Self Defense (in Schools)

[Bluesman]

Ok... I don't know how anyone else's schools are but in my school the rule is that if you throw a punch, no matter what the situation, you get ISS. Doesn't matter if you're defending yourself, starting a fight, or what. What are your thoughts on this? Should you be able to punch back in self defense, or should you be forced to sit there and take a beating in order to avoid consequences?

In my opinion, if someone starts a fight with you, you should finish it. Ever since I was in elementary school, my parents told me that if someone hit you, then hit them back twice as hard. I'm not going to be a human punching bag and take abuse to avoid ISS... if worst comes to worst, I'll take the ISS. I just find it ridiculous that we are not allowed to defend ourselves should a fight break out.

[Quahog]

Bah, the problem is, school staff could care less about you defending yourself. They only care about keeping the students safe, yet they don't understand that if someone punches you, you're not going to stand there and get the crap beat of you, your going to try and defend yourself.

A friend of mine was constantly being bullied by these jerks, because he's weak and nerdy and all that other stuff. When he was walking home, the bully started to beat him up in an alley, he fought back, and gave him a black eye, and guess who got into trouble, my friend. Only because he had no scars, and the bully had a black eye. So unfair.

[Amnesiac]

This thread is my opinion. (http://www.virtualteen.org/forums/showthread.php?t=82177)

[Triceratops]

I have always been brought up to fight back if someone tries to fight with me. I believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. If someone hits me, I won't hold back.

However, I'm never the one to start a fight in the first place, so whenever I do hit someone it's always out of defense.

[Sebastian Michaelis]

I think the rule is at my school is that if you get hit twice and they are about to hit you again then what you do to them to get them to stop will not be held against you unless you could have gotten an adult.

[scuba steve]

I think the rule is at my school is that if you get hit twice and they are about to hit you again then what you do to them to get them to stop will not be held against you unless you could have gotten an adult.

What if you were carrying scissors when you where attacked? :rolleyes:

In my opinion if someone trys to hit you beat the shit out of them if you want but the moral thing to do would be to do what needs to be done to simply subdue the individual. There should be no disciplinary measure against school yard scraps unless it was seen by a teacher or pupils (who are trustworthy) who started this fight.

[Jess]

if you use self defense I don't think you should be punished...but what if someone lies and said they were defending themselves to get out of trouble, and he/she really didn't?

I'm not sure about the policy of self defense at my school

[Sogeking]

but what if someone lies and said they were defending themselves to get out of trouble, and he/she really didn't?

I agree with this. It's more complicated than who started first, you have to look at the bigger picture. People will, more often than not, people will lie about the situation to save their asses. Maybe there is no witnesses around to prove who's right or wrong so they'll both get equally punished. And even if there are witnesses around, they'll claim to have seen nothing, even though they'll huddle around them to see what's going on. You could say get alibi's to help your case, but that system can also become easily abused when you're opponent started the fight and a few of his buddies say you did. To do a thorough investigation would be a waste of time and resources. So to avoid all that trouble, the school will just punish both parties equally.

Don't get me wrong I do believe self defense should go unpunished, but people aren't always honest.

[Korashk]

if you use self defense I don't think you should be punished...but what if someone lies and said they were defending themselves to get out of trouble, and he/she really didn't?

I'm not sure about the policy of self defense at my school
I don't know where you went to school, but where I did there was never w fight with less than 20 witnesses.

[Cynical]

Well at my school it's the same way anyone involved gets suspended no matter who is the aggressor. I don't start fights but when someone tries to hit me I hit back. As for the who started it issue, if you believe they will lie and say they where using self defense than avoid causing all that much harm to them and try to restrain them from fighting (hold them against a wall and ask for friends to help if they are around) so at least the teachers knew you didn't feel the need to harm the person.

[Iceman]

Please do not bump old threads. :locked: