Bullying has become a major concern in the cyber-age. Stories like the recent suicide of 12 year old Rebecca Sedwick are commonplace in the news. Who should be held accountable for cyberbullying? The article here suggest parents need to be better monitors of what is occurring online. Read the article and decide if you agree. Aditionally, what role should schools have? Should cyberbullying be punishable in school, even if it occurs outside of school? What role do parents play? Should they be held responsible for the actions of their children for not monitoring more?
I always seem to notice that the victims of cyber bullying are impressionable 10-14 year olds. I think these teens would find a way to justify hating themselves even if they didn't have access to the Internet. Stories of children killing themselves over cyber bullying always give the idea that the Internet is a place of terrible people that do terrible things with the power of anonimity and that the Internet should be strictly regulated to where everyone's full name is displayed in a simple YouTube comment.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Internet is a place where strange and often seemingly hideous people lurk, the world is just the same. Teens should be exposed to what lives in the world so that they can learn how to deal with it properly with guide cue counselers and not with the shower head and a rope. Bullying will never go away but we can teach kids that there is more to life then wheather or not you look like a dork. What if I (Edward, in case you forgot) was never bullied or exposed to any kind of hate until one day where someone calls me a cracker or some slur. Imagine an adult having to deal with hate for the first time and having no one to turn to but being much more free to hurt themselves.
My point is that cyberbuying is only a catalyst as it mirrors what kids can expect to see in the real world. If kids do not experience bullying at a young age, how will they deal with it in the future? Kids have people like guidance counselers, teachers, and parents to turn to. Adults might not have anyone. If someone is bullying you, remember that sticks and stones can be used to shut them up.
I agree with Edward's statement up until the part where he talks about how a child needs to experience bullying at some point in their lives.
DeleteNow I know I've been quoted saying numerous things that make light of the plight of a child being harassed via internet. Why? Because after a certain amount of time when people make posts about how you need to go kill yourself or how you're a b**** it gets to a point where a child should just sit back and wonder... "Why am I letting this bother me? People are literally sitting on the internet all day just talking trash about me in order to get me to elicit some type of reaction." If someone is making multiple facebook statues about you, delete them, block them. Get off of whatever website you're using and make a new account and block each and every person causing you harm. You don't have to deal with their thirst. People are always going to talk about you, behind your back, to your face, even after you die. Unfortunately it's a part of life, especially in this day and age. But what determines the effects is how a child is taught to react to it. Whether or not you choose to test the keyboard warriors' might in person and get physical, or simply get another party involved that can help you eradicate this issue, is all up to you. But suicide should never be the option of a child. Which is why the guide of a parent needs to come in. Parents need to teach their children that they don't have to let themselves be subject to harassment on the internet, and if it's happening, to inform them. Because I'm positive no parent wants to lose their child. And if someone takes it as far as to find your phone number and send you threatening text messages. Guess what? That's a crime (just as it is on the internet). You can inform the police and have whomever is responsible held accountable for their disgusting actions. It's just as if you were sexually assaulted or physically assaulted, this stuff is taken seriously in the eye of the law. And that's the beautiful thing about the laws regarding the internet. The main issue with cyberbullying is the fact that people aren't aware that it's a form of harassment and can lead to police involvement, and that's something EVERY SINGLE CHILD USING THE INTERNET NEEDS TO KNOW.
Bullying isn't justified in any way, shape, or form. But on all scales it is punishable if the student goes about it correctly. And a great way to stop these problems, is at the source. How about parents teach their little brats to not be so crappy and cruel and actually make use of their time alive. That girl may be saying IDGAF now, but when she's an adult and she has a life that she took on her conscience and she's nowhere in life because someone probably saw her posts from way back when, she'll probably rethink her actions. But it'll be much too late.
All in all, cyberbullying is wrong, and the people who cyberbully should be held accountable. However the victim should not turn to suicide, instead you turn to making whomever caused you harm, face the consequences for their actions.
