Kitty Hollingshead Mancil
HUMN 341
Assignment 5-1: Cyber Bullying
Weekly Written Assignment
Bullying is a subject that has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Something that used to be almost accepted as a “kids will be kids” is now being taken much more seriously. Since the explosion of the internet, “cyber bullying” is also a growing concern.
The formula is often the same: A young person has an account on a social site such as MySpace.com and others leave rude and harassing messages. While there is some similarity to what happens in real life, online harassment has a different element in that the harasser can remain anonymous. Take for example, the recent case of Megan Meier. At the age of thirteen, she hung herself after mean messages from what she thought was a cute older boy. As it turns out, the boy was a fictitious character made up by the mother of a former friend and her employee, so that they could see what Megan was saying about the former friend. (Leonard)
This phenomenon seems to be gaining momentum. “The number of children ages 10 to 17 that say they were abused by "cyber bullies" climbed 50 percent, from six percent in 2000 to nine percent in 2005, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” (Chapman) With more and more people having access to electronic communications, this is bound to happen.
With this in mind, it makes it even more important for parents to keep an active eye on what their children are doing online. While social networking can certainly be a positive influence in the lives of these children, it can also be a dangerous place without proper supervision. Also important is teaching your children what is acceptable behavior, irregardless of where they are. Bullying is something that children should be taught is unacceptable, no matter where bullying takes place. Behind the computer screens, there are real people and the words you type can have a real impact on someone’s life.
Chapman, G. Online bullying a growing part of US teen internet life. Retrieved December 6, 2007 from
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071202/lf_afp/lifestyleusitinternetyouthschool_071202231541
Leonard, C. Mo. family shunned over suicide, hoax. Retrieved December 6, 2007 from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071206/ap_on_re_us/internet_suicide;_ylt=Aoih.hVlYW1iyTgxYo703bNvzwcF
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3 comments:
Bullying is somewhat of a serious deal. It's becoming more and more prominent because of the anonymity of the internet. It makes it so much easier to do acts like this when the person doesn't need to take personal responsibility. The problem with this is that youth of today need to learn that the internet is different to the real world. Comments that are made on the internet aren't generally as serious as those said to others on the street.
I love this post in that the formula is as a old as time. I also agree that bullying should be discouraged and parents need to take an active role in their childrens lives. Words hurt no matter the medium and the mean-spirtedness is ratcheted up because of the anonymity. I wonder though should a school who gets wind alert the parents or take action against the bully directly? That seems to be the new twist on this topic.
I've been around in online chat rooms, play games online that have you involved with hundreds of people. I've met some down right rude people. I didn't stop and think until I read your article how much noticeable bullying and rude people are. With the internet becoming more accessible, I would have to agree that talking to your kids about bullying (internet or in person) is on the list with everything else.
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