From time to time, I'll post links to articles on this page about vigilantism - as it relates to parents protecting their children. I might even make a few comments. ​ You'll discover that I'm FAIRLY opinionated, with the operative word being 'fairly' (I hope) because I try to see both sides, but my perception is that the incidence of vigilantism is increasing, and I'm concerned...concerned enough to write a novel about three vigilantes.

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PARENTS GET VIOLENT OVER BULLYING IN AUSTRALIA

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​November 18, 2012, The Sunday Telegraph

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"VIGILANTE parents are attacking teachers and students as young as six in vicious schoolyard con- frontations after their own children fall victim to bullies ...fueled by the belief  that schools were not doing enough to protect their children from bullying."

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/vigilante-parents-attack-bullies/story-e6frg6n6-1226518682274

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​From my reading of the article, I can't tell what socio-economic class  the parents fit into.

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Is vigilante activity more prevalent when parents have fewer resources?

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I don't know yet. Stay tuned for tidbits, as my knowledge of the issues raised by vigilantism increases.

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The irony of the vigilante actions in this situation is that some of the parents went after the bullying children, and things 'got physical'.

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Yes, parents want to, and should, protect their own children, but surely we ought to be concerned about the protection of all chil- dren, not just our own.

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In ANGRY ENOUGH TO KILL, the desire to protect ALL children from predatory pedophiles is what drives Amber, Robin and Cassie. I believe they chose the wrong way, and each suffers as a result.

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(SPOILER: the justice system doesn't punish them because they don't get caught, but they suffer for their actions in other ways.)​

 

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MORE ARTICLES TO COME...

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​By the way, if  you've stumbled upon this site before it's really 'open for business,' feel free to contact me via the contact form on the CONTACT page if you'd like to comment.

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If your comment relates to the issue of vigilantism, I'll post it here and give you credit; however, I reserve the right to ignore your comment if I consider it to be irrational or offensive.​

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THE SOCIAL CONTRACT​

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Thomas Hobbes is the philosopher most people associate with the concept of the "social contract," al- though others have written about it, too.

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The social contract is an implied contract, rather than express, but it comes from our expectation that society will protect us and our children so that we can carry on with our lives and 'the pursuit of happiness' without having to worry about our safety (other than using common sense to protect ourselves from our own foolishness...but this is a whole different topic, right?)

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Theoretically, this means that we don't need to become the Hatfields and the McCoys to solve disputes.

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But what happens when society doesn't protect us or our children adequately?

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The vigilante parents in Australia (see November 18 2012 article in the left column) took matters into their own hands, rather than pursue legitimate channels.

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The Internet has changed the way we, as a society, can raise awareness, and com- bine our efforts to effect social change, and even to change the laws. Organi-zations like Causes.com, x, and y, enable us to work with others almost anywhere in the world in ways that were impossible before.

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This gives me hope.

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