Cyber Bullying Must End.

[TheHuckster]

I see both points of view. I understand why some people think physical bullying is worse, and also why others feel that cyber bullying is worse. Each has its components of terror.

And we can argue all day over who is right.

But it doesn't matter. Both forms of bullying are abhorrent, both are about power, and both are driving young people to kill themselves. And so steps must be taken to protect the victims and prevent bullying.

I was recently at a wedding party where some older people were talking about the bullying situation, and they all were saying the same thing: "We had bullying when I went to school in the 50s, and it never drove me or anyone I knew to suicide. Why is it now such a huge problem?"

I had to butt in and explain that before the Internet, kids were bullied at school, usually during recess, P.E., and sometimes outside of school at the malt shop, or wherever kids hung out. But there was always some kind of sanctuary; a place where the bullied could go to escape the taunts and punches.

Now, because of the Internet, there really is no sanctuary, and even worse, the taunts and jabs are more public than they were before. Some can even reach a global "meme" status, such as the Star Wars Kid video. Kids are literally bullying them from their own homes to the outcasts' homes.

They kind of understood, although their only response was "why do 13 year olds have Facebook accounts?" Which I nodded in agreement to the rhetorical question, but unless we can all just change that in one fell swoop there's really nothing we can do about that.

[Eisa]

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will always hurt me."

Words definitely hurt. A lot. I can recall perfectly the words that this one girl who bullied me every day in fifth grade would call me. Every single day, I got called fat, stupid, ugly, worthless, a freak of nature...especially a freak of nature, she was really fond of that one. I had no one else to be friends with. The rest of my class ignored me or made fun of me. While my teacher told me that I should "be more social" and scolded me. I had no sanctuary, really, since I was bullied at school and being abused at home (STILL would like to know how none of my teachers noticed the finger-shaped bruises on my arms, but that's another story...).

It's despicable. I saw Amanda's video and cried. It's sickening to me how many people now say that she deserved to be bullied. For what? She was twelve years old when she flashed her boobs, I'm sorry, that's kiddie porn, and the only person at fault for that should be the despicable person who wanted her to do so, and then systematically stalked and harassed her for years.

For sleeping with another girl's boyfriend? It takes two to cheat. Of course she shouldn't have done it, but that doesn't excuse in any way beating her up while she lay on the ground. It doesn't excuse taunting her after her suicide attempt and telling her to drink more bleach.

Everyone makes mistakes...which I think people forget. It's fucking despicable.

Also, this is a bit applicable because of the bullying angle: Rise Against: Make It Stop (September's Children)

[CaptainJaneway]

Here is another story someone posted on my face book page.

http://m.nydailynews.com/new-york/15...mSlide=0#bmb=1

[Andara Bledin]

I got bullied pretty much my entire time through school. That's what happens when you grow up in the middle of the materialistic Me generation not caring about fashion and being very 'alternative' before alternative was even a thing.

The taunts were easy to ignore; they called me names based on facets of my personality that I embraced. Calling me a freak didn't mean much when I reveled in the fact that I wasn't a mindless little sheep trying to fit in with the rest of the flock.

The physical stuff never went anywhere. Either my reactions were so non-events, or they feared me too much to escalate.

For the former, my balance was too good for me to be trippable, so that stopped after only a few attempts. Someone poured a carton of something like buttermilk over my head at the end of the day of the graduation ceremony from middle school (8th year), to which I looked around, wiped it off, and continued to wait for my ride to arrive. Sure, I was pissed, but it was easier to deal with it and move on than to react - plus, I knew that they were a bunch of cowards, and that seeing me not react to their cruel little attack would give me the "win" as it were. If any of them went on to high school with me, I never knew it; but then, I moved after only a month, so I have no way to tell.

For the latter, my younger brother was friends with some of their younger brothers, and it was confided in him that they would have tried to beat me up, but they were too afraid of me to do it. I'm a pacifist and never fought, so I can only attribute their fear to the fierce look I get when concentrating on my reading or the death glare I gave the one time it did get physical in my 2nd year. And, again, other than that, there was no other reaction to the attack, making it a poor return on me as a target.

^-.-^

[crashhelmet]

My siblings and i were bullied a lot growing up because we were always the new kids in town. My dad's career in the Marine Corps brought us a lot of school changes. In some places, we were bullied for other reasons.

With me, it never lasted long. I retaliated, usually physically, against the alphas of the bullies and the followers would quickly stop. Sadly, If you do it today you're at more risk of punishment than the bully is.