Bullys in the Classroom - Are We Doing Enough?
I am shocked to have read numerous recent articles about children who have committed suicide because of bullying at school or on-line through social networking sites. Children as young as 9-years-old have taken their own life, an age when they should be enjoying each day instead of worrying about social pressures. I am the father of two beautiful children, ages 2 and 7, and could not imagine what could someday ever be so wrong in their lives that they would want to stop living. What is causing the unimaginable to happen? I feel that the problem is the influx of social networking sites and the "instant information sharing" society that we have become. Some of these children endure months and even years of verbal assaults, threats of physical violence, and cruel and malicious attacks strewn over the Internet.
The list is horrifying: In January, a 9-year-old Texas boy hung himself in a school bathroom. It's hard to believe that a 9-year-old could even contemplate suicide, let alone commit it. Last April an 11-year-old Massachusetts boy, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hung himself minutes before leaving to go to meet with school authorities to discuss the continued harassment about his sexual orientation. In January, a 15-year -old Massachusetts girl, Phoebe Prince, was found dead in her home, a victim of bullying that continued even after she died. A 17-year-old Long Island teen, Alexis Pilkington, committed suicide after reading cruel and malicious attacks against her on social networking sites.
The Internet and cell phones have brought to life a new form of bullying, known as cyberbullying, When we were in school, the bully was usually confined to the schoolyard and you could escape by standing up or fleeing into your home. Now, there is no place you are safe from the constant onslaught of the Internet and text messaging and no real way to stand up to the bully. Cruel posts were even made to some of the facebook memorials posted after their death.
Schools need to do more to prevent this growing problem. Social networking sites have given bully's the comfort of anonymity, being able to say such horrible things about someone without any consequences. The first line of defense is in our schools, where our children interact with their friends and encounter the "bully". New York City schools have enacted rules intended to deter intimidation and harassment based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. The rules require that every principal designate a staff member to whom students can report bullying, and schools will be required to report complaints to the Department of Education within 24 hours and to investigate the complaints and contact the families of students accused of bias-based harassment.
Watch your children. Get to know their friends, what their Internet habits are, what websites they frequent. Look for some of the signs such as your child suddenly being reluctant to go online or to use a cell phone; avoiding a discussion about what they’re doing online; depression, mood swings, change in eating habits; and aloofness or a general disinterest in school and activities. A child closing the browser or turning off the cell phone when a parent walks in the room can be a sign of cyberbullying. We need to protect our children.
Another cool post. Looking forward to more of your writings