Cyberbullying: A State and School
Issue
Written By: Dana Hetzel
Picture yourself as a student who is a victim of bullying.
As you walk down the hallways, you hear laughing and
whispers. Then, you get a shove or an insult thrown at
you. All you can think about is getting out of the school
doors and getting back home, where you are safe and you have the
rest of the day until you have to come back to school
again. Now, picture yourself as that same student who has
finally arrived home. You sit down to relax on your computer,
and a mean message pops up on your AOL Instant Messenger. Bullying
in general is hard enough to control in schools, let alone via
social networking sites or instant messaging. The suicide
rates among students are increasing and the bullying is
constant. Instead of going home away from bullies at school,
Facebook and other social networking sites elongate the bullying
process and make the experience almost relentless.
In a study regarding cyber bullies and cyber victims amongst
seventh and eighth grade students, a high correlation was found
between victims and internalizing symptoms, loneliness, and low
self-esteem. This was especially so in students who are
victims of face-to-face bullying along with cyber bullying. Though
cyber bullying tends to be more common within females, students all
across ages and genders are victims of cyberbullying. This is
also true in higher education, as we saw with Tyler Clemente’s
recent suicide due to harassment and exploitation of his privacy
through the Internet. In the privacy of his own room, Clemente
was having sexual relations with another male while two students
videotaped them and posted it on the World Wide Web. After
feeling humiliated and hurt beyond words, he took his own life and
jumped off the George Washington Bridge (Pérez-Peña, New York
Times.) A new term emerged: bullycide.
New York is taking steps to combat this cyberbullying. A
recent blog stated that Senator Jeffrey Klein, (D-Bronx) and
Assemblyman William Scarborough (D-Queens) are initiating a
cyberbullying survey, in which students from grades 3-12
answer questions in which they define their idea of cyberbullying,
if they have been victims or bullies themselves, and if they have
reported any cases. All answers are anonymous, and each will
help aid New York’s awareness and prevention of the cyberbullying
issue, and ultimately, bullycide (Cara Matthews, Democrat and
Chronicle.)
In regards to the survey, Senator Klein states, “We know that
cyberbullying is happening in New York State and, tragically, we
know that words can kill in the digital age,” He continues,
“The New York Cyberbully Census will enable us to gather hard
data about the extent of cyberbullying in New York, help build the
coalitions we need to combat this destructive behavior, and help
save lives.”
The census could open up the eyes, ears, and mouths of students,
administrators, and parents who so often deal with the issue of
cyberbullying. By receiving information from students of all
ages, schools can better combat the issues pertaining to this
online bullying.
Scarborough mentioned in a statement, “The issue of
cyberbullying is widespread and more insidious than
ever. Because the Internet and social media present tremendous
possibilities for the harassment and bullying of young people, we
must update our laws to reflect the seriousness of the problem and
the potential for permanent harm and even death.”
As future educators and students within St. John’s University,
it is crucial to reveal this issue that has become an epidemic
within the school system. As we learn, grown, and flourish as
individuals and aspiring teachers, issues such as cyberbullying and
bullycide must recognized. In this day and age, technology has
the power to create, expand, and incite the minds of our students,
yet, on the other hand, has the ability to do extreme damage to a
students well being. All it takes is the click of a mouse.
To be a part of a team in the School of Education in
the battle against bullying, please send an e-mail to soestompsoutbullying@gmail.com of
your interest.