The Laws of Bullying

Bullyingstatistics.org lists a number of different types of laws geared towards bullying. This blog entry deals with the types of laws and why the reasons that bullying laws are controversial.

The purpose of having laws on the books is to prevent bullying or address it as it happens. The website explains that they are sometimes referred to as "anti-bullying laws." One interestingthing to notice is that there are no real national laws on the book when it comes to bullying. Unfortunately, that's a tall order because verbal bullying could fall under the First Amendment and with the right to free speech.

Some of these laws criminalize bullying while others may include that as well as requiring reports of bullying from its witnesses. There are cases where being the witness to bullying may make that person just as guilty.

Bullyingstastics.org lists that there are 45 states that have adopted bullying laws. Pennsylvania is one of them. The site mentions how some people question the laws as being added to other laws that deal with harassment, safety and violence. The bottom line is that in some states, bullying is a federal offense and one needs to be careful how they approach his

The Teacher...Friend or Foe?

I've always interpreted teachers to be men and women who are there, not only to educate, but to inspire and be a light to their bright-eyed students. I can safely say that now that my years of education are coming to a close, all of my teachers that I have had have been amazing men and women (mostly women). Teachers are not supposed to be looked down upon as ones that cause bullying but ones that should nip it in the bud when it begin. However, my first post in this series from Bullying Statistics is about just that...teachers that are themselves the bullies.

I once filmed a video about an old schoolhouse that is now a museum. In the corner near a window sat a mannequin (whose name I believe was Timmy) and this mannequin was wearing a dunce cap. If the student misbehaved or caused trouble, or for any other reason, the teacher would make the student wear the dunce cap. That's just one way, but others include standing in the corner and having someone's hand whacked with a ruler. They can also abuse verbally in addition to physically. Bullying Statistics mentions that it may go unreported because the victim may not trust the system to support them, fearing retribution from the teacher but also from the students that have it in good with the teacher.

Is it just teachers that can cause this abuse. No! Coaches, custodial staff, and even the principal can also be ones causing trouble. With a coach I can understand it because they may be giving strong criticism in hopes of improving, but there definitely is a limit.

Bottom line, sometimes teachers and administrative staff may not be all that innocent when it comes to bullying. Yes, they may intervene when it comes to peer to peer bullying, but have we really thought about what happens when the teacher themselves is the one causing drama for the student? Something to think about...

 

(theregister.co.uk)

The Statistics Show. The Series.

There are many startling statistics that have been posted over the years of the damage that bullying can cause to a person's mental, emotional and physical health. In fact, there's even a website devoted to all of this. It's called bullyingstatistics.org and it's your go-to site for all facts and information about all things bullying. In essence, this website already beat me because it's a blog about bullying. While I don't mind a little friendly competition, let's discuss some of the statistics that are on this site.

 

First, they list bullying by demographic, including female bullies. This parallels what I had posted about the stereotypes of bullying and how the "classic type of bullying includes the mean boy on the playground."  

 

They also list types of bullying, facts, how to get help when you're the victim and some of the effects that bullying causes.

 

This is my introduction to a series of postings based on what I found on this site. I'd love for you guys to check it out! http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/school-bullying-statistics.html 

Kailee Alberda Video

Kailee Alberda made a video back in 2014 that was dedicated to those who have lost their life to cyber bullying. What a lot of people don't seem to understand is that when a person is being abused verbally online, they lose their sense of safety and security because it can happen at home, which is supposed to be the most safest place. Check this out and look at this powerful clip!

 

Cyberbullying Effects (VIDEO)

Discovery News created a video about all of the effects related to cyberbullying. This will be the start of some posts about what cyber bullying can cause.https://youtu.be/DJGTccn_8us Check it out and leave a comment below!

Cyberbullying School Project Video

A student named Lena Panchalingham made a video for the University of  Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in which it talks about cyberbullying and the effects it can cause. This is a continuation of my "Bullying Gone Viral" video.

 

Check this video out and leave a comment below on what you all think of this! Is it powerful?

Bullying Gone Viral

Cyberbullying. It's a word that we, as social media people, cringe at. It's literally occurring when a child is harassed or tortured while being online. It used to belong exclusively to the Internet, but social media like Facebook or Twitter. There was a movie in 2004 on Lifetime entitled Odd Girl Out. In it, the main character, Vanessa Snyder, began getting ostracized by her so-called friends for no main reason. They created a website entitled "Hating Vanessa" and began distributing videos and other content harassing Vanessa. If she thought that was bad, just wait what would happen if social media was involved in this.

 

Why do some people get off on cyber bullying someone? What's the purpose of it and why would someone want to do it? According to a website called bullyingstatistics.org, it's due to the fact that this kind of abuse can occur anytime, anywhere. The website does say, however, that "Some cyber bullies are victims of real world bullying, and go online and bully others to feel powerful." Some might refer to that as revenge or retaliation, but it's bullying no matter what way you look at it.

photo source: resources.uknowkids.com