Bullying Opposing Viewpoints

Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection 2010
• School bullying has likely existed as long as schools themselves.
• School bullying has taken a more serious turnmore
• Bullied students are turning to violence as a solution—either through suicide or through deadly acts carried out against their persecutors and other students
• These tragedies have led to heightened awareness among parents, children, educators, and law enforcement experts about the harmful short- and long-term effects of bullying
• School bullying can consist of physical violence against a student, but more often involves ridicule and attempts to humiliate the target student in front of others.
• The victims who are often new students or those who suffer from health or
learning disabilities.
• Bullying campaigns can also be waged over relationship issues such as jealousy.

Cyber bullying and Violent Retribution

• Increasingly, bullying among teens is not limited to school grounds.
• Cyberbullying involves sending harassing emails or text messages, even just revealing personal information about a victim without their consent in an attempt to embarrass them
• People can use social networking websites to bully others:
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Tagged
• Most victims who are bullied normally committee suicide

Activism in the Aftermath

• As media reports of bullying and its tragic aftermath became all too common, lawmakers and activists have worked to reduce bullying in schools and stiffen penalties against bullies
• As a direct result of Megan Meier’s suicide,Missouri legislators unanimously passed a bill, known as “Megan’s Law,” that outlaws use of the Internet for purposes of harassment

"Bullying." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection.
Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 24 Nov. 2012.

Atlanta GA, CNN: Dunaire Elementary School in DeKalb County, Georgia.
• A 5th grade boy committed suicide because he was being bullied in school o These is way:- he came from VA Island o The other kids called him names like “you gay” o Taunt him after school
• The boy always told his mother that he was being bullied
• His mother had no idea how bad the bullying had gotten
• This boy got to a point where he never said anything because there was no action taken
• He even told the school more than 5times but no one was there to save
him o The theme of the article was parents don’t realize what is going in there children lives until something bad really happens to theme, then they can only wish!
Mike Phelan, David Mattingly . cnn. 24 Apr. 2009. 25 Nov. 2012. .

The New York Times: Tottenville High School
• A 15yr old girl jumped over the train because she was tired of being bullied
• She was, tormented by football players on Tottenville’s undefeated team
• Some said she was teased because she had piercings and lived in foster care
• Others said players had spread sexual boasts about her over the weekend, after Tottenville’s 16-8 victory over Port Richmond High School
• She never really reached out for help; she was a really tough person
• Though she had reported the taunts to an administrator, who arranged mediation sessions between her and the boys she said were harassing her.
• Police are now investigating her death
• Bullying that violates criminal law can be prosecuted criminally, but not as bullying
Yee, Vivian. "On Staten Island, Relentless Bullying Is Blamed for a Teenage Girl’s Suicide." New York Times 26 Oct. 2012, New York Edition ed., sec. A27:

Statics

• The statics based on studies conducted from 2004-2010 in cyber bullying are
belo o From 2004 -2005: 40.6 and 36.7% respectively. o From 2007 and 2009: 18.8-28.7% - increase of 9.9 o show that in May of 2007, 18% of students were being bullied and 20.8% in Feb 2010. o The % had increased. Because cyber bullying has not been publicized or reported enough. o Most victims of cyber bullying suffer in silence and they do not report their cases.