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| Made by Logan Geissler |
Don’t
respond to your tormentor because that’s exactly what the bully wants. They
thrive off you being ticked off or upset. Like when a sibling pushes your
buttons just to get a reaction, that’s what the bullies are doing. If they can
make you upset they have accomplished what they wanted, the victim shouldn’t
help the bully. If you respond on an online anonymous site you could be giving
up information to a bad person, be careful what you say on those sites all the
time. No matter what you say a bully can find something to use against you, so
don’t give them material to work with. If you remain silent and resilient the
bully may get bored and leave you alone. Just remember, be strong and stand
tall against the mean comments.
The
next step is to not retaliate against the bully. Retaliation or revenge is
never the answer. At first, the revenge may feel good, but in time you should
realize that you are turning into a bully yourself. That is how the cycle
starts again, you want to shut off the cycle and shut down the bully’s threats.
If you start the cycle again by retaliating you could be punished for the
bullying, which is what you wanted to happen to your bully. Hold back your mean comments as good as it would feel
to lash out. You will only regret what you say later, just report whatever you
can to authorities or your school’s administration. Be a civil human being and
don’t sink to their level of harassment and abuse. Stop the cycle with you and
maybe you can help others who are being tormented by the bully as well.
Part
of the process is to report the cyber bullying to whomever you think can help.
I recommend saving the evidence as much as you can. You can’t imagine how much
your computer can help bring your bully to justice. When you get a mean message
online or on the phone you may want to get rid of it, or you could move it to a
different folder called “Evidence” or “Bullying” and show an adult who you
trust. This evidence is so important, don’t delete anything you get from the
tormentor. The good news about cyber bullying is that the messages can be
found, saved, and shown to a responsible adult. If you have only gotten one
mean message, still save it because if things increase you have proof of when
it started.
One
of the most important tricks to take down the bullies is to tell someone. Tell
as many people as you can, spread the word, get your story out there. Just by
talking to a responsible adult you could be someone else’s hero for getting the
word out there. As a survivor you can take your story to the Internet, to
Facebook pages against bullying, and to the authorities. Besides, you deserve
some back up after all the mean things the bullies have said to you. If you
have multiple people who bully you, and you tell a responsible adult, you could
be helping a bunch of other victims. And you will feel so much better after
telling someone and getting the pain of the bullying of your chest. Once you
tell, that information is out there and a change can happen. If you are scared
to tell—if you think the bully could find out you told, tell the principal
anonymously or the counselor at school. They are looking out for you and want to help.
Before
the bully can wreak more havoc on your life, block them out. Don’t let them
talk to you on Facebook; don’t let them access your profile on Formspring;
block their email in your email settings; block their number on your phone. As
the owner of these accounts you have the right to have a pleasant time online.
This means you can report them and block them so they can’t post rude messages
anymore. Once this happens take that evidence we previously talked about to the
principal or a parent and show them like we talked about as well. You have just
secured an argument against the abuser and hold power over the situation. Don’t
try to talk to them to get more out of them, they are bad people and don’t
deserve your company. If you can do only one thing to stop a bully, it should
be blocking them or telling an adult you trust.
Here is a video explaining a bit more about what you can do to stop your bullies!
Here is a video explaining a bit more about what you can do to stop your bullies!
Parents
these are for you. First, make sure your children know that cyber bullying and
in-person bullying are wrong. Never encourage them online to make fun or harass
another student; you don’t want to be the parent of a bully. Encourage them to
be on the look out for bullies and have them tell you when they notice
something. Second, be a part of your student online life. Add them on Facebook,
text them occasionally, and remind them you are going to be watching. If you
are more involved they will feel more pressure to tell you when a kid or
anonymous user is bothering them. Besides, not only will they earn your trust,
they may be inclined to tell you more about school and such as well. Third,
remind your children about the family cell phone and computer restrictions.
Just by limiting their time online you can minimize their contact with the
bullies. Also, the anonymous sites are easier for bullies to prey on your
children and harder for authorities to understand who is bullying. If you can,
restrict them from the sites where no one knows who others are. And lastly, be
ready to help when your child says they are bullied. Be ready to comfort them,
encourage them, get counseling help if need be, and lift their spirits with
positive feedback about their lives. You can be your child’s hero; please don’t
hesitate to involve authorities or the school. Both those resources can be
crucial in stopping your child’s bullies. Be there for your children, monitor
what they are doing, and don’t be hesitant to involve outside help.
"Cyberbullying Tips from ConnectSafely.org". <http://www.safekids.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying>. SafeKids.com. Web. 23 May 2013.
FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Videos. "Stand Up to Cyberbullying". 2010. Web. 23 May 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN2fuKPDzHA&list=PLd8dPK0sw-cV8FK_wqa2wiid7sI1xtKNN>.
FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Videos. "Stand Up to Cyberbullying". 2010. Web. 23 May 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN2fuKPDzHA&list=PLd8dPK0sw-cV8FK_wqa2wiid7sI1xtKNN>.
Logan,
ReplyDeleteThis project is simply outstanding. You have thoroughly explored the issue and you have chosen to present it in a highly accessible way. I really enjoyed your writer's voice and the intensity with which you wrote your content. Page two was especially powerful - the personal stories really impact readers (I was weepy by the end!). Also, your fourth page is full of helpful, realistic solutions/actions to take. Finally, I really liked how for much of the project you were addressing students directly. I suspect YOU would be one of those trusted, responsible adults a victim could turn to in a time of need. Your future students are very lucky to have you at the helm!