Schlappysworld.weebly.com



Cyberbullying

What Is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. By definition, it occurs among young people. When an adult is involved, it may meet the definition of cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking, a crime that can have legal consequences and involve jail time.

Sometimes cyberbullying can be easy to spot — for example, if your child shows you a text message, tweet, or response to a status update on Facebook that is harsh, mean, or cruel. Other acts are less obvious, like impersonating a victim online or posting personal information, photos, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass another person. Some kids report that a fake account, web page, or online persona has been created with the sole intention to harass and bully.

Effects of Cyberbullying

No longer limited to schoolyards or street corners, modern-day bullying can happen at home as well as at school — essentially 24 hours a day. As long as kids have access to a phone, computer, or other device (such as an iTouch), they are at risk.

Severe or chronic cyberbullying can leave victims at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and other stress-related disorders. In some rare but highly publicized cases, some kids have turned to suicide.

Who cyberbullies and why

A quarter of youth who perpetrate cyberbullying are teenagers who have also bullied others offline. However, the remaining three quarters do not bully others in person – implying that the Internet has empowered youth who would never consider bullying anyone in the physical world to do so in the virtual world.

Nancy Willard of the Responsible Netizen Institute explains that technology can also affect a young person's ethical behaviour because it doesn't provide tangible feedback about the consequences of actions on others. This lack of feedback minimizes feelings of empathy or remorse. Young people say things online that they would never say face-to-face because they feel removed from the action and the person at the receiving end.

Article: Teen suicide follows cyberbullying

By Gillian Shaw, Vancouver Sun October 12, 2012

(Also see Youtube clip:

)

  

A Coquitlam teen who told a heartbreaking story in a YouTube video of cyberbullying that led to an all-out schoolyard attack has committed suicide.

In stories and posts flooding Vancouver's social media networks, #RIPAmanda is trending as people post news and condolences for the teenager, Amanda Todd. Amanda died in Coquitlam on Wednesday night.

The teenager went to school in Maple Ridge but had changed schools and was living in Coquitlam. She joined YouTube on Sept. 6 and posted her video the next day. On Thursday, YouTube pulled the video, saying it violated YouTube's terms of service.

On Sept. 7, Amanda also uploaded a presentation in which she explains what cyberbullying is and gives advice on dealing with it.

In what could turn out to be her own sad legacy, Amanda urged people to stand up to bullies and to help their victims:

"If you see that someone is being bullied, don't be afraid to tell the bully to stop doing what they are doing. Make sure to tell them that it's wrong and that they shouldn't bully other kids."

To parents, Amanda urged them "to always give your child emotional support" and help them if they are being bullied.

Amanda was a Grade 10 student at an alternative high school in Coquitlam called CABE (Coquitlam Alternate Basic Education), with about 200 students in Grades 10 to 12. The school district sent grief counsellors to the school to speak with students and staff.

"Any tragedy like this impacts the school community immensely," said district spokeswoman Cheryl Quinton.

Amanda was being offered help, but Quinton said she could not elaborate for privacy reasons. "Supports were in place for this student at the school and community level," she said.

Quinton added that the district has many anti-bullying programs in its schools, and noted the issue is becoming even more challenging because of social media. "Bullying ... is an issue of prime concern for the school district," she said.

Paul McNaughton is the principal at CABE, a school that helps students who are having difficulty in other schools for a variety of reasons.

He said the students and staff at the school are grieving today.

He said Amanda, who joined the school halfway through the last school year and came back in September, had friends at CABE.

"It is a very sad case," he said. "I can tell you we feel we tried everything we could to help her when she came to us."

In her video, telling her story through phrases she held up on cards, Todd told of living with her father, who she said rescued her when she was lying in a ditch after being beaten by a number of students.

She said she then moved to another school - it was CABE she was referring to - and was with her mother.

McNaughton said the family doesn't want to talk to the media.

"We're respecting their wishes," he said.

The Amanda Michelle Todd memorial Facebook page, posted Thursday morning, already has 2,000 people "liking" it.

Many people were also posting comments on the site.

"RIP. My thoughts and prayers go to her family, I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through. High school is supposed to be the best time of your life, not one where you fear for yourself every day. No one should have to feel the way she did. What is wrong with people, why do they feel the need to bully someone to their death? She was a beautiful young girl who went way too soon," wrote Breanna Lockhart Collins.

Premier Christy Clark posted a short video on YouTube Thursday, sending her sympathies to Amanda's family.

"I just heard about Amanda. I want to say to everyone who loved her, to all her family and friends, how sorry I am about her loss," Clark said on the video.

"No one deserves to be bullied. No one earns it. No one asks for it. It isn't a rite of passage. Bullying has to stop."

© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Read more:



Response Questions:

1. Have you or has anyone you know ever been the victim of “cyberbullying”? Explain what happened in the situation, and how you felt about how you / your friend was treated. Who were the “bullies”, and how did they treat you / your friend in person? If people at school have bullied you, how does that make you feel while at school?

2. How do you feel about the Amanda Todd situation? Do you think anything could have been done to stop this from happening? What should be the consequence for those who bullied her and why?

3. What should laws be around cyberbullying? What should be the consequences for those who cyberbully? How would you categorize the different levels of bullying and what the consequence would be for each?

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download