I agree with Edwards statement because just because of cyberbullying the internet should not be described as dangerous and bad for teenagers, same situations they'll encounter through the enter they'll encounter in the real world. I am completely against cyberbullying and think it's foolish how someone takes their life because of what people say to them. As Edward states bullying will not go away and yes, we do need to teach others that life is a gift and there is more to life than what others think and say to you. Bullying is a very serious issue all over the world and affects milliones of kids, and many have taken their life which is horrible, but for the future generations they need to learn to have confidence and be secure about themselves. Parents cannot restrict a child from social networking in our generation because that's what revolves around us, the child themself has to experience this issues to learn from. In the real world not everyone is going to like you and people will sure be honest and let you know how they feel about you, but a person should never let such comment or attitude affect them. I believe schools should be involved in this bullying situation and have programs in school so it can happen less and to teach others what bullying causes to one individual. Even if it's outside of school, but it involves a student in the school the school should be involved and make an end to the problem. You really can't blame anyone specifically for cyberbullying besides the person who is bullying and the person who is being bullied. The person who is being bullied needs to learn to avoid and ignore the bully and eventually the bully will stop. Also with school programs bullies will learn how bad it is to bully someone and the affect they may have on that person.
ReplyDeleteyou would be the one to say that.
DeleteI agree completely because you're right it is foolish that people take their own life just because of meaningless words
DeleteI agree with Edward and Genesis’ statements on their beliefs on cyber bulling and how people believe the internet is a horrible place. Though this is not true, the internet is a wonderful place where you can find truly amazing things in, just like on planet earth. However, just like on planet earth it can be a horrible place, because of the people on it, who decide to make it the horrible place we live in today. Bullying is very serious and within schools and the communities around the world should be taught is wrong. A quote I truly believe in is “Education of the mind without the education of the heart is not an education at all.” I believe that this holds the majority of problems in schools and society, because people simply lack humanism and moralities. Thus when people use technology to communicate with each other, they are not in front of the person and cannot see the emotion of the reaction to their words, so they are not affected by them in the same way and they will just continue to do it. It is human nature to be mean and sometimes we are accidently not nice to other, although as easy as it is to be mean, it is just as easy to be kind to someone. Everyone is fighting their own silent war that maybe very different or similar to the next, that you no idea about. Though the sad thing is that you never know if your words or actions can be the determining fact to whether they start to win or lose that war forever… There is a song by Jake Miller called Steven, which I believe represents this very well. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fJuSCapok) To me music is very important and is an easy way to express how you feel and what you really want to say. I truly believe that bullying in general not just cyber bullying should be punishable in schools and the out communities. Parents should control their child’s internet use if they believe they should, every child different and some may not be ready for the online world. Most parents know their children, though sometimes they just need to pay attention to them little more so, they could see a problem before it becomes a tragedy. Most people do not realize how much they can affect a person; for most people they may forget what you did or even your words but they will never forget how you made them feel. Another song/video that I believe that should be seen and shown to students is “To This Day” by the Spoken word artist Shane Koyczan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltun92DfnPY). People shouldn’t need a reason to be nice to someone else, especially strangers.
DeleteI partially agree with the article, that parents should monitor their children more closely. If a parent monitored their child more closely then they would be less likely to participate in things such as cyber-bullying. I think that they would know better than to do this because they would know that their parent will find out what they are up to. I do think that if a parent found their child cyber-bullying another child, then they should be punished. Parents need to do what they're suppose to do and discipline and teach their children right from wrong, instead of trying to befriend them. Yes I do think that these teenagers will try to find a way around their parents to bully someone, but they will most likely get caught if they're monitored. I also think that if children were monitored then less children would be the victims of cyber-bullying. I believe this because the parents would know what is going on in their child's life and they could prevent it from becoming worse by reaching out to the other child's parents. However, I do not think that schools should be involved in these cases of cyber-bullying because they happen outside of school and have absolutely nothing to do with school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of Ally’s statement. Parents are responsible for their children and should monitor their internet usage. If every parent checked looked over their child’s online accounts every now and again, they would see the first signs of cyber-bullying – whether their child is the victim or the antagonist. I think that children who were responsible for cyber-bullying another child would stop this behavior because it would be too much work for them to go back and delete comments and posts if their parents did routine checks on their social networks and cell phones. Parents can of course be friendly with their children, but even a friend should step in when they notice that something is wrong.
