Bullying can be briefly defined as deliberately hurting another person physically or emotionally. As far as we know, it has always been a common behaviour of human beings, and a common behaviour of other animals. Often justified in evolutionary terms as falling under the heading ‘survival of the fittest’, this kind of oppression has always been part of nature. By no means however, does this mean that it can be justified in the modern day world. We cannot be blamed for the actions of our ancient ancestors, but we can make a stand against such behaviour in our own generation. To take an extreme example, rape is a natural behaviour within the animal kingdom but this does not mean we condone the act within our own society. There are certain naturalistic inclinations which are justifiably overcome by our notion of ethics. Crimes such as murder and rape fall under this category, but the term “bullying” remains a little hazy, especially when we consider the realm of cyber-bullying.
There are so many different forms of bullying, the latest of which takes form on the internet. The internet is an extraordinary human invention which we should admire. However all wonderful creations come with their flaws. In this case, it is the cowardice of people hiding behind a screen. Due to the extraordinarily large scope of social media, it is impossible for the technical geniuses to monitor cyber-bullying, let alone the teachers or parents. Facebook, Twitter and phone apps are just a few of the platforms used to intimidate, sexually harass and blackmail others. The attribute of anonymity and the ability to delete data, adds to the sinister nature of this type of bullying. To prevent this kind of behaviour, the primary focus has to be on education. We must raise awareness of the history, scope and dangers of the issue to the youngest generations. A short film like the one below from Digizen, can offer support to people who may secretly need it the most. TrueTube provides a range of resources on bullying in general, many of which focus on cyber-bullying in particular. If you’re looking for a sensitive, yet informative way to tackle this topic in the classroom, then look no further.
There are so many different forms of bullying, the latest of which takes form on the internet. The internet is an extraordinary human invention which we should admire. However all wonderful creations come with their flaws. In this case, it is the cowardice of people hiding behind a screen. Due to the extraordinarily large scope of social media, it is impossible for the technical geniuses to monitor cyber-bullying, let alone the teachers or parents. Facebook, Twitter and phone apps are just a few of the platforms used to intimidate, sexually harass and blackmail others. The attribute of anonymity and the ability to delete data, adds to the sinister nature of this type of bullying. To prevent this kind of behaviour, the primary focus has to be on education. We must raise awareness of the history, scope and dangers of the issue to the youngest generations. A short film like the one below from Digizen, can offer support to people who may secretly need it the most. TrueTube provides a range of resources on bullying in general, many of which focus on cyber-bullying in particular. If you’re looking for a sensitive, yet informative way to tackle this topic in the classroom, then look no further.
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