IN EVERY ISSUE
Bullying and Suicide
Bully-related suicide is connected to any type of bullying , including physical bullying , emotional bullying , cyberbullying , and sexting , or circulating suggestive or nude photos or messages .
Close to 60 % of US teenagers are bullied online yearly . These teens are threatened , harassed , or intentionally embarrassed . Photos meant for boyfriends and girlfriends are shared once the relationship ends or when one friend simply gets mad at another . Humiliating memes or cartoons of teenagers are shared on Snapchat . Tik-Tok impersonation of the victim are showing up and getting “ likes ” and comments . Teenagers , just like many adults , are hiding behind computer screens and cloaked IP addresses and bullying innocent victims . When children and teenagers are bullied , they do not know how to react and nor should they . A 9-year-old does not have the coping skills to fight back against a bully and neither does a 17-year-old . They may be tempted to just ignore the bully . They may be tempted to fight back in a negative back-and-forth . The engagement itself will make matters worse , as that is exactly what the bully is wanting . Bullies thrive off attention . Teens bully other children and teens possibly because :
1 . They have been or currently being bullied themselves . When children are being bullied , they often seek revenge because they don ’ t know any other way to cope . They were hurt so they want to hurt other people .
2 . They are bored . Plain and simple . They want to add excitement and drama to their lives . They also might choose to cyberbully because they lack attention and supervision from parents . Getting attention from the victim does serve a purpose for the bully
3 . They think cyberbullying happens a lot and to everyone , so it is
for your Home & Business not that big a deal . 4 . They are power hungry . By making fun of or threatening another person , they feel powerful and better than the other person . 5 . They believe they will not get caught because they are on the internet .
6 . They lack empathy . Research shows that many cyberbullies report not feeling anything for the victims . Instead , they said that online bullying made them feel popular , powerful , funny , or smarter or better than the person they were bullying . Some said they were bullied at home , it is what you do to hang out with the right crow , they see others doing it , they are jealous , and it keeps them from being bullied . Practical solutions for parents and educators are : 1 . Parents need to sit down with their children and teenagers and talk the internet , social media , bullying , and sexting . These are uncomfortable conversations but that ’ s OK . Good parenting means difficult conversations about difficult topics . Children and teens , no matter how many times they roll their eyes , need to have these tough talks with their parents . Parents need to explain to their children and teens that any email , picture , meme once posted is always and forever in cyberspace … forever and ever . Items deleted from iphones , computers , laptops , are never deleted from the internet universe . Never ever .
2 . Sit down and talk with your child about who , what , and why the cyberbullying is taking place . Get the backstory if there is one . Consider all perspectives . What you see online may only be part of the whole picture . Is it possible that your child has done something — intentionally or unintentionally — to hurt the other party ?
3 . Explain to children that if they are being bullied , over the internet or in person , you , their parent , need to know . They need to share that information with you or an adult .
4 . If they tell you they are being bullied online , make sure you or them screenshot the messages and the internet site . a . Send an email , including the screenshot of the message to the app or website and ask for confirmation of how the problem was managed . b . Make the internet site accountable for site content . 5 . If the cyberbullying happens during the school year and the bully goes to the same school , report the incident to the child ’ s school . Ask the school administrators exactly what the protocol will be to manage the situation and have them email you the results . As parents , always ask for email confirmation . If the child goes to another school , report the incident to the other school .
6 . If the bullying is severe and includes physical threats , report the incident to law enforcement and make sure to take all evidence with you .
7 . Educators need an in-place policy on bully which needs to be review yearly with all students . Source : bullying statistics . org
Children and teens bully for varied reasons and parents are often underprepared to help their child deal with bullying . I hope this article is a starting point . If you are a parent , teacher , or school administrator and would like more information on Cyberbullying and ways to prevent or address it , please email me at mls203 @ msstate . edu . I am one email away .
601-GO GREEN
www . meridianstar . com
And last , but never least , “ Just as you want men to do to you , do the same way to them .” Luke 6:31 .
• Marian Swindell is Interim Social Work Program Director and Associate Professor of Social Work at Mississippi State University , Meridian .
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