News and Features Editor
Cyberbullying,
indirect bullying, verbal and physical abuse, and intimidation appear to be on
the rise. Did you know that over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying
each year, 56% of students have witnessed bullying at school, and one out of ten
students drop out of school because of repeated bullying?
The
film industry relies on bullies for some of their best movies, whether
comedies, romantics, or dramas. In fact, there is a made-for-TV movie called
“Cyberbully” that takes the mean-girl drama into the virtual world. Gordon Ramsay and Simon Cowell are two of the
most brutally honest and downright mean stars on reality television. These
types of movies and television shows usually work out for everyone in the end,
but this is not always the case in real life.Bullying takes its toll on a person. Recently, there have been incidents of bullying ending in the death of the victim. Twelve-year-old Jose Reyes in Sparks, Nevada, who had reportedly been bullied, killed a teacher, injured two students, and killed himself at Sparks Middle School on October 21. One student at the school reported that Reyes was yelling out, “Why are you laughing at me? Why are you doing this to me?” It is unclear to officials if Reyes’ victims were targeted or shot at randomly.
In
another incident on September 10, 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick committed suicide
by jumping from the tower of an abandoned cement factory after months of cyber
and in person bullying. The bullying continued despite telling school
officials. The county sheriff arrested two girls, 12 and 14-years-old, on
aggressive stalking charges because the victim was younger than 16-years-old. The
girls did admit to bullying Sedwick after they were placed in custody. The
mother of the 14-year-old suspect was arrested after a video on Facebook showed
her fighting an unidentified juvenile.
When
it comes to classifying bullying, what factors are considered? Aledo High
School’s football team beat Fort Worth Western Hill 91-0 in Texas on October 18.
The next day, Aledo coach Tim Buchanan was informed of a formal bullying
complaint filed by a Fort Worth parent. This has not been the first blowout by
the Aledo team, but the major problem is that the coach left his starters in
longer than others would have liked, but Buchanan claims, “Our backups are
playing more than our starters are. We’re trying to get ready for the playoffs
and our running back has only carried the ball five times. Our starting running
back had five carries and four touchdowns.” Fort Worth coach John Naylor does
not agree with the allegations, but rather that the team, “just plays hard.
…They get after it and that’s the way football is supposed to be played in
Texas.”
Many
people bully to feel superior over others or because the victim is different.
The biggest deterrent to prevent bullying is to be tolerant of others. Hopefully,
others will be acceptant of you in return. Children learn tolerance from the
actions of their parents. Adults, by treating friends, colleagues and family
with respect and kindness, show children that there is no place or reason for
bullying in their lives.
Victims
of bullies should tell an adult or seek help through their school’s guidance
office. Parents should monitor their child’s Facebook and other online accounts
for degrading messages or posts from other people. Bullying cannot be
prevented, people either bully or not, and if help is not sought, the toll of
bullying may become too much for a person to handle.
