Is living in an "anti bullying" society realistic?

no matter what any society does there will always be bullies 

There will always be bullying, but am sure that it is possible for schools to minimize the bulliyng.

It can be prevented to a certain extent (especially in a school atmosphere), but I think assholes will exist no matter where you go. Some people are just innately cruel and oppressive individuals... there's not a whole lot you can do to change them.

Time Signature wrote: J-Man wrote: there's not a whole lot you can do to change them. Ignoring them is a strategy which may work in some contexts. When I was in school I learned very early that, if I did not let the bullying get to me, the bullies would leave me alone and move on to a new victim. So, I actually did not suffer from bullying in school. But I am thinking that in other cultures, ignoring the bullies might not be enough. As far as I understand, in an American context, the social hierarchy in high schools is very complex and brutal, and bullying is used to ensure one's own place in the hierarchy. Can any of our American users verify this?

Ignoring them will save your ass, but the bully won't actually just "change" in most cases. They'll just move onto somebody new to harass.

I've never been bullied in school either, and (at least in my high school) it doesn't seem like too big of an issue for most people. There aren't many fights that break out or relentless harassment, but I'm also from a fairly well-off suburban community in Pennsylvania. Talking to people in other areas of the country (like urban areas and the "Bible belt") will probably yield a different response, though.

I think we're all agreed we'll never createa perfect society. When I look though at the low-level bullying that goes on in the schools my kids attend compared to when I was at school, and the levels of bullying in society in general, it seems to me that attempts to eradicate it may have failed but we're in a much better situation than we were when I was growing up. Just because something can never be fully achieved shouldn't prevent us from trying. Yes bullying is natural, but it's also incredibly destructive to lives as I've realised meeting up with old school mates who were on the receiving end of unwelcomed attention back at school!

Edited by Bosh66 - 22 May 2013 at 11:32am

No, for pretty much what others have stated, but yes I do think we can at least minimize it maybe..

You can't just stop an asshole from being an asshole, you can only prevent him from becoming one. People are too brainwashed and barren of imagination to understand that we need proper education system that would promote independent thinking and tolerance for diversity. Restrictions, bans and caste system based on wealth are the key ingredients of the poison we, the global society, swallow every day. So, to answer your question: yes, it's possible. it's just very unlikely.