DeleteHowever, I will have to disagree with the latter section of Ally’s comment because I do believe that schools should be responsible to an extent. Since cyber-bullying does not occur when students are physically in school, I do not think that they should be responsible for punishing students involved. Schools should ensure that parents are aware of the dangers of cyber-bullying and teach parents to look for signs that their child is either being bullied or is a bully. Depending on the severity of the situation, either parents or the local authorities should deal with punishing those responsible. A punishment given by a school would not be necessary if the situation resulted in someone being charged with a crime, like in the Rebecca Sedwick case. A school suspension would not be necessary because, similar to public shaming, being ridiculed by your peers and teachers would be enough of a punishment.
I agree with the argument of the article about Cyberbullying that parents need to be better monitors of what is occurring online. Since the end of the last century, Internet played a more significant role in people’s life from year to year. It brings tremendous advantages but along with the evils. Even though Internet is no longer a new-born body nowadays, parents of children still don’t have enough precedents and effective measurements about how to cope with the either light or severe issues brought by the widely using of Internet to their children. Therefore, they need to be fairly careful on negative side of Internet that could potentially degrade the healthy growth of their children. Since Internet provides people with the convenience of free speech, sometimes the remarks posted online are not all appropriate for underaged kids to absorb. In this case, Rebecca Sedwick was hurt by the malicious words from her schoolmates on Facebook and did not handle it properly. Instead, she chose one of the worst methods to end the suffering. Children are more vulnerable to the outside world due to their lack of experience and immature inner growth. Thus, now parents should take up the responsibility to secure the safety and happiness for their children. Let them know that Internet is just a virtual world, not a real society. They need to know how to distinguish the substantial being from the imaginary Internet. If it is necessary, parents could take away the devices to the Internet from the kids’ hands for better protection. They are definitely responsible for monitoring the virtual Internet society their children are soaking in.
ReplyDeleteAs to schools, they really don’t have much to do about what happens outside of their duty scope. Neither teachers nor guidance counselors are able to have the access to what the students are saying on the Internet unless they trace them every moment, which is impossible and is not their educational duty as well. As long as the bullying does not happen in the school, faculties are free from punishing their students for Cyberbullying.
I agree with the article's agrument when it states that parents have to monitor their children's activities while they are either on the Internet, using their cell phones or any other form of communication in order to stop cyber-bullying. Suicide from cyber-bullying happens way to frequently in society today and it is a shame. It is very unfortunate to find out that another young teen was so desperate for a way out that they felt the need to take their own life. Parents should make an effort to change this. Instead of waiting around hoping this situation won't happen to their child, they should monitor what their child is say or what is being said to their child over the Internet and via text. The school board can't really control what goes on outside of school, like a parent could, unless the student told the school about the situation. Unlike a school board, a parent can check their child's emails, texts and facebook messages to monitor them. Obviously kids are going to be opposed to the idea of parental monitoring and then try to rebel against it, I'm a kid, this is what we do, but does that mean parents should just give up because of it? No. Parents are fully responsible for monitoring their children, no questions asked.
ReplyDeletei agree with Lillian parents should put more effort into preventing cyber bullying, by paying closer attention to their kids behaviors and activities. Whether the child may want their parent to or not may help them willingly open up to them. I personally remember a chain of friends who committed suicide because they were being bulled and their parents would find out after the fact why their children took their lives and be shocked that they were completely oblivious as to what was going on right in front of them.
DeleteI partially disagree with Edward's comment. Cyber does not just mean the computer and internet, but technology itself. Cell phones are a major contender in this issue. Many children type away aimlessly to the recipient and hit the send button immediately. They don't care. The girl said it herself, she did not care that her actions affected another person. We are living in a world where people don't care about their actions because they aren't being held responsible for them, and that fault falls on the adults.
