Cyber Bully -"the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others"
Cyber bullying is today's hot topic. It seems anytime you say something that another dislikes the first thing said is "that's cyber bullying!" I for one am not very sympathetic of this new label being used for people to play victim. I do believe that bullying is terrible. But my definition of bullying is totally different that what society believes bullying is.
I am not the type of person who will sugar coat the things I want to say. I don't normally go out of my way to hurt others feelings. But sometimes things need to be said, and sometimes those things will hurt feelings. For people who are forwarding nude pictures of their exs, making hate groups for the "school nerd", people who threaten others, and encourage others to hurt themselves YOU are a indeed a bully.
I have noticed quite a bit of "passive bullies" they imply mean, harsh, and hurtful things to complete strangers just because they can. But the moment a person reacts they are suddenly the bully? For there to be a situation of bullying someone has to be a victim. If there is no victim it is just two or more parties who dislike each other who have no problem voicing it. Childish or not, it is NOT bullying. It's arguing.
There is now a huge campaign to "stop cyber bullying" including appearances from children who have been bullied on talk shows, and a tv show on ABC Family. The motive for the new awareness campaign is that children are killing themselves after being bullied, cyber or not. They want the government to make it illegal to bully another person, be it in person or on the internet.
I for one have a huge issue with the campaigns against bullying. Children have killed themselves, but I think it is quite ignorant to blame it on bullying alone. This stems from a lack of self confidence, usually at fault of parents. I mean, what can we expect when parents work 40+ hours and leave kids to fend for them self?
Aside from that I think it violates my rights as an American. I have the right to speak freely, my right is not you can speak freely as long as you don't hurt the feelings of another. There are laws for things like slander for a reason. I believe that the reason people want a new law to protect themselves from "bullies" is because most of the things they say are true. You cannot sue another for slander if what they are saying is true, so why not make a law that they simply cannot hurt your feelings?
There was once a time that kids were cautious about the things they did. They knew that if they did something stupid that they would have to answer to their peers. Now anytime they have to answer to their peers they become the victim, when in reality, in most cases, they are responsible for the ridicule they are receiving. Parents need to focus more on raising stronger children. Children are being raised to be victims. They are not raised with the confidence to stand up for them self when others are mean to them. No, they are raised to cry about it or kill them self?
This problem needs to be addressed by parents. Not by the government.
People are constantly trying to get attention. They are on TV for getting pregnant at 16, they are pretending to be writers, they are getting naked in front of cameras, and are on TV for being the housewife of a mobster. Call it entertainment if you want, most of these people set bad examples and are poor excuses for what is really acceptable in society.
Anytime someone makes a public statement against the actions of these people, they are called bullies and haters. I don't understand why making it clear to followers of a bad example that the things this person is doing is WRONG is all of a sudden bullying? As far as the haters comment? I think we have forgotten what hate is. Hate is what Hitler felt against the Jews, not what I feel about a bad mom or crappy writer.
All in all, my advise to you is simple. Spend more time with your kids, raise them to be stronger and more confident individuals, and stop playing victim because you someone hurt your feelings. Know that when you do bad you get bad. You will always have to answer to your peers, so watch what you say and do.
Note: Some kids really are BULLIED. This is an obvious issue, in cases where children really are bullied I do sympathize. At the same time I think that people crying wolf over bullying make the whole cause less interesting.