Bullying is an issue that has been in existence for a long time, yet it has not been adequately addressed. High-level forms of violence such as assault and murder historically receive the most media attention. Lower-level forms of violence such as bullying have only in recent years started to be addressed by researchers, parents and guardians, and authority figures. It is only in recent years that bullying has been recognized and recorded as a separate and distinct offence. A newer form of bullying that has only become an issue in recent years is that of cyberbullying. A majority of states have laws that explicitly include electronic forms of communication within harassment laws. The safety of schools is increasingly becoming a focus of state legislative action. There was an increase in cyber-bullying enacted legislation between the years of 2006 and 2010. Specifically this paper focuses on the policies on cyber-bullying in schools in the state of Tennessee by examining the definition and history of cyber-bullying, research and legislation on cyber-bullying, and efforts of Metropolitan Nashville Public schools against cyber-bullying.
Definitions of Cyberbullying
U.S. Department of Health Definition of Cyberbullying
Cyber-bullying is defined as bullying that takes place using electronic technology, including cell phones, computers, tablets, social media sites, test messages, chat rooms, and websites. Cyber-bullying is noted as being different because children who are cyberbullied are often bullied in person as well. Also, children who are cyberbullied struggle more with getting away from their aggressors. This is because cyber-bullying can occur at any time. It can reach a child when they are alone, is committed anonymously, di...
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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. (2012, May). Bulling and Harrassment SP 6.110. Nashville, TN: MNPS.
Murray, S. S., Hewitt, P., Maniss, S., & Molinatti, J. (2012). "They're just being kids": Recognizing and preventing bullying. National Social Science Journal, 39(1), 56-64.
Slovak, K., & Singer, J. B. (2011). School social workers' perceptions of cyberbullying. Children & Schools, 33(1), 5-16.
Thomlison, R. J., Thomlison, B., Sowers, K. M., Theriot, M. T., & Dulmus, C. N. (2004). School personnel's observations of bullying and victimization among rural elementary and middle school children. Journal Of Evidence-Based Social Work, 1(2/3), 25. doi:10.1300/J394v1n02•03
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (Ed.). (2012). What is cyberbullying? Retrieved October 7, 2012, from http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/index.html
The definition of bullying uses broad statements to define the actual meaning. Because of this, people may view the definition differently than others. Bullying can range from physical violence to verbal abuse to even cyberbullying. Most people do not realize how common cyberbullying actually is. Over half of teens and adolescents have been bullied online and almost the same number have engaged in the bullying (“Cyber Bullying Statistics”). Cyberbullying is becoming more and more prominent throughout this time period because of the technology continuing to expand around the world. Each year this statistic increasingly grows due to the technology
Bullying has become a major problem facing the United States today. The American Psychological Association reports that roughly 40% to 80% of children are involved in bullying on some level during their time in school. (APA, 2014) The magnitude of the problem can be observed in the statistics. In the United States, a total of 4,080,879 children between the ages of five and 18 have been the victims of bullying compared to 3,892,199 who have reported that they have engaged in bullying someone else. Additionally, 851,755 said that they have been both the victim and the bully. That's a whopping 8,824,833 people in the United States that have been involved in bullying behavior on one level or another. (High, B., 2000 Census)
Bullying is nothing new but now times have changed because technology has made it possible for teenagers to bully one another without having to be face to face. This type of bullying is known as Cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is another method that is being used in today’s society to bullied one another and it takes place using technologic devices such as; computers, tablets, cell phone and using social media websites such as; facebook, twitter Instagram etc.. Although cyber bullying is not physical it has become a big problem in today’s society affecting many families psychologically and resulting in irreversible outcomes.
The act of bullying has been present in children’s life throughout time. It has been seen in movies, books, and even real life situations. In recent years there has been in increase in the use of technology and the Internet. As a result a new type of bullying has been introduced to today’s generation of teenagers. This new type of bullying is known as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has a negative impact on the lives of the teenagers that experience it.
As technology quickly advances bullying has become a damaging act to our youth both physically and mentally that can not be ignored. What makes cyber-bullying such a serious issue is that it has been
Traditional bullying that used to occur commonly on school-grounds has now been over shadowed by harassment through the Internet and other technology related devices. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary “cyber bullying” is defined as ...