ReplyDeleteI know many of my peers don't think cyberbullying is a "real thing", but, it still is hurtful. It was a crew of fifteen girls constantly harassing Rebecca Sedgwick; ignoring one or two bullies isn't a big deal, but fifteen? The consensus seemed to be during the debate on banned books that kids should be exposed to the hardships of life, is this an exception? Do we want kids to be so disgusted and afraid of life that they don't want to experience it?
These are all problems that can be solved proactively if children were properly supervised, and if needed, punished for their wrongdoings.
Think twice before you send a mean message, there's a person on the other side of the screen.
I agree with Edwards Statement. Cyber Bullying is something you cannot stray away from. I'm almost positive it has happened to us at one point, whether it's the spamming of hurtful words or typical racist terms. We are all teenagers and know the phases that come with being one. We didn't (maybe still don't) want parents to intervene with our social lives as at one point we thought we "knew everything". Why contradict the meanings of being a teenager? Not to say we are grown, but the teenage interval of life is a time where we learn to provide for ourselves and become more responsible. Being responsible does mean we must learn how to solve difficult situations. Being bullied through the internet (to me) is a joke. But as I am speaking for myself, I cannot expect everyone to agree with me. Now, prior to this conflict, last week there was an argument about "banning novels and why they should be banned" vs. "Why they should not be banned". Before the actual debate, I can confidently at least 85% of the class voted books should not be banned and had various reasons to back up their arguments. Reading the opinions of my peers now leads to my question, "What's the difference?". Some of you agreed that novels should not be banned as students need to "experience" the outside world. Now that they have "experienced" the outside world and it's led to deathly outcomes, why complain now? Parents intervening in their child's technology/social life falls into the same category of banning novels, which contradicts most of your' arguments. A child can experience the same negativities in a novel that they can online. Am I saying that this justifies cyber-bullying? No not at all. I am simply trying to help some of you realize that no matter what actions are taken place by a Parent,Teacher,Principle,Older-Sibling,Grandparent, etc, society as a whole will never change. Would you rather have children experience actual things that go on in OUR world? Or rather have them live in a sugar-coated, fabricated fairytale?
ReplyDeleteI actually don't feel like the articles statement of having complete blame on the parents for not monitoring their children agrreable with because i feel like the children who are comiting these types of actions or are involved in such treatments are teens who are old enough to have an idea if a certain situation is being taken too far and have an idea of knowing when to tell their parents that something is happening that is making them upset. The children knowing that something is not right and is hurting them should be old enough to realize that "hey, maybe i should not devote my spare time throughout my day on this website becuase inside its tearing me apart from the comments or statements about me" and should have the mentality to notify an elder person about such occurances. Like the article said, the twelve year old who killed herself went back on these sites and teens who get these things taken away from them so they are not exposed find other ways to get back on so from this, how can anyone but the peopleperforming these actions be blamed? Is it the parents fault, or the child who decides to go behind their backs?
ReplyDeleteFor starters a 12 year old shouldn't have a Facebook nor a phone because they are to young for them. Honestly Facebook or any social media should have a restriction on who is allowed to join the website depending on age because if you are constantly bullied at school there is a high chance that these bullies will continuously bully you on these social medias so why give them the chance too? Schools should have every right to monitor a child's phone whether they have one or not.Bullying should be punishable by school like suspension, ISS detention, ect. Even if we do these things sometimes the punishment won't get through the bully but its never a problem to give it a try. Its a teachers job to notice whether a child is being bullied or not and should immediately report it. Its a big problem on the parents side as well. A parent should always be aware of what their child is doing, what website they are visiting, who their friends are ect. Cyber bullying is something thats always going to happen. There will always be someone or a group of people who will just not like you and thats their opinion and they will do anything to bring you down only if you let them. Rebecca had a sense that she wasn't strong to continue with the threats so she killed herself. it really depends on how a teenager or a child takes things. No matter what you do bullying is forever we can try to lower the rates of bullying but it will forever continue. I think a parent should get more involved on his/her child's life more to see what is really going on. sometimes when a parent sees a child they might think they're okay but in reality they are the complete opposite.
