Official advice - Don't stop bullies

[TenPenny]

Interesting perspective. When a loved one is being bullied, never do anything seems to be the police message here. Typical double speak - haven't they seen the ads aimed at kids saying if you let a bully act, you're part of the problem?

From The Globe and Mail:

If someone was taunting and harassing a loved one, your instinct would probably be to fight back, right?
Now what if the tormentor was a teenaged girl?
Halifax resident Christopher Whittle, 39, told the CBC, he used pepper spray on a 14-year-old girl after she harassed his boyfriend for weeks about being gay.
Whittle said the taunting began when his partner, who works at the Halifax Shopping Centre, wore beads to work from gay pride.
“This was happening every few days. She was coming and making comments about him being gay, and basically just taunting him for who he was…” Whittle told the broadcaster, explaining the girl used gay slurs. "After so much of this going on, and seeing how this affected him – someone you love being tortured in this way, it does something to you. It really does."
Obviously, such gay bashing is despicable and should not be tolerated from anyone. While his actions are extreme (and have landed him in trouble with the law), some are applauding Whittle for what he did next.
Whittle says he went to his car, got out his pepper spray, and sprayed the girl near the mall parking lot. Police arrested him hours later. He now faces charges of assault with a weapon and possession of a dangerous weapon.
Whittle told the CBC he had not realized how young the girl was at the time, believing she was a woman because she looked older. He was shocked to learn she was 14.
“I do regret how I handled it. I could have handled it differently. But at the time I guess I was just so upset with everything that had gone on, that’s how I reacted,” he said.
While police told the CBC there is no excuse to use pepper spray, plenty of online commenters are taking Whittle’s side.
“Good for him,” one commenter wrote on the Yahoo news site.
Another noted: “and the girl gets away scott free that’s crap….. so much for trying to stop bullies…”
Still others argued the police’s advice that people should call on their assistance instead of taking matters into their own hands is unhelpful.
The case raises some big questions: Is vigilantism ever justified?

 

[WLDB]

He could have handled the situation better. A lot better.

When I was a kid I didnt discriminate based on sex. If a girl attacked me Id fight back just as I would with a guy. Female bullies shouldnt get a pass for being a girl.

 

[JamesBondo]

"I do regret how I handled it. I could have handled it differently."

I believe than anyone that knows him, sincerely believes him too.

"Police say whatever the reason, there's no excuse to pepper spray anyone."

I respectfully disagree. Pepper spray has the potential to stop several brutes from violently attacking someone. Not every would be victim has the ability to run away or defend themselves. In many cases, a hockey stick or any number of impromtu weapons of defense, can be more violent of a way to defend oneself.

 

[karrie]

Interesting perspective. When a loved one is being bullied, never do anything seems to be the police message here.

Hmmmm.... don't pepper spray a 14 year old girl is the same thing as 'never do anything'?

 

[taxslave]

I can think of a few scenarios that would have been much more interesting to watch and totally humiliate the girl without causing harm.

 

[SLM]

Bully's attack forces Toronto couple to move - Canada - Canoe.ca

Personally I think the whole "trauma" and having to move piece is, well, lame, but none the less score one for the undisciplined brat and a minus one for the kind neighbour lady trying to do the right thing.

 

[Praxius]

Hmmmm.... don't pepper spray a 14 year old girl is the same thing as 'never do anything'?

My Jebus I have to stop repping people on my phone.... Those tiny little thumbs are hard to hit right.

That was.supposed to be a thumb up, sorry.

I can agree that his response was a bit excessive, but I also understand his position.

Bullies need to learn there are consequences for their actions.... And while some may think it was a bit heavy handed to pepper spray her, keep in mind that Bullying is just an over simplified term for Harassment.... And if a guy kept harassing a girl over and over like this girl did, he'd get peppered too

Bullying takes a whole new look when you call it for what it really is.. Harassment.

And the term Bullying is too vague of an identifier and dumbs it down as something trivial.

Either way I'm sure this would be a good method of making her think that she should leave him the hell alone for now on.

Oh and the Halifax Shopping Centre?

I did signs for the building.... All those green signs with those lighter green and grey swoops?

*raises hand*

 

[karrie]

No stress on the thumbs down.

But do you really think that she will leave him alone now or learn anything? I highly doubt it. She has the law on her side, and now he's just a sissy who had to get his boyfriend to fight his battles. With pepper spray. Against a 14 year old girl. Seriously, do you think any of her disparaging thoughts about gay men are going to have improved from this encounter? I know I don't find it instills respect in my mind for either one of these men.

It is, absolutely, 100%, harassment. And grown men should be able to deal more appropriately with the issue.

 

[petros]

When young critters fight it's survival of the fittest but when the human animals try to establish a pecking order it's bullying.

Who knew?

 

[captain morgan]

Bully's attack forces Toronto couple to move - Canada - Canoe.ca

Personally I think the whole "trauma" and having to move piece is, well, lame, but none the less score one for the undisciplined brat and a minus one for the kind neighbour lady trying to do the right thing.

What a spoiled little brat! Maybe time to fight fire with fire and look into convincing a 12 y/o in a different community to drop by and kick the living sh*t out of this kid.

I know, I know - 'violence is wrong', but it seems that more and more the only way to school these morons is to make them walk a mile (or 10) in the victim's shoes

Bullies need to learn there are consequences for their actions.

Hear, hear!

Perhaps there can be some severe consequences in place to put an end to this garbage

 

[TenPenny]

14 year old girls are innocent, never commit murders. You're right, a 14 year old girl bully is, in reality, the victim, and we should celebrate her for everything she does.

 

[petros]

Put them on anti-depressants that are one molecule from being MDMA and cut them loose with control of their dosage.

 

[JLM]

14 year old girls are innocent, never commit murders. You're right, a 14 year old girl bully is, in reality, the victim, and we should celebrate her for everything she does.

She has two problems............one: bullying, two: not minding her own business, maybe approach it on THAT basis first.

 

[petros]

Why do people bully?

 

[karrie]

14 year old girls are innocent, never commit murders. You're right, a 14 year old girl bully is, in reality, the victim, and we should celebrate her for everything she does.

Oh bull. Once again you're skipping past what's being said, and drawing it out to its least logical extremes.

 

[TenPenny]

Oh bull. Once again you're skipping past what's being said, and drawing it out to its least logical extremes.

No, I'm just reading that you think that pepper spraying a 14 year old girl who was a nasty bully is somehow wrong.

You made an issue out of the fact that she was a 14 year old girl. Why does that make a difference?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

No, I'm just reading that you think that pepper spraying a 14 year old girl who was a nasty bully is somehow wrong.

You made an issue out of the fact that she was a 14 year old girl. Why does that make a difference?

Pepper spraying anybody for verbal abuse is wrong.

 

[karrie]

No, I'm just reading that you think that pepper spraying a 14 year old girl who was a nasty bully is somehow wrong.

You made an issue out of the fact that she was a 14 year old girl. Why does that make a difference?

You're seriously confused as to why a 39 year old physically assaulting a 14 year old over verbal abuse is wrong? This whole 'antibullying' bull has clearly twisted some people's thinking.

 

[petros]

Pepper spraying anybody for verbal abuse is wrong.

It's assault.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

It's assault.

That too.