“Bullying Enters the Twenty-first Centaury” is a journal article constructed by three social science professors from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. The foundation of the text examines the contemporary evolution of juvenile cyber bullying, holding a key emphasise on methodological issues surrounding the study, whilst drawing attention to key criminology theories. The paper arranges that cyber bullying is defined as a ‘psychologically devastating form of social cruelty’ and identifies the problem as being of significant magnitude (Cesaroni, Downing and Alvi 2012, p. 3). Further, the authors associate links between
Bullying has been a part of schooling for as long as children have been congregating. To some it seems like a natural, though uncomfortable, part of life and school experience, while to others it can mean terrifying experiences which spoiled and characterized otherwise happy years in school. Dan Olweus, a pioneer in bully behavior research documented that 2.7 million children are affected as victims, and that 2.1 children act as bullies (Fried, 1997, as cited in Aluedse, 2006). With bullying cited as the reason for violent, gun-related crime in the past few years, school districts as well as national governments have put anti-bullying policies in place. Bullying is a complicated phenomenon, involving more than one child demanding lunch money from a smaller child. It is a worldwide epidemic hitting schools everywhere. Virtually everyone has seen or experienced bullying. With technological advances, bullying is even hitting the internet. Parents, teachers, students and governments agencies alike are attempting to put a stop to bullying practices.
Neimen, Samantha, Brandon Robers, and Simon Robers. “Bullying: A State of Affairs.” Journal of Law & Education (n.d.):n. pag. Print.
Bullying is a severe problem that has intensely affected students’ ability to advance academically and socially. Bullying can be categorized as teasing, taunting, physical torment that are initiated by one or more students against another student. Modern technologies of social media and electronic devices have benefited us in our daily everyday activities, but if landed in the wrong hands technology can be harmful. In recent years with the innovation of technology bullying has expanded into cyberspace making it more dangerous and harder to contain. The new phenomenon of bullying is called cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is when electronic devices such as cell phones, computers, tablets with the use of social media sites, text messages and instant
Educators attempt to provide safe, nurturing environments where students can thrive. Any disturbance to this climate can have negative affects on students’ educational performances. Bullying is one such disruption. Unfortunately, physical and verbal abuse are nothing new in the school setting, however, the rise of technology in our country has created a new setting for bullies to target their victims. Cyberbulling, or the use of any number of technological means to harm or harass another, has become an increasingly prevalent occurrence, specifically among school-aged children (Campfield, 2006).
McQuade, III, Samuel, James Colt, and Nancy Meyer. Cyber Bullying: Protecting Kids and Adults from Online Bullies. First Edition. Road West, Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2009. 47-49. Print.
... Bullying." Digital Directions 13 June 2012: 8. Educators Reference Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Internet usage in children and adolescents has been increasing in a steadily fashion in the past number of years and with the increase in internet usage, a new form of bullying has developed – Cyber bullying. Cyber bullying can be defined as “the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person,” (Merriam-Webster, 2012). This form of bullying can come through various mediums including but not limited to text messages, emails, videos, and social networking sites. There is an overwhelming amount of information that defines cyber bullying, identifies the demographics of bullies and victims of cyber bullying, and identifies the outcomes of cyber bullying on victims. More focus needs to be placed on who the perpetrators of this form of violence are and how this form of violence is linked to traditional bullying. This will allow researchers and practitioners to move forward with research and implementation preventative methods and intervention once the problem has already occurred.
Stutzky suggests that cyber bullying is the use of modern communication technologies to embarrass, humiliate, threaten, or intimidate an individual in the attempt to gain power and control over them. Bullying has been around since the beginning of time. These days however, bullying isn’t just happening on the playground, it’s happening on the internet and mobile phones, making it possible to bully a child 24 hours a day. Cyber bullying follows children around the clock and into the safety of their own bedrooms. A recent survey by MindOh!, an educational company that follows youth trends, reported that nearly 80% of the 5,500 teens that were surveyed said that they had been exposed to cyber bullying. Cyber bullying affects the mental health of so many young adolescents around the world, and the issue is steadily increasing as more and more ways to bully are created.In extreme incidents, cyber bullying has led teenagers to suicide. Most victims, however, suffer shame, embarrassment, anger, depression and withdrawal. While technology continues to evolve, new means of communication enable today’s bullies to become more effective in terrorizing and tormenting their victims. The aim was to increase awareness and decrease the prevalence of cyber bullying- Year 9 at Meridan State College being the stakeholders (people involved).