“Cyberbullying”
Cyberbulling is heartbreaking. We have interviewed so many children who talk about being bullied and harassed on the Internet or via text messages. They cry. Their parents cry. They tell stories about being tortured with cruel words and mean-spirited rumors so foul I cannot repeat them here. Many say it may begin with one bully but before long a whole gang of kids join in the cruelty. And often, despite the victim’s efforts to change passwords and screen names, the bullying continues for months or even years.
But it’s also heartbreaking for me to think of the bullies. How can a child, not that many years from the pure innocence of infancy, be that evil? When I hear the agony in the voice of the victim, I want to put my arms around that child… and then go find the bullies and throttle them right before I call the police and have them jailed for assault. But while some of these kids really may be sadistic and mean… I think many of them are just too young, and too poorly taught by their parents, to realize the harm they do, and have done. In the virtual world, just like the children in Lord of the Flies, they are ungoverned. They are left alone in the wilderness of the Web where there is no sheriff, no vice-principal, no hall monitor to keep our kids in line. Which means it is our job. Parents. And since we can’t always be there to see what they write on someone’s Facebook page or in a text message, to prevent good kids from bullying we have to build within them empathy and a conscience that will serve them when we’re not there.
And part of that task is to use your child’s imagination. I think bullies are not so much evil as unfeeling. They cannot feel the pain and tears of the victim because they can’t see it or hear it. We have to teach them, role model for them, describe to them the hurt that you cannot see on the Internet but that we can help them imagine.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 at 3:28 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
My own personal experience has been more with cyberbullying in the form of text messages. There is something about a text message that empowers people to say things they would never even dream of saying face to face. I was at the beginning stages of fallout with one of my closest friends when my first cyberbullying over text experience began. It was late one Friday night after a football game, and two of my good girlfriends were spending the night at my house. We were up late watching movies and discussing the day’s activities when I received a text message from one of my closest friends. What started out as a simple text message saying “hello” turned into a full on cyber attack. She proceeded to send awful insults aimed at me and my friends while letting out all of her pent-up emotions that had developed over our four year friendship. I was completely taken aback. I knew a fight had been brewing, but I had no idea what she was capable of saying. Not only was I hurt but I finally understood the power technology had on a person and my life. It was discomforting knowing that people can use technology as a shield that allows them to say whatever they feel without having to witness their victim’s reactions and emotions.
September 28th, 2009 at 7:23 am
This generation technology reaches its highest level of needs in every individual and even children. Children are not that aware of the danger that comes with it when they are actually in this position. They could only realize when this things had happen to them. There are precautions that the government or some non-government organizations that gives warning to teens and children on attacking them through cyber bully or harassment. It is like a back stab that had happen to children that can’t defend theirselves. Those who are doing those they are playing the victim’s emotions and life from the parents to the children. Let us be careful and let us be more aware of this. This happenings are become more uncontrollable these days.