Assignment - XII
Assignment - XII
While bullying has always been a problem encountered during childhood and
adolescence, we all know it is on the rise. When a child is intentionally and repeatedly mean
to another child, the cycle begins. Bullying occurs on the playgrounds, at lunch in the cafeteria,
in locker rooms, even over the phone. And now that so many children have access to the
5 latest technology, the problem has become even more prevalent.
We are entering the newest room-cyber bullying-whereby children and teens
deliberately use digital media in order to disseminate false, embarrassing, or just plain mean
messages or pictures about one person to others. Cyberbullying can occur via text, email,
Facebook, Twitter, or other social media outlets. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls
10 cyberbullying “the most common online risk for all teen”.
Studies have shown that between 25 percent to 45 percent of teens report being bullied
online. Many kids report such treatment having occurred more than once. Cyberbullying is
affecting all ages, as even young children often have access to technology and the internet.
Children of all ages need to understand that the internet is not a ‘safe’ place, that it is
15 a public forum. Even if you delete a message or photo, it actually continues to exist in
cyberspace. Also, many teens mistakenly think they will not “get caught” if they bully someone
online, or that such behavior is “not that big a deal”.
All parents need to discuss internet safety and the problem of cyberbullying with their
children. This is especially important for tweens and teens, as they spend much of their time
20 online. Just as kids must learn and practice good manners in public, they also need to mind
their manners online. If a child would not say something to another young person’s face, then
the same dig should not be emailed or texted. It is really as simple as that.
This is what I call the “front door rule”. Tell your child that if he/she writes an email or
text, or posts something derogatory about another person on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
25 (or other sites), to think before they push “send”. If they would not want to post the information
on their front door for family members and all their neighbors to see, they should stop, think
and change-or forget about-the message. It could hurt someone more than they realize and
could also be forwarded on to hundreds, thousands, even millions of others.