ReplyDeleteI seriously agree with Ambar on her stance. Children are being exposed to social media at way too young an age. They should not be allowed as much access to the internet, and should be moderated on what they can access. They can easily be exposed to hostile environments, with unfriendly people, and not know how to handle the situation they're being place in. Social media has also given those who wish harm upon others a more convenient way to go about causing harm. Bullies can now insult and degrade others without even seeing them, or the victims even knowing who they are, these days. They can more easily think what they're doing has no dire consequences or serious effects, even though words with malicious intent can push people over the edge. Schools should be able to punish misbehaving kids if their actions were done in school, or to another student. Parents also need to monitor their children more. We live in a society today where many children are being more influenced by social media than their parents, as they are not properly guided by their parents. There is often a distinct lack of communication between parents and children, and if parents don't monitor their children, or their children don't say anything, kids can be getting themselves into a lot of trouble that they don't even realize. Limits need to be set for kids today, even if they want to try and be more grown up.
DeleteBullying has been around for decades now and has been evolving but none the less it is still bullying. In present days instead of in person our younger generation has learned how to bully anonymously via internet. This makes it even harder to trace the source of the problem (the bully) and prevent any further emotional damage to the teenage victims. Parents can’t always be around to check every little altercation or mishap in a teenage life. If a parent spent their time doing that they would be devoting every minute of every day. I feel as though, if a child is having multiple altercations with other peers they themselves should speak out at the first sign of feeling unsafe or verbally abused. Although I do think parents do have a role in this somewhere. Parents of both sides should be aware of how their child is acting, there are always signs. Noticing a difference in their child’s behavior can help tremendously, and talk to them about their days. Whether it is face-to-face or anonymous via Facebook, Twitter etc. bullies will always find a way to try and belittle/torture people weaker than them. As far as schools go I believe they should take a stand against this problem. The same way schools have the right to invade privacy and check pocket books/lockers for weapons and drugs for the safety of their students’ then a school should also discipline bullies when they are endangering lives of other peers. I am caught in a dilemma though when it comes to cyber-bullying outside of school. I’m ruling strongly towards the decision that outside school cyber-bullying should be left in either court or settled between parents and peers themselves.
ReplyDeleteI slightly agree with this article because although it's true that parents should monitor their kids more, theirs not a less likely chance for kids to continue to do whatever they please on the internet. Kids are smart and know how to act one way on the internet, but turn around and erase it and act as if they're good when it comes time for their parents to monitor what they do. Schools should have a substantial role in halting the physical bullying & enforcing any punishments towards the children who are inflicting the bullying. Personally, I believe that cyber bullying isn't that serious of a matter. If you really feel upset about what you see on the screen, learn to laugh it off or get off the website. People will say harsh things about you, not only on the internet, but in daily life. You just need to learn how to develop a stronger mindset towards it. Depending on the situation, parents could either play a significant role in the bullying or an insufficient role, such as if the parent aided in the bullying, then yes, they should be held accountable. Although even if they aren't involved & it's their responsibility to monitor their children, it's also the child's responsibility to have some common sense. You should know right from wrong, unless you are easily impressionable & have a seriously low IQ.
ReplyDeleteCyber bullying or any form of bullying is unacceptable and provokes tragedies such like Rebecca Sedwick's suicide. I agree with Jenifer regarding the fact that bullying has existed for decades, perhaps even centuries. However, bullying rates have skyrocketed as new technology such as social networking sites and cell phones are being used by children, adolescents, and adults to facilitate the process of bullying. Through a bully's mind, inflicting verbal abuse and threats towards another individual behind a cell phone or a computer screen would make them feel less guilty about the pain they are inflicting on their peers. This is why parents and guardians must step up and monitor the social activities that their children are engaging in. The parents or guardians of Rebecca Sedwick's abusers probably condoned their acts of bullying simply because it was verbal abuse. However, verbal abuse is still a serious and sensitive matter because these words and slanders can be degrading and can enable an individual to question their self-worth as human beings. At most times, verbal abuse can even escalate to physical abuse even though the emotional damage is already done. Although Rebecca Sedwick's chose to take her own life, she cannot be held fully responsible for her death because the people living around her gave her no other option but to do so (with the exception of her parents). Felony charges for bullying should not only be administered after the victim is faced with a life threatening situation; abusers, even adolescents should be placed in the system even if some may challenge this by claiming it a violation of first amendment rights.
