Behind the Screen
Published in Uncaged, January 2023
by Macy Cipta, Uncaged Reporter
The issue in today’s world is that it is hard to recognize a bully. The person that looks like they are complimenting someone or are being kind can actually be the problem. For example, in Mean Girls, Regina George compliments another girl’s skirt and immediately turns around to make fun of her. According to a survey of 100 of our high school students, 64.2% of people have felt isolated in their own friend group. There have always been occasions in schools where someone is being personally targeted whether or not it is seen.
Many will say that it is just ‘kids being kids’ or ‘grow a backbone’, but in reality all those sayings are invalidating someone who is constantly a target. Every situation is different and it is important to look around and recognize that there is an issue.
Social media is now one of the main ways people are getting bullied according to the highschool counselor. The concern with social media is that you can’t put a finger on who the bully is or how to help the situation.
A result of harassment online is the fact that cyberbullying can happen at any time of the day.
“I think the online stuff and the social media, I think that’s the big difference I see,” Guidance counselor Leslie Cummings said. “There’s not an escape, sometimes they don’t get a break from it.”
If a child is seeing hate comments throughout the day and night they don’t have a safe place or a break. Making the problem worse, authority figures say that they have a tough time trying to control cyberbullying because they can’t identify who the problem is as easily as in person.
A bully doesn’t have to be a random person online or in school, but it can be someone that is close, like a friend.
“Basically plans would be made in front of you and you wouldn’t get invited,” Senior Kayla Surline said. That has happened to me on multiple occasions. Then they always talk about stuff with each other that only they know, so it is an inside joke but basically you are left out of the conversation and they won’t tell you what it’s about.”
Friends can exclude someone by leaving them out of conversations and not inviting them. Kayla Surline has had first hand experience dealing with friends that are actually bullies.
As reported by StopBullying.org, there are ways that bullying can be prevented and stopped. Adults may prevent bullying by spreading knowledge about harassment and make it clear that bullying is unacceptable and there are bad repercussions to bullying someone. Some ways that other students can help are by speaking up when something doesn’t look right, treating others with respect and stand up for students getting bullied.
If nobody can help you, then according to www.stompoutbullying.org stand up for yourself by either removing yourself from the situation, ignoring them or yell ‘STOP’ and continue to walk away.
This article is being published with minimal edits from the original, which was published in the January 2023 edition of Uncaged, the student-run independent student news of Stockbridge High School. For more information about Stockbridge’s award-winning student newspaper, go to https://uncagednews.com.
Uncaged articles are sponsored by The Stockbridge Area Educational Foundation. SAEF is currently looking for new board members. For more information on SAEF, visit www.panthernet.net/our district.
Sometimes the pressure of online bullying can be extreme. Image credit Macy Cipta
