Bad Bully

A  13 year old boy shot himself in the head yesterday because he was being bullied at school.  Bullying has been around since forever, but nothing compares to what kids endure in schools today.  It's gone to a whole "nother" level.   Back in the day, it was name calling or yo mama jokes, but with the addition of computers, we now have cyberbullying.  The old addage "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me", is what many of us were taught when we were coming up, but the truth is... bullying is more prevalent today than in the past, it occurs in more serious forms, and words do hurt ... contrary to popular belief.   It can no longer be dismissed as "oh they're just kids, it will pass".  So what makes a kid bully?  Are they products of bullying parents, have they suffered some emotional trauma or circumstance, are they born that way, or is it a learned behavior?  Many of these  questions that have been asked, I'm sure.  What are your feelings about kids being bullied in school?  What do you think should be done to alleviate the situation?  Bullying is increasing at an alarming rate, and it cannot be ignored or dismissed.  If I had my way, I would establish a kiddie court, complete with a judge and jury of their peers, and let them decide the punishment.