On Jan. 11 2012, the sophomore and freshmen classes met in the CPA to watch a seminar on how to monitor and protect themselves against the dangers that new technologies presents.
Guest speaker, and Oakland County Prosecutor, Jessica R. Cooper began the seminar by lecturing about the hazards of cyber bullying. A rising issue inAmericafor the past few years, cyber bullying has been increasingly common among younger people.
Cyber bullying has been an escalating problem for a few reasons, mainly the ease of tormenting some through the use of cell phones and computers, particularly social networking sites. “It’s really hard to look someone in the eyes and say really horrible things,” said Cooper. The internet makes harassing people a lot easier because it takes the personal aspect of victimizing someone out of a situation.
Many laws are being passed to help control this rising issue, most of which, if violated, result in misdemeanor charges and some severe fines. Currently there are laws against using the internet to harass, threaten, stalk, assault, intimidate, or conspiring to steal.
If broken, these laws will affect a teen for the rest of their lives, in some situations; it may prevent that student from getting into college.
Sometimes, offensive posts may not be intentional. Nonetheless, if someone posts something as a ‘joke’ it can be used against them in court. Teens may not be aware that what they say can really upset someone else. Before we press send, we need to think about our futures and how making a stupid joke can ruin more than just your reputation.
Like cyber bullying, texting makes it a lot easier to say things that people would not usually say. What most teens don’t realize is that once they press ‘send,’ whatever they said can never be taken back and is permanently inscribed on the hard drive, and engraved in the internet forever.
“Once you push send, you lose control,” said Cooper.
The effortlessness of texting adds to the simplicity of modern bullying. The ability to type down thoughts and then hit send, without having to directly confront a person makes harassment a lot more painless for the tormenter. But cyber bullies are not as anonymous as they feel. If legal actions are taken, it is not hard for authorities to track down a bully through the internet. “Anonymity empowers stupidity,” stated Cooper.
In many cases where people are being bullied, they do not feel that telling someone about their struggles would benefit them, and they decide to take their lives into their own hands. Teen suicide is an unfortunate consequence of being bullied.
When someone is being harassed, it is their responsibility to take actions to stop the bullying. Some victims feel that legal action is unnecessary and intimidating, what they may not know is that there are ways to prevent bullying without involving the authorities. In order to stop being bullied, one can: block the ways of communication, report the incidents to an adult, report the bully to an internet server, and most importantly; save the messages.
Although cyber bullying is a rising problem, it is relatively easy to prevent and avoid. Use common sense when you are online, and know that if you are being bullied there many people are willing to help you. “In cyberspace you lost all control,” concluded Cooper. “Just think before you hit send.”