A Change in their Ways: Cyberbullying | Teen Ink

A Change in their Ways: Cyberbullying

October 18, 2010
By erikampell SILVER, Willow Branch, Indiana
erikampell SILVER, Willow Branch, Indiana
9 articles 4 photos 8 comments

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"If at first you dont suceed, dont quit, push yourself" / "Push yourself, push yourself to the limit"


The world is brimming with different problems and concerns that people hardly realize. Many of these issue’s aren’t addressed are because of the fact that we are scared to admit that they have become a problem in today’s society. One issue that needs to be addressed is Cyberbullying. Two-hundred years ago when are founding fathers wrote the constitution and wrote in the first amendment that we had the right to free speech and in the fourth amendment’s protection against “unreasonable search and seizures,” and laws against harassment apply online that their would be anything to the extent of what is being done or said to the young people in today’s society.

The definition of cyberbullying is the inappropriate use of technology such as a cell phone or the computer. There are many ways to bully someone and the problem is arising in today’s class rooms and on the popular internet web page called “facebook.” Nineteen year old Lynda Lopez was encountering vicious e-mails and death threats that nearly pushed her over the edge, but she was able to fight back. She was spreading the excitement over facebook when she was awarded top honors in two different kinds of scholarships. Lopez even knew the girl that was harassing her and giving her the death threats over email, she was a girl she used to work with. She was a very competitive girl who went to a different high school who was not accepted into top honors of these two different scholarships. The girl was not arrested however, she was charged with harassment by electronic communication, however Lopez said in the Teen News article that she stays very aware of what she does and does not post on facebook and she has many trust issues with electronic communication devices. There are students and teens getting cyberbullied that have to live with what happened to them and the things people say do scar many people for life and that can begin to cause problems when you are working and interacting with adults.

Technology has become such a vital part in are every day life. In the fourth amendment it states that you have protection against unreasonable search and seizure’s and in the first amendment it states your right to free of speech, this is the problem with all these online issues. With teens leading the way the courts are struggling on how to translate the digital world.

Cyberbullying can have serious consequences. You are teasing and hurting a child’s self-esteem. In cyberspace you should never give out your internet or e-mail to anyone. If you are a victim you should always save the messages or print whatever they say, it helps so you actually have proof to show the authority. It is also important for the victim to tell their parents or guardian so they can help you stop the bully. It is very important to inform young people about the law so they know what could happen if they are a victim or a bully themselves.

Cyberbullying is becoming a much more common issue then it ever has been. With more and more young people using facebook and MySpace these young children have more of a chance to become victims of bullying. Facebook is working hard to make their privacy setting stronger, but it will take some time. Cyberspace is ruining lives and in some way the word needs to be spread to these young adults and children. Internet in general as well as cell phones is a growing problem for teens and children. Even though it make be highly unlikely for younger children to commit suicide it is not impossible. For example, Phoebe Prince, a young and beautiful young lady was a victim of Cyberbullying and it is the reason Prince committed suicide at an age of fifteen.
Cyberbullying is becoming a larger and growing issue in all communities today. Bullies in cyberspace are everywhere not just on your publicized websites like facebook and MySpace. A recent survey across America found that 75% if students between ages eight and sixteen have been a victim of some kind of cyberspace bullying. With violent video games and illegal downloading cyberspace has become a very dangerous place. A recent suicide in Greensburg, Indiana has got some national attention and this kind of thing is what we need to stop. If a child makes that decision it his or her own families to make that choice to spread the word.



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