Here's the Schedule

Hey guys as you all know, The Challenge is my social activism blog. You all will see small postings weekly with a major article like "Cyber Bullying: School Assembly Worthy" monthly. Oh here's a surprise once i get enough followers I'll create a poll to pick the next months topic. i hope you guys will like that.
J. A.

Cyber-Bullying : School Assembly worthy

“ Cyber-bullying, as you know, is a new and especially insidious form of bullying. In 2007, more than 900,000 secondary students reported being cyber-bullied. Cyber-bullying allows bullies to do their work at a distance, outside of schools, in front of a broad audience and sometimes under the protection of anonymity. New technologies provide bullies with new tools to hurt students in old ways,” according to Secretary Arne Duncan, Department of Education. Recently schools have begun to actively address the issue of bullying, especially cyber bullying. Cyber- bullying occurs over a form of electronic medium such as the internet, cell phones, or social media sites. Most students in middle and high schools have been victims or culprits of cyber bullying. It is the schools responsibility to shape its students to become positive members of society, it is now the time for schools to more actively address this plaguing issue. Opponents to schools addressing cyber bullying have often expressed opinions such as, there is a way out for students, cyber- bullying is not widespread and growing, and that cyber-bullying is no worse than traditional bullying. Students who fall victim to cyber bullying often do not have a way out of their terrible torment. Over the past five years many people such as, Darryn Cathryn Beckstrom of the University of Minnesota Law School, have published comments like “However, students who have been defamed can still resort to small –claims courts within their state in an effort to gain some compensation and to deter the cyberbully from continuing the defamation”(Beckstrom 318). On the contrary, the way out and all others must include changing every aspect of a thirteen year olds life: a new Facebook profile, cell phone number, new email addresses, and other personal information.  At that age in life it is absolutely absurd to endure such harassment and brutality. It is initially the schools responsibility to create a safe and non-toxic environment for all students. Raytown Quality Schools claims it is, “a unified learning community leading individuals to achieve the exceptional.” Furthermore, what most opponents to the  school wide  address to cyber-bullying fail to realize is cyber-bullying students cause several detrimental emotional and psychological effects. According to Duffy Trager, “Cyber- bulling has both short and long term effects on students, and many of them are the same seen in face-to face bullying. Short term effects can be emotional harm, including low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and social withdrawal. Long Term effects include depression and low self- esteem as well as suicide.” Cyber bullying creates the toxic environments that will only continue if cyber bullying is not addressed actively by schools and students will not have a way out of oppression nor a way into a life as a responsible leader in societyIt is often said that bulling or being bullied is just a phase in a child’s life. However, all to often when a bully gains followers more students become bullies which leads to more students who are forced to deal with the issues bullying presents daily. Furthermore seeing how there are cell phones in virtually every pocket and some sort of social medium bookmarked as a favorite on every computer cyber-bullying is now becoming a widespread and prevalent form of bullying today. In October of 2010, The National Crime Prevention Council found that 43% of kids were on the receiving end of this harassment [cyber- bullying] last year(PC Magazine). Furthermore, another “ report produced by the International Safety task Force concluded “Bullying and harassment, most often by peers are the most frequent threats that minors face, both online and offline(Szoka and Thierer).” This could mean that little, innocent; Johnny Adams is not innocent or will not stay innocent before he reaches the heights of middle school. Moreover, as a society that values education and strong moral character, we must demand that our schools should more actively address cyber-bullying.Schools used to be recognized as safe havens, where the issues of the outside world would disappear.  When confronted with traditional bullying, students only had to deal with issues at school and only reach out for help to receive help. As we enter the 21st century the bully is now able to make his threats and harassments much more prevalent in a students life. Furthermore, according to Karly  Zande, “ it is not uncommon for victims of cyber bullying to also be victims  of traditional bullying during school hours. But unlike traditional bullying, cyber bullying victims have no safe haven to run home to after school. Because students are constantly accessible to each other via the internet and cell phones, a cyber bully can reach into the victim’s own living room to torment them.” School  teachers before a field trip almost  always say “ remember you are representing your school, parents, and most importantly yourselves. So behave accordingly.” This cliché  has been forgotten somehow amongst those students who are cyber bullies who continue this pointless degradation of members of their class. Opponents to cyber- bullying being addressed by schools must realize that cyber bullying is an epidemic that is far worse and far more reaching than traditional sand box bullying.Opponents and some parents have voiced their opinion  on cyber bullying being actively addressed by school communities. Far to many children have become subject to the horrendous and malicious actions of cyber bullies across this country and it is time for  the madness to stop.  First, students who fall victim to cyber bullying have one way out and that way is through the door labeled new cell phone number, facebook, email, and friends.  Second, the numbers of students who  are on the receiving end of cyber bullying are staggering. Lastly,  cyber bullying  has allowed  the key board or keypad to become the  new weapon of choice for a cyber- bully  and living rooms, bed rooms, sidewalks, and even private desks are the new  playgrounds. For schools to stay true to the mission of creating responsible, respectful, and engaging members of society schools must actively address and  irradiate cyber- bullying.

So if you read this, urge your school administrators to press the dangers of cyberbullying. If you need more information visit all my citations :

1.      Beckstrom, Darryn Cathryn. Vermont Law Review (2008): 318. Print.

2.      PC Magazine Online 20 Oct. 2010. Lexis Nexis Academic. Web.

3.      Raytown Quality Schools. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. <http://www.raytownschools.org>.

4.      Szoka, Ben, and Adam Thierer. "Cyberbullying Legislation: Why Education Is Prefearble to      

Regulation."  Progress on Point 16 (2009). Print.

5.      Trager, Duffy B. Journal of Law and Education (2009): 556-57. Print.