Madera High School Case Study

Social media has played a major role in social interactions at Madera High School (MHS), but what remains constant, as it does on the national level, is that some students utilize social media to harass or bully others online. In a survey conducted by student researchers from Madera High, interesting results were yielded from the student body. Staff was intended to be left out of the survey because there was a strong focus on students and experiences that one could have faced from bullying or harassment. The survey questions contained quick yes or no questions, on a scale 1 through 10 with 1 being never versus 10 being all the time, and free responses. This even included every class to capture the most realistic results for evidence that bullying
or harassment happens on campus and online. To no surprise it does in fact occur at Madera High School especially on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and etc. For example, from experiences being on Twitter, as a Senior attending Madera High, often there is always new drama because someone said something and does not enjoy that person’s views. In many common scenarios the situation on social media can escalate by transferring onto campus. However, teachers at Madera high School try the best to insure that bullying will not be tolerated in any form, but evidence from the survey suggests teachers are not handling situations well enough when it comes to the topic of bullying and harassment. With the issue of online bullying and harassment at MHS the topic appears to be neither a minor nor major problem that needs to be tackled.
The final results of the research contained interesting results the research conductors did not expect. When asked if one had been harassed because of gender, religion, or culture either on campus or online, 708 students marked no compared to 204 who circled yes. The fact many marked no indicates there is an acceptance of gender, religion, and culture at Madera High under some common identity. Although this may be the case 204 did mark yes which highlights some people at school have bullied students because of the sex of the peer, ideals, or because of certain traditions students practice. One observation that could explain why many marked no is equality among males and females is at a balance which does not allow bullying to pertain to gender because there has to be an imbalance of power for bullying to occur. More so at MHS the majority religion is Christianity and of course when common ideals are held people are highly less likely to attack others because students share core beliefs. Yet, when it comes to culture, Hispanic culture is the majority group of people which perfectly explains why a vast majority of students marked no. In the next question students were asked if one has ever posted anything online that was negative or subtweeted another student. Just to clarify subtweeting is when someone online posts something negative about a person that is stated indirectly without mentioning the person's name, but most people who see the post know who the statement was pertaining to. Some Students had yes marked 212 times, while 444 checked no. From this what is learned in the study is that a quarter of peers have harassed others online. In what ways varies depending on the cyber situation, for instance it could just be a really rude remark because MHS students online have a tendency to be blunt and rude with negative comments not holding back nothing. A majority of the time at the school no one will intervene to become a possible defender of the person getting bullied out of fear that they will be marked as someone to bully next. Think of all the students online using social media like living in a lawless land. If one says something or has a different opinion that students refuse to accept. That one student will be susceptible to attack by a group of kids from school who act like online bandits going so far to post hateful material. This proves to be the case when back in 2014 two MHS seniors broke up and the male senior went with a female junior to the Sadies Hawkins dance. The senior girl who heard about this was livid about this news. To recall she went the lengths just to make her life a living hell and even bringing her group of friends in to participate. This particular senior would post really rude and absurd messages directed at the female junior all because her ex-boyfriend went with someone else. If memory does serve right there was a fight that the same female senior posted online for everyone to see to humiliate the junior. Now this may sound really generic at first, but stuff like this happens at MHS it occurs at least every semester, where a group of girls gain up on one classmate.
Occasionally, during passing times between periods there's verbal arguments. Many students just pass on by going on with the school day, and some will wait laughing to provoke an escalation in the argument. Interesting enough many students say that there was no idling when bullying occurs directly in front of them. A strong majority of 628 students vs 247 communicated that there was a response when one of their friends was getting bullied. This is fascinating information because people who are friends at Madera High will literally stick up for friends getting harassed or bullied. One thing to point out is 247 were the ones who did nothing only becoming bystanders in the situation which is a reasonable reaction for the fact being people want to be passive if it does not involve one’s self. Perhaps the results from the previous question can explain the next one. Students were asked if they have known anyone who's stood home due to online harassment with a swift amount of 708 marking no versus the 187 who said yes. This could all tie into together perfectly because a strong amount of students at Madera High won't just be a bystander in bullying situation. What it appears to be is even if one is getting bullied online the victim has friends who back one or each other up. This explains why students still come to school, it is evident the bullying happens still online or at school, but a vast amount come to school anyways.
Cyber bullying at Madera High School is not a total problem nor being a small one on campus.
On a scale 1 through 10 many students had circled 5 or 7, somewhat in the middle of the scale. The mode of that date was 5,6, and 7 to furtherly back up that cyberbullying is a middle problem. To be honest this is logical because the issue of bullying should never be treated minor at MHS thus making it either a major one which it is not in the schools case. On the other hand though it was reported from the data that teachers or staff are not handling bullying cases good enough. Many students circled 3,4, or 5 making those set of numbers the mode in the research. What these numbers mean on the spectrum is that when it comes to bullying at MHS many students do not believe staff is doing the most to address bully or harassment situations at school including the web too. This most likely directs to just the basic punishment that if a student does get in trouble for bullying at Madera High the only option it always seems to be favored by administrators is sending the bully to detention, or placing them on the loss of privileges list. This could shed light on why students do not feel bullying is being properly addressed at Madera High by the staff, yet students seem to be socially aware of the
topic.
Students at Madera High are conscious about the effects of bullying and harassment it can have on an individual.
Particularly on how it can make a person feel deep down inside. Students who took the survey answered that bullying and harassment does really have a profound affect on a person. The 514 students strongly agreed that it does on the 1 through 10 scale (1 being not at all and 10 very severe) by marking 8, 9, and 10. Arianna Castro, who is Madera High student, expresses, “It honestly really hurts. You try to make it seem like it doesn't affect you but it can take a big toll on you. It can lower your self esteem and confidence and make you feel so small”. This displays that bullying and harassment in any form does carry on with students at Madera High because the total effect of it can really just alter the way a person thinks from the result of fear from being bullied and harassed. What solidifies this is bullying and harassment has major impact on a person, the kids at Madera High remember times like the negative comments on one’s insecurities just to get under one’s skin. Self esteem and confidence levels are at an all time low for most students who are the bullied or harassed. Just being around colleagues some express how “I just feel really ugly, I completely shut down. The idea that people will go great lengths to bother me really gets under my skin when all I want to do is graduate”. It is upsetting some students do find prey to bully and harass at school, but
one thing remains constant is that the bully or harasser can really make someone feel horrible about one’s self.