I remember that bullying was a huge problem in both my elementary and high school. In elementary school, most of the bullies would pick out the 'weaker' kids who either wore glasses or were the teacher’s pet, and taunt them by saying mean things to them or about their family members. As we aged into our high school years, so did the brand of bullying. The bullies had access to cars, phone numbers, and developed skills of hacking into other people’s computers. With the bullies having so much more access, they did not keep bullying at school; they continued to bully different kids outside of school. There was little to none that teachers were able to do to prevent bullies, or even scold the ones who were bullying others. This was a school-wide problem in my county, but I'm sure that it was a nationwide problem in all around me.
Bullying has been a problem in schools for many years. The types of bulling have changed in the past 15 years. The name calling as well as the terrible rumors still exist. Now-a-days, most kids are bullying other kids through a new type of bullying known as Internet cyberbullying. In cyberbullying, kids bully other kids through text messages, e-mails, or through IM conversations. Also, social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter have transformed bullying by allowing more and more bullies to torture their victims at any given time of the day. Students are no longer finding refuge at home due to this mass epidemic of cyberbullying. Many parents, teachers, and administrators are concerned with this issue.
In Massachusetts, lawmakers are making a stand against bullying in schools. A bill has been approved to make this effort official. This bill will ban bullying and require school districts to start bullying prevention plans as well as inform the parents of the new anti-bully curriculum("Mass. House Approves," 1).Parents of both the bully and their victim will be notified of each incident.
Several amendments of this bill have been added to ensure that it will be effective. Teachers, nurses, and any other school personnel are to report any bullying incidences to the school principal. Teachers will be required to complete anti-bullying training. Also, lawmakers adopted an amendment that is designed to be effective statewide. It is known as the "no name calling" day. On this day students will be encouraged by their teachers and school staff to think about the lasting effects of bullying and to make a pledge that they will not participate in calling each other names.
Bullying is a problem that has to be stopped. Many students at all ages are committing suicide, which is believed to be the result of cyberbullying. The bill has gained momentum since the deaths of both 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover and 15-year-old Phoebe Prince. Parents, teachers, school administrators, and lawmakers need to join together in the stand to prevent and end every nature of bullying. Each effort that is made is one step closer to saving the lives of the victims of bullies.
Below is a video of a young boy named Ryan Halligan, who was a victim of being bullied online and offline. He was a normal teenager who unfortunately ended his life due to being bullied. His dad effortlessly tells the story to warn people or the online dangers that today's children may be facing.
“Mass. House Approves Anti-Bullying Bill.” Boston. 16 Apr. 2010 http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/03/mass_house_appr.html .
image found here.
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