Cyber Bullying

Over the past few years it seems as if bullying has gone to a new level where victims cannot escape it. When bullying was a problem for a victim before it use to only last the 6 0r 7 hours that they were in school and then maybe a bit on the way home from school, but with all the online social media sites, and smart phones where internet access is right in your pocket, cyberbulling has become a problem in which the victim has almost no escape. In most schools the amount of students being bullied is too close to the amount of students being bullied.

According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, in January and Feburary of 2010 a school polled in the south showed that of 150,00 students 20.8 of students would be lifetime victims of cyberbullying and 19.4 students would be lifetime offenders. Many victims are afraid to seek help from teachers or parents because the problem can often become worse when a third party gets involved. The problem is not only effecting middle schools and high schools but even colleges are feeling the effects of cyberbullying.

With the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi along with several other college students unable to end the emotional torture caused by cyberbullying, many colleges are looking to put policies in place to prevent it. In New Jersey, Senator Frank Lautenberg is proposing to pass a bill that will list cyberbullying as harassment and enforce all colleges in the state to have a strict policy on bullying and harassment. Here at Flagler College, cyberbullying has been added to the student handbook as a form of harassment that will not be tolerated. Knowing that whatever is put on the internet can be seen by anyone all over the world even if the comment or post is deleted it makes bullying that much more hurtful. And knowing that a person may have to see or relive those painful comments everyday they log online can be emotionally tolling, so how do we stop it? What do you think we can do to prevent cyberbullying? Is there anything that can be done? Yes, you can think before you post something about a person that will fall under the definition of harassment and if you know someone that is harassing another on your college campus you can notify the appropriate office.



Cates Girard