminals and they should be treated as such. What you don't seem to realize is that your approach of " make them understand wrong and guilt and help them go back to the light side" fails more often than it succeeds. If they are displaying these kind of violent tendencies, that go WAY beyond a typical case of bullying, think of what they'll do as adults. Their development is already ruined. Whether they feel remorse for this crime or not, it will scar their minds now and forever, and cause even more damage in the future.



You can blame the parents, you can blame the home life, the bully's self image etc. But this was not a simple case of bullying. This was a ruthless assault plain and simple, that resulted in the loss of a young life. With or without interior or exterior factors in play, there is no acceptable circumstance or excuse for someone to cause pain, suffering, and death of this magnitude on someone so young and innocent. They deserve to be tried as adults and given the most severe, embarrassing punishment available.