There was a very memorable case of a young girl who committed suicide after months of bullying in school, that then continued after classes were out with facebook, email and text. Those horrible young girls deserve no less then jail.
Persisant abuse is abuse whether in person or online. If it would be horrible to say to someone's face, it's just as dreadful to say online to a complete stranger.
Originally Posted by Lauren Summerhill
Was this the girl in poland? or the czech republic? I heard about that, it was awful! It was following a very real sexual harrassment though.
Then there is that other guy who just happened to jump from the George W brigde (in my private blog i write about that matter) - Tyler Clementi - after getting bullied and harrassed by his roommates.
I think, however , the answer to that topic is not quite so simple. I am a person who prefers to tell people stuff in the face, and let them learn and grow or defend themselves, as opposed to backstab them secretely and tell them nice stories in the face. And i have personally way more problems with said people since it leaves the ones talked about defenseless. (Interesting enough - hate speech in europe seems to be only a crime when concerning the Nationalsocialism - it seems to be ok to be a racist politically without being put in prison , stalking someone is much harder to proof and to defend than in the USA either - there are people being harrassed constantly and its very hard to proof in court - a female collegue of mine from switzerland has a stalker !! Its hard, because she is a sexworker (oooh i mean massage therapist) the courts just don`t do anything in her favour ... i think in the USA its a bit different. But still .. look at the case of Tyler Clementi, where a simple "i am sorry" from his perpetrators is seen legally as a guilty plea.... so much about ethics , right? )
The question is, what does more harm? Having a bad character and showing it in internet or whenever you go making people upset or defending themselves ? Or pretending to play nice while secretely backstabbing people behing their backs? Both acts are very very shameful and to be resented.
And I mean, we had that discussion earlier here as well, on escorts dating someone with racist intent. Does it serve the purpose of racism better if you just stop talking about it? Or do you rather take offense and state an opinion? I think - even if the barriers are close - (and for whom that might find young immature women interesting books like LOLITA have been written....and censored.... but still read)
do you then think that just censorship alone prevents misuse? Or the usual "turn your heads away" and "pretend it didn`t happen" ? . I don`t think so. The act of forbidding an expression does not make that said expression not happening.
I think the prevention has to start way earlier. With ethic courses in school. While religious instruction i do not see so purposeful, because some religions fuel hate against minorities (sexworkers, gay people) as well , i see an ethics instruction on how to broaden your mind way better. And to discuss various issues and constructive ways of handling them.
Freud already statet that culture is an invention to keep the beast within the humans within content.
And the same points that you stated against immigration and sexworkers, some conservatives or fundamentalists can state against sexworkers and the content of your actions.
How would you feel if someone tells you to shut up, because your profession is an unworthy one and people should be saved from your opinion?
As we already discovered in the diamonds thread: "what is normal for one person is offensive for another person". And i am talking about boundaries within the "normal" psychological personas of people. Not about rapists and child abusers and perverted men who have no respect for nothing. But even within the normative standards of - average - and normal people like us who do not touch the boarders to insanity - its still a very uneasy topic to discuss.
My rule of thumb - even if political uncorrect - rather discuss issues than have them happening and ignoring them. I think IF we are to prevent abuse of any sort its rather by letting people state their opinion and THEn take measurements of discussion so people can learn and grow. Or not. But just ignoring issues is preventing any kind of growth per se.
And it does not stop perverts from acting out either. Gay movements and feminism liberals would not have been reaping all their benefits they gather now (still its not enough) if they always were served a - legally threatened - big cup of shut the f*ck up! I remember being gay way once punishable, so was being black and sitting on a bench in a bus. If people always followed laws no progress ever would happen.
I think its worse to pretend everything is ok and ignore issues than be confronted with sometimes crappy opinions and learn how to defend yourself, shape your brain and eventually help others. I think perverts are an exception to any rule per se. But still they do have to talk, because otherwise no ICD or DSM manuals were being able to make.