Prompt:
"Digital Citizenship: On page 74 of last week's reading, Learning Outcome 3.5 second bullet point: "Digital citizens, teachers and students alike, have rights and responsibilities in the areas of student learning and academic performance, school environment and student behavior, and student life outside of the school."
As future educators, you may encounter difficult situations that may impact a student's ability to function fully academically due to bullying, most specifically cyber bullying. These are real issues for students, families, and schools. The videos/movies this week are difficult to watch, but critical to understanding the magnitude of bullying, digital citizenship, Please review videos and links below and discuss questions.
What are your first thoughts and emotions with this situation? Do you think the boy who sent the text should be charged? Think about a time when you witnessed bullying. How did you respond? How do you wish you had responded? What stopped you from responding that way? What are the different ways that someone can intervene when he or she witnesses bullying?
2. Please watch this movie IN-FULL and review the resources below:
2a. What are overall thoughts of this documentary? What student reached your heart the most and why? Answer the guiding questions from the discussion document (link #3) on pages 10 & 11 that pertain to the student you selected.
2b. Researchers measure and define bullying in different ways. How do you define bullying? Is the description of bullying in this reading adequate? At what point does conflict between students become bullying? At what point do you think the adults in a school community should take particular conflicts between students more seriously?
2c. In one recent study, 20% of respondents aged 11–18 said they had been a victim of cyberbullying at some point in their life.12 In what ways is cyberbullying similar to other forms of bullying? In what ways is it different? How does cyberbullying present new challenges for students and for schools? To what extent do you think that schools have a responsibility to deal with cyberbullies?"
Here's my response to the prompt:
I have seen this video before when my high school had presentation on cyberbullying. It upsets me and shocks me that children can be so cruel. Yes. I think that the boy should be charged. There was a situation in high school where some people were making fun of the children that had special needs. It had become a discussion at our lunch table. I told the people that we shouldn’t be talking about those children like that because they are like us and have feelings too. There are different ways to stop bullying. You can go to a trusted adult and explain what is going on. If it is a safer situation, you can stand by side the person being bullied. Or you can make an attempt to talk to the person being bullied.
I think that the one child’s story that touched me the most was Alex’s story. This is because I hate to see people make fun of diseases and people with mental illnesses. It’s so unfair to them because of the cognitive recognition that they could lack in. So, they don’t know how interact socially. People usually respond violently or nastily to a difference that they do not understand. Not understanding is one of the most frustrating thing as a human being. Students wit special needs are often targets because other students do not understand why the children with special needs act differently. Some students are taught to seek out a difference and try to make it “normal”. Parents and school officials can educate themselves and the students on bullying and how it affects everyone. For example, the school can hold a presentation for cyberbullying and other forms of bullying. The helpful kind of responses are the ones that all pull in the same direction. What I mean is that if a child comes to an adult, it should be the adult’s responsibility to make sure that the situation is taken care of with professionalism. An unhelpful response can lead to the child getting bullied worse than before. An adult intervention is most helpful in the beginning of the school year and at the end of the school year. It is also important to have an intervention when you start to notice the red flags of bullying. My overall thought of the documentary was that it’s a movie full of suffering that has not been answered.
I define bullying as actions or words against another person with the intent of harm or harmful language. I think that the reading’s description of bullying is adequate. When the act is repetitive, and the victim is helpless, I believe that is when bullying is done. I think adults should take bullying more seriously when it is apparent that the act of bullying is affecting their daily lifestyle and happiness.
Cyberbullying is similar to other forms of bullying because it is still an attack on the victim in order to decrease self-esteem. Physical and cyberbullying are similar as well because both are an act to hurt the victim. All bullying is meant to cause some sort of pain. School’s should monitor computer use at school and not allow the use of cellphones during school hours. To be honest that is pretty much all they can do within the law. Of course they can make rules and boundaries but eventually cyberbullying will still continue. Most cyberbullying is from home because of the screen time. School could have harsher punishments for students who are caught cyberbullying.
I find that all bullying is so cruel and desperate. I feel that the bully and the victim are both made desperate from a situational stand point. With the increased awareness and accessibility of the Internet it is so easy for people to turn into bullies and victims. It’s a vicious cycle that will never end.
Credit for prompt due to Theresa Henderson. Credit for image above due to Google.
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