Persuasive Writing
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essay kit
What Do You Think?
Yes
NO
Everything you
need to write a
perfect essay.
Are Bullies Criminals?
bullies are criminals
A tragic death sparks a controversy about how we should deal with bullies
Bullying ruins kids lives. It can even cause kids to
commit suicide. Bullies should be punished as severely
2010, a car slowed down beside 15-year-old
and urging others to exclude her. They also sent her
stalking, verbal abuse, and physical abuse. This is what
Phoebe Prince of South Hadley, Massachusetts.
abusive text messages and posted cruel messages
bullies do, which means bullies are breaking the law.
about her on Facebook. Shockingly, these messages
can at her before speeding off. Phoebe walked home,
continued to appear even after Phoebes death.
went into a closet, and hanged
herself.
Phoebe had been harassed at
Phoebe have been charged with
almost three months. It all started
serious crimes. Many people
when Phoebe, a freshman, briefly
applaud this, believing the teens
dated a popular senior football
deserve to be severely punished
player. Some girls at her school
or even jailed for what they did to
decided they didnt approve of the
Phoebe. Other people disagree.
relationship and started bullying
They believe that bullies should be
Phoebe. Another reason the Mean
punished by parents and schools,
Girls, as they called themselves,
not by the legal system.
South Hadley from Ireland.
The Mean Girls followed
Scholastic Scope SEPTEMBER 6, 2010
Being young is no excuse for bullying. Kids understand
how bullying affects others.
and it has sparked a controversy.
Six of the teenagers who bullied
that she had recently moved to
kids from bullying others.
headlines around the country
had been suffering daily abuse for
may have targeted Phoebe was
Knowing that they could be arrested will discourage
Phoebes suicide made
school that day as well. In fact, she
18
There are laws against harassment, making threats,
Phoebe around, calling her names, threatening her,
A group of classmates yelled insults and then hurled a
BULLYING VICTIM: Phoebe Prince,
15, took her own life in January.
Stopping bullying is the job of parents and schools.
Theyre the ones who should face charges when
bullying gets out of control.
s she walked home from school on January 14,
Kids are kids, and cant fully understand how
seriously bullying can affect someone.
Bullying is really common. What are we going to
do, send half of American kids to jail?
Bullies dont cause kids to commit suicide. Lots of
kids are bullied and dont commit suicide. Those
who do must have other problems.
Write Your Opinion as a Persuasive Essay
Follow our simple steps:
1
Top: The Republican/Landov; Below: 2010 The New York Times; Right: iStockphoto.com
as possible.
bullies are not criminals
Pick Your Side
Consider the information in the article about Phoebe Prince on page 18, as well as all of the arguments above.
Decide whether or not you think bullies should be treated as criminals.
Choose Your First Lines
The purpose of your essay is to convince your readers to agree with your opinion. Your essay should begin with
a strong statement that grabs your readers attention and tells them your main idea. Choose one of the two
beginnings below, or write your own.
Option A: T he tragic death of Phoebe Prince shows the terrible impact of bullying. Bullies should be treated
as criminals, because they are criminals!
Option B: The death of Phoebe Prince was tragic, but its not right to punish bullies as criminals.
Select Your Arguments
Pick three arguments from one of the orange boxes above. These will be the supporting points in your essay.
Write one paragraph for each point. In each paragraph, you will need to add details from your life, your
imagination, and/or the article about Phoebe.
Close Your Essay
Write a conclusion that sums up your main idea and supporting points. If you want, you can add a final
sentence that urges your reader to take action.
MORE: fact versus opinion
scholastic.com/scope
Scholastic Scope SEPTEMBER 6, 2010
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