It still
amazes me that there are still people out there who don’t see bullying as a
serious offence. Many kids, teens, and yes, even adults are getting bullied
every day. Some of them are lucky enough to have someone standing by them to
help get them through their tough time, but not everyone is so lucky.
My question
is, at what level of bullying does a situation have to reach in order for it to
be taken seriously. Name calling? Spreading rumours? Humiliation? Threats? Physical
abuse? Who decides which one is more important to pay attention to than the
other? The fact of the matter is, someone who is constantly being called names,
can be just as traumatized by it as someone who has experienced physical abuse.
There is no telling how much torment a person can handle and it’s not something
that should be tested.
For the
past few days my Facebook and Twitter feeds have been filled with comments surrounding
Amanda Todd’s suicide, a B.C. teen who took her own life on October 10th
after being bullied at school and online. While there were thousands upon
thousands of comments from people who feel sorry for Todd and who want to see
bullying as a thing of the past, there were still many insensitive people who
posted comments showing happiness and disrespect regarding Amanda’s suicide.
Its unfortunate
that cyber bullying is growing and that as of right now, it’s not seen as a
criminal offence unless it’s directly linked to a particular incident. People feel
safe behind their computers when it comes to bullying someone online; it gives
them a sense of anonymity and makes them feel powerful. Well, they are powerful.
Their comment(s) in a sea of other negativity can be enough to push someone to
their breaking point; to send someone over the edge; to lead someone into a
plan to take their own life.
Who wants
that kind of power?
Weeks
before Amanda’s suicide, she sent out a video that was a cry for help. Since this
morning her video has received over 1,600,000 views!
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