This week we covered conflict and harassment. More and more of that is moving online and there has been a steep increase in depressed young people that some scientists are correlating to social media use and cyberbullying. For me, this hits close to home – A  little over a year ago, a high school student from my hometown took her own life because she couldn’t bear the overwhelming and constant bullying she experienced (mostly on social media platforms).  Even after her death, her tormentors persisted and continued to post about her online. Since most of you grew up with the availability of social media and the Internet, I feel that you have an especially valuable perspective on the topic. I’m looking forward to your thoughts on the issue.

Challenge Prompt:

For this week’s challenge, there are several steps.

Step 1: Please quickly read this article: https://cyberbullying.org/bullying-is-not-just-a-kid-problem (Links to an external site.)
Step 2: Then quickly review these two documents:
https://cyberbullying.org/preventing-cyberbullying-adults (Links to an external site.)
https://cyberbullying.org/response_cyberbullying_adults (Links to an external site.)
Step 3: Discuss the following:
Have you or has someone you know ever been the victim of cyberbullying? You can choose to describe an example from something you heard about/read about in the news (i.e. a celebrity, etc.). If you go this route, please provide a link to the story so that we can have the background information.
Why do you think cyberbullying so powerful? Or not? Please “back up” your answers – Make your argument.
Do you believe, cyberbullying can, and should, be stopped? If yes, how? If no, why? Explain.
What are your thoughts on the “preventing” and “response” tips provided? Do these seem plausible to follow? Why or why not?
Please feel free to also add articles, examples, videos, etc. about the topic that you find compelling. You may provide links at the end of your response. (optional)