Chante - Online Predator

Watch the Video:

You meet a "boy/girl" on the Web.  He/she is exactly your age, likes the same things as you, likes the same music you do. After a few weeks of chatting, he/she asks you to meet him/her.  What do you do?

First off I just want to say that video was really sad. I know from personal experience how easy it is to get tricked by online pedophiles and crazy people online and fall into their trap. I know that if it weren’t for the many online safety talks my parents had with me, I would have been that little girl, believing everything that grown man was telling her.

But anyway, since my parents taught me better than that, when I was 10 and meeting new people online everyday, I ran into many perverts and pedophiles and people like that. Most of the time they would just ask me for inappropriate pictures and stuff, but some of them tried to get personal info out of me, just like that guy in the video did to that little girl. I knew not to tell them too much about myself, and to tell my parents about anybody whom I felt was trying get dangerously comfortable with me.

So yea, when they would talk about hanging out with me I would tell them my parents would have to get involved in that or I would simply say NO. Some of the trickier ones would try to convince me to find some way to sneak out the house or something so I could meet up with them without my parents having to get into it, but I always said no. The ones who didn’t try to get me to sneak out would just give up as soon as I mentioned my parents, lol, and creeps.

I didn't trust anybody I met online enough to do meet up with them since I knew that I would probably get kidnapped and whatever else they had planned for me. Eventually, when they realized that I wasn’t going to be a victim, they moved on and started targeting other girls. Some of whom I knew online. If they got too creepy with it, I would delete them from my Instant Messaging list, and block them.

Chante

How Should Schools Address Bullying?

How Should Schools Address Bullying?  By SHANNON DOYNE

Tell us your ideas about preventing bullying — and dealing with it when it does occur. Do you think laws like the one in New Jersey will help reduce instances of bullying? What do you think teachers and schools can do to improve school culture and reduce bullying? What approaches do you think can be effective? Do you see this problem getting better, worse or staying about the same in your school or community?

Rihja - Bullying

Growing up I saw a lot of people being bullied and I was bullied myself. Although my tormentors never physically bullied me the verbal bullying hurt just as bad. I remember when I was in the 5th grade, a boy in my class randomly started talking badly about Haitian people. "All Haitian people have AIDs and they look like sh**!"he muttered. As a Haitian American I was offended but I said nothing about it. Then he took things a step further by insulting me directly and my family. "Your mother is a w***e, etc." After he said that and a couple of other things I became enraged. I leaped out of my desk, grabbed him by his shirt and held a sharpened pencil to his throat. My entire class was surprised. They had never seen me like that, because I don't condone violence. After I stood up for myself he left me alone. Now that I think about my actions I see that I'm just as wrong as he is. I could of solved that situation a different way, but I can't change that past.

Although bullying isn't easy to deal with there are ways to help prevent and stop it. The best ways to do that is to collectively show bullies that they have no power over the people they try and torment. Lets say that in a school there's about 10 bullies and 200 other students, and a full staff. If those 200 students stand their ground, and those staff members take the appropriate steps to punish bullies, then eventually the "power" that bullies have over people will die out. Also it's the job of all parents to make sure that their kids aren't bullying people or being bullied. A lot of bullies learn to be violent or talk badly of others after seeing it from their parents. In my community a lot of the African American parents curse in front of their kids. They also fight in front of them and argue with other people. Growing up in an environment like that only continues the cycle. 

In all it is up to the community as a whole to end bullying. In our modern age bullying has become so serious that it's considered a crime.  If people would stop worrying about outer beauty, money, popularity, etc then we wouldn't have to worry about who's better than who. At the end of the day we're all people. Money and earthly items don't make us who we are. If we take a united stand against bullying we will end it.

Rihja 

Ebony - Bullying

The whole idea of someone being bullied really irks my nerves. I don't really see the purpose of bullying at all. I believe if you bully someone, you just want someone to put down to make yourself feel like a bigger person because you're really small on the inside. Bullying should never be accepted in any circumstance whatsoever.

Bullying in school happens too often, I believe if people actually spoke up and told someone about being bullied, maybe others would speak up too and bullying might be less of a problem.  Another problem is, people don't take bullying as serious as they should. If the people who are telling the bullied victims to tell someone don't take bullying very serious, the victim won't feel comfortable telling them. There should be an anti-bullying committee in every school. I believe this would be more effective and there would be way less bullying going on.

I think New Jersey's Anti-Bullying Law will reduce many cases of bullying. Bullies will be scared of actually being charged and doing a sentence in jail, so they will think twice before they try to bully someone. That's really good because bullying needs to come to a complete end and I believe this law will make that happen.

Ebony

Princess Roro - Bullying

Bullying is something I do feel as though needs to be addressed in schools. I especially believe it should be addressed in  elementary and middle schools. I  say those schools more so than a high school because. You get teased more when your younger. Kids are very blunt and rarely ever bite their tongues especially when it comes to hurting someones feeling. Most often saying the first thing that comes to mind. Also as a high school student I can vouch there are way more important things for us to  e worrying about making fun of someone or worrying about what someone else has on is usually the LAST thing on my mind. This is not to say that it doesn't happen in high school just that it isn't as likely.

I think the easiest way to prevent bullying is to catch it from the very beginning. One suggestion is that if a student is caught being bullied  by someone it should  be a teachers responsibility to reprimand that student and tell them to stop and if they don't they will have consequences to face.  A consequence could be that they get suspended, have detention