Carrie Schmelkin
Web Editor, TMC
Cyber Bullying
Facebook Timeline: Forced to Relive Our Past?
January 26, 2012Most bullied kids can attest to the fact that it is harrowing enough to go through the experience the first time, so they certainly would not want to have to relive that pain. In fact, even kids who graduate high school and go on to enjoy popularity and self-esteem at college (or college grads who move on to the real world and finally feel accepted), would probably still pass on the chance to take a stroll down memory lane – which is perhaps plagued by memories of ridicule and ostracism.
Well, in a matter of days, whether we like it or not, we will all be forced to take that stroll. And although for some of us that walk will evoke happy memories and quite a few laughs, for others it will dredge up pain we worked for years to bury.
Cyberbullying: Finding the Right Person to Deliver the Message
January 24, 2012“It’s not always about the message; it’s about the messenger.”
We all know that sometimes even the most important messages go unheard if they are not delivered from the “right person.” After all, how many times do we hear about an alcoholic dad who can’t stop drinking until he hears from his five-year-old son, not wife, that his behavior is scaring his little boy? Or how about the anorexic girl whose parents beg her to see what she really looks like in the mirror but it doesn’t resonate until that girl’s lifelong ballet teacher pulls her aside one day?
So, when it comes to bullying, are kids more apt to listen to their peers who are telling them to stop or their parents and teachers?
The Fight Against Cyberbullying: A Step in the Right Direction
January 5, 2012When a student at Oswego High School in Illinois posted an online message about his teacher outside of school hours and from a private computer that stated, “I’m so angry I could kill,” school officials knew they had a problem on their hands. The problem was, they had a kid who refused to take the post down until his parents got involved and there was little administrators could do as the message was posted outside of the hallways.
Fast forward six years and it appears Illinois might now have the solution to such instances. Just days into 2012, it appears that the quest to counter cyberbullying has leaped forward at full throttle, as a law in Illinois took effect this Sunday that allows administrators to discipline students who make threats online.
In Honor of Tyler Clementi: How to Protect Our Loved Ones
December 27, 2011For some, the holiday season can be a difficult time as the holidays bring about a flood of memories of loved ones that are no longer here – whether it’s of grandpa who used to always sit at the head of the table for Christmas brunch, or that loving uncle who always lit the Hanukah candles, or a parent who always used to lead the family in renditions of holiday song classics.
But for Jane and Joe Clementi, the parents of Tyler Clementi – the college freshman who jumped to his death after being the victim of cyberbullying – perhaps their memories are a bit more harrowing.
A few weeks ago, in honor of the fact that the holidays were Tyler’s favorite time of year, Joe and Jane spoke out for the first time about their son’s untimely death and their last moments with their son.
Facebook's Response to Cyberbullying: Is it Enough?
December 15, 2011Facebook can be a lot of different things for different people – a platform to celebrate milestone achievements, a forum to help you keep in touch with long lost friends and, sadly, even a mechanism that facilitates cyberbullying.
The past few years have catalogued instances of cyberbullying, some of which have taken place on Facebook. Perhaps in an effort to rectify the problem it has unintentionally given legs to, the social networking site has announced its intentions to become a source to help prevent suicide.
Recently, Facebook announced that if you see one of your friends, or another user, post a suicidal comment or status update on his/her Facebook page, you can click a “report” button next to the posting and then answer a series of questions about whether the post was violent, harassing, hate speech or harmful behavior.
A Ways to Go...
December 13, 2011Time is quickly running out for Connecticut schools to develop a safe school climate plan, something which Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy sanctioned this past summer.
According to the General Assembly of Connecticut, “An Act Concerning the Strengthening of School Bullying Laws,” was signed into law by Malloy on July 13. The act takes “comprehensive steps to prevent bullying and ensure every child the right to learn in public school without fear of teasing, humiliation or assault.”
Per the statute, each school must: adopt a clear policy against bullying behaviors; train all school staff who interact with students on how to prevent bullying; ensure that all school staff take immediate action whenever they observe bullying or receive a report; and gather data to access the extent of bullying in school.
Does 'Jersey Shore' Promote Cyberbullying?
November 15, 2011When we watched characters like Snooki and Vinny disparage Angelina on season 1 and 2 of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” – like when Vinny said, “OK, Kim Kardashian... more like the Rob Kardashian of Staten Island, you ugly b*tch!” – we all laughed, whether we wanted to admit it or not.
And every time Pauly D and the Situation refer to what they deem unattractive, heavier girls as “grenades,” we can’t help but crack a grin at their outlandish statements, like this one made by the Situation in the first season: “When you go into battle, you need to have some friends with you so that just in case a grenade gets thrown at you, one of your buddies takes it first.”
But what are the repercussions for hearing these degrading statements once a week on MTV?
Cyberbullying: When will it Get Better?
October 27, 2011I was reminiscing with one of my coworkers yesterday about how tough the middle school years are and we both expressed a similar sentiment, “We would never want to experience middle school again.” From the cliqueiness to the rudeness to the coldness, the pre-teen and adolescent years are particularly harrowing.
However, if I am being honest, I don’t think my coworker or I fully understand how bad school can get.
When I was in middle school, things like Facebook and Twitter did not exist and the ways in which you could bully, while still terrible, were somewhat more traditional (even predictable). Fast forward more than a decade later and now terms like “cyberbullying” and “de-friend” are used as much as “recess” and “free period.” It is deeply upsetting that these words are thrown around as if they are common vernacular.
They are Watching You: Schools Place Cameras on Buses to Preclude Bullying
October 18, 2011Do you recall the days of sitting on the school bus and standing by helplessly as some pompous older student stole your hard-earned lunch money? How about the time those two girls who you thought were your friends refused to let you sit in the seat with them (even though it was meant for three) and you were forced to sit with that weird smelly kid who liked to eat paint?
Albeit tough circumstances, the types of bullying that occur on the school bus nowadays are far more personal and upsetting. From using cell phones to send text messages to your friend about someone sitting five feet away from you to kids talking about the Facebook invite they received to Kim’s birthday party (while they know that the kid in the seat next to them wasn’t invited), bullying and cyberbullying have found their way onto the school buses.
States Charge Forward with Anti-Bullying Laws
October 7, 2011We don’t think twice when asked to name illicit activities: driving while under the influence of alcohol, first-degree murder, kidnapping, shoplifting…
But what about bullying? And what about Cyberbullying? We may think of these instances as heinous crimes but, fortunately, in most states these activities are slowly becoming illegal and carry with them felony charges.
