Journal #5

How to Fight the New Bullies By: Rosalind Wiseman

This article deals with the newest form of bullying which is cyberbulling. The article gives information on bullying as well as was to stop it. At the very end of the article it gives some statistics that really shocked me. “90% of middle school students have had their feelings hurt online.” I was amazed at how high those numbers are. The article says that schools are trying to figure out ways to lower the numbers. They are changing bullying laws to include cyberbullying in them. They are also trying to make laws so that bullying that happens off campus to other students can be penalized. The does a good job of explaining why this statistic is so high. Children often don’t see what they are doing on the computer to have any consequences in the real world. Many students say things and do things online that they would never do in person. Hopefully soon schools will have consequences for the student’s actions since obviously parents are not doing the job.

How can a teacher stop cyberbullying?
I think it’s a teacher’s responsibility to talk to their students about the internet and the consequences that can result from it. Student’s need to understand that what they do on the internet can affect them in life. Many people doing realize that they are talking to another person and not a screen. I think that it’s a teacher’s job to help the students realize that they need to respect others online the same way they should in the classroom. I think it is a teacher’s responsibility to teach students rules if they are going to use computers in the classroom.

Should schools be able to punish students for their behavior out of school?
I think that if two students are talking outside of school and one is being a bully that the school should have a right to stop it. Even if bullying does not take place on campus it still affects the child when they are there and have to interact with the kids that bullied them. It is the schools job to make students feel comfortable and safe at school so they can gain the education they deserve. This can not happen if a child is has been threatened by other students whether it was on or off campus.