Thomas Pyle Middle School Principal Jennifer Webster says, “The increasing technology that kids are using… definitely has an impact on our definition of bullying.” Much of the bullying that happens in schools today is actually harassment, teens saying mean things to other teens online. When kids get home, the bullying does not stop and, usually becomes more vicious. “People feel more comfortable saying things online that they would never say to somebody in person,” says Webster, which allows kids to be bullied constantly via social networking sites, email, and other blogs and websites. Unlike passing notes around the classroom, on the Internet, hundreds of people can see what was said in less than a minute, and, records of what was posted are kept by the site.
Just because someone has seen the comment does not mean they will do something. Pyle Middle School Guidance Counselor Rebecca Bloom says, “the bystander… has a great deal of power… [i]t is the bystander who can change what’s going on….” If a person witnesses someone being harassed or bullied, he/she should “not feel like it’s tattle telling” and go straight to an adult or supervisor. If bystanders do not try to help the victim or report the incident, it is considered bullying because they could have stopped the problem.
Physical bullying is not the only type harassment that can leave the victim with scars. There have been several cases of teens committing suicide after being constantly harassed. With websites like Formspring, which allow anonymous posts, kids feel they can be mean without suffering any consequences.
Cyber bullying should be treated like any other type of bullying and be immediately reported. Although cyber bullying is becoming more of a trend among teens, physical bullying is not completely gone.
7th-grader Katie Sullivan witnessed someone being hurt when “a bunch of boys started pushing [each other] and they made a big pile… the person on the bottom was yelling in pain.” When she tried to make sure the boy was ok, “he laughed and said he was fine and that it was a joke,” though the student could have been seriously injured. Sullivan also adds that usually, “physical bullying happens between boys,” and that “verbal bullying happens between girls more.” Bullying has become very serious among teens, and happens constantly throughout the community, even in places where it is least expected. The simple teasing between friends and acquaintances can, and many times will, offend someone. So, before you speak, think how you would feel if you were told the same thing. “There are going to be mistakes and slip-ups,” said Webster, but Bloom added that “it can get better… if people know what’s going on.”
Rebecca Katz, who now attends Walt Whitman High School, loves to read and is excited that her writing may have an impact.
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