Regina council passes law against bullying
While no one likes a bully and violence should be dealt with, it’s the online part that got my attention. Who defines what constitutes bullying? Is making a disparaging remark against a politician illegal? Is saying you don’t like someone’s shoes on your blog causing “emotional distress” if that person is really, really sensitive about their feet? Can’t wait to see how this fares in court.
Regina [Saskatchewan, Canada] city council has taken aim at bullies with a new bylaw that allows fines of up to $2,000 for bullying in public or in cyberspace.
On Monday night, council approved the Regina Anti Bullying and Public Fighting Bylaw. Among other things, it makes it illegal to bully another person in any public place and through written or electronic communication. It also makes it an offence to take pictures or video of a fight and post it online.
Bullying includes comments or conduct intended to “intimidate, humiliate or isolate” people in a way that causes “physical or emotional distress,” according to the Saskatchewan city’s bylaw.
Fines will range from $100 to $2,000. Police will ticket offenders.
Coun. Fred Clipsham said the bylaw is designed to fill a gap in the laws against bullying, both in public and online.
“Certainly, this new type of internet bullying where episodes of bullying are posted on the internet and a young person’s humiliation just goes on and on and on … it’s really something I’d like to see come to an end,” he said.
Earlier this year, a report prepared by city staff said bullying is a growing concern for many people in Regina. It said there are concerns that “with increasing frequency,” schoolyard fights in Regina are being videotaped and displayed online.
The bylaw doesn’t apply to children under the age of 12. In cases involving youths between 12 and 16, parents will face the fine.
It doesn’t apply to situations of domestic violence or workplace bullying, which are covered by different laws.
Why don’t they just call it a “hate” crime and get it over with.
That’s almost as vague and subjective as most sexual harassment laws.
Just another *make the public feel good* law. You can’t regulate peoples thoughts and feeling’s. Especially on the internet where many times you don’t see or hear the other person, so their tone, or demeanor is impossible to determine.
This is one of my top complaints about liberals. They continuiosly attempt to regulate speech and thought…..and the Republican religious right attempts to regulate morality.
Sorry far left and far right….it can’t be done.
Sounds like the speech codes all these colleges are so happy about.
I was one of the people who argued passionately against glossing over bullying the last time it came up on this blog, but yes, this one seems overly vague. Just because I want serious bullying taken care of doesn’t mean I want every tiny thing to be criminalized, or that kids should be protected from every tiny little dispute between them.
This is like the zero tolerance rules that prevent kids from taking aspirin in school because it’s a “drug” or having nail clippers because it’s a “weapon.” You’re taking a good idea and pushing it to a ridiculous conclusion. This is actually counter productive because it invites backlash and makes my side look ridiculous.
However, it does seem like they had a good intent, which was to stop people videotaping schoolyard fights and posting them on the internet, which I can support. However, they may be doing it in their usual heavy handed way which makes overly broad rules that are subject to abuse.
As for the hate crime comment, that’s exactly my point. Here’s a law with good intent that gets abused.
The point of the hate crimes law was that if someone spraypaints “kill all jews” on someone’s house, that has a more serious effect than just any old graffiti and should be treated as such. However, it’s been twisted so that any crime against any type of minority can now be labelled a hate crime. The subsequent ridicule of the hate crimes laws are therefore deserved because this has become the rule.
Lawmakers and school administrators are not known for their finesse in creating these rules/laws so that they can’t be abused.
Well, as the saying goes: “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”
Regina, the only town who’s name rhymes with fun!
Please post this positive comment on the new anti-bullying by-law. This is great step towards helping the people that are being bullied by creating awareness of a major social problem. Anybody can find fault and point out problems but very few offer solutions. Educate the adults to teach the children about showing respect to each other at an early age and someday we shall have peace on this earth. If we start today, we may see changes in our society in 50 years. Just an informed opinion.
Victor B.