Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones and Words Can Sometimes Kill You: Bullying Now and Then
INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH
The scenario of the prey and the bully is an act that is played out in many schools around the world every day. Many years ago, the school yard playground was the center stage for the majority of the concluding performances. The curtain would close, but not before there was perhaps some scrapes and bruises, hurt feelings and an injured ego. Most often, victory would belong to the bully leaving his/her prey to lick their wounds. The tormentor would then move on perhaps because of defeat/victory or maybe to find another victim. The bullying of generations ago yielded no suicides or mass murders that I am aware of. However, over the decades, the act of bullying has slowly evolved into a one way ticket to suicide due to the impact of cyber-bullying.
SUPPORTING POINT 1
Because, the act of bullying someone was limited to a smaller audience and the context of the verbal threats was as well, the victims could look forward to an end of the harassment.
1. The method of communication via the super highway was restricted to landlines and thus not an adequate way to intimidate someone through a large audience.
2. Schoolyard hounding and fights were seen as a normal part of growing up and were a common sight in most schools.
3. The mantra of that period was “sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” and it was taught to and recited by victims of bullying.
SUPPORTING POINT 2
Because, the internet can instantly reach a much greater audience through social networking sites, as well as, cellphone texting connections going out to multiple people at one time, the act of harassing, intimidating, and threatening a person carries a far greater consequence.
1. Cyber bullying is much more effective and harmful to its victims because the intimidation can be seen by hundreds of thousands and even millions...