High school is different today. There are cliques, never-ending looks of judgment and self-confidence problems on top of personal issues that nobody knows about. Overflowing with kids boasting different personalities and outlooks on life, each high school seems like its own world.
When the online world and the high school world collide, however, tragic results can sometimes occur – like they did in 2007.
That year, Pure Sight reported that a young woman, and a Kentucky high school student, named Rachael Neblett received an email stating: “I am not going to put you in the hospital, I am going to put you in the morgue.” She didn’t know who sent the email, but she did know that she didn’t want to attend school or hang out with her friends anymore. As in many cases, Rachael kept the issue to herself, and, in the end, she committed suicide due to the countless harassing messages. Who drove the young woman to her death? The messages were later traced back to a fellow student.
The Cyberbully Hotline reports that, each year, 3 million students don’t show up to class because of cyberbullying. One in ten students attempts suicide every year, resulting in more than 4,500 annual deaths.
Today’s bullies have a different approach from those in our parents’ time. Instead of physical confrontation in public places, bullies can now taunt the vulnerable through the anonymity of computer screens, Google messages or email. Many students are too afraid to talk about what they are going through, either to family members or school administrators.
It’s time to start doing something about it. The issue is growing and those in authority, especially school administrators, need to take action to end cyberbullying. It’s especially important to show bullies the consequences to such harmful behavior, which not only discourages diversity but also ends peoples’ lives.
It is also important that more school assemblies openly discuss the issue. Although it will take time away from the learning of the day, it could save a child’s life and promote growth in other areas of students’ lives. It is necessary to have more informative meetings on cyberbullying so that kids can share personal stories about the dangers of cyberbullying, watch movies such as “A Girl Like Her,” or learn how to meet with administrators and request anonymity when dealing with cyberbullying.
If you or anyone you know is having issues with cyberbullying or any bullying, please visit this website for more information.
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