ReplyDeleteRemember Jared High's story: http://www.jaredstory.com/you_never_know.html.
DeleteI agree with the article as it states that parents should better monitor what is occurring online. In this day and age, everything is all about technology and children are accustomed to being social on the internet instead of in person. Though it is good to communicate with others, some kids choose to take advantage of social networks and in return decide to bully others. I believe that parents of the upcoming generation do not take the time to talk with their kids and know what is going on in their social lives so that they are aware of whom their child is communicating with. Those parents who do not take the time to listen to their children won't notice the problems that are occurring and will be too late in trying to interfere and fix the problem. I believe that parents should be reprimanded for those who bully because they are freely making fun of others and their parents are completely oblivious to it. Schools should enforce more authority when it comes to bullying because they usually say that "it is not tolerated" but do not follow through with what they say and fail to notify the parents to make it does not occur again.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bridgett, in that parents need to take the time to listen to their children and know who exactly they are communicating with. I feel that a lot of parents are oblivious as to what is going on in their children’s lives. Some people would say that parents need to respect their children’s privacy, but parents do know what is best for their kids and have the right to know what's going on with their personal lives. These days children have easy access to the Internet and anyone can say things to them, making them uncomfortable or upset.
DeleteNot only is it the parent’s responsibility to teach their kids what not to do and what to avoid when online, schools should offer, even just once, a lesson about what is online, what can and shouldn’t happen. If kids are caught cyber-bullying while in school, they should be punished as if they were bullying someone face-to-face. Things that are said online can cause situations in school, potentially disrupting everyone else’s learning. So the schools need to take control over the arising cyber-bullying problem.
I believe that it is the child’s fault for cyber bullying and not of the parents. First of all, parents notice everything, you might think they don’t notice but they do. The parents can only do so much; it is the child who decides to actually pay attention to the comments from individuals. The child chooses to continue reading the messages that are clearly just for insulting her. If someone for example calls you fat, or stupid, or ugly, or whatever they call you, are you going to read the message or listen to what they say the next day? They are most certainly not going to ask “how your day was”. The victim was just too ignorant to not notice that those individuals are not nice. Maybe schools should get more involved a little more. There is not much a school can do to begin with but they can probably stop the insulting kids do to each other.
ReplyDeleteCyberbullying takes many forms, and ridiculing someone's speech, grammar and even vocabulary can be an example. Bullying is essentially anything that is hurtful and demeaning. The responsibility of bullying is on the perpetrator and their supporters. The bully thrives on and needs the support of others, so they can all bear responsibility for its consequences. Unfortunately social media has enabled people to be anonymous with their words and unfortunately those words can still hurt. They say that the pen is mightier than the sword for a reason, due to their intentions, and meanings, making them more or less destructive than intended, and the way these words are placed together and used can cause the people hearing these words to become depressed to the extent of suicide. While suicide seems extreme to some it becomes a last resort for those who fall victim to cyberbullying. In the real world you can confront the person, whereas in social media all you can do is block them. " There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. " -Ralph Waldo Emerson
ReplyDeleteI agree that parents should monitor what their kids do on the Internet, but in this day, and age parents can only do so much to prevent cyberbullying, but the truth is that the responsibility falls upon the students. The parents should teach their children that the Internet can't hurt them, nor can the people who use it. I don't think that some parents are taking the time to understand that the material on the Internet can either define their children or break them. They should always boost thier kids selfesteem, and make sure they understand themselves. If someone comments something rude, or hurtful about you online, then it's up to the student to let it get to them, and give the bully what he/she wants , or they can just move further past the words on the screen. Alot of people think that cyberbullying is a huge thing that should be dealted with extra care by getting the school, parents, and law enforcement involved, when the answer has been the same the whole time. You either confront the bully face to face, or think back at this old saying " sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt", and thats that.
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