The tragic consequences of bullying and pranks

A 7-year-old boy in Mexico died recently in a bullying incident involving a dangerous practice often made light of in Hollywood comedies.

According to The Associated Press, a bigger, older boy submerged the smaller youngster's head in a toilet bowl at school. The victim later complained to his father that he was feeling sick.

His father took him to the hospital and the doctor said the child probably just had stomach ailment and sent him home. A few days later, the boy died from an acute respiratory infection after fecal matter from the toilet traveled to his lungs.

Judging from countless teen comedies, you wouldn't know dunking someone's head in a toilet could have tragic consequences.

The same is true of shoving or throwing someone into a swimming pool. One wrong landing could mean a lifetime of paralysis. We also see that prank in movies all the time.

But there's nothing funny about possible death or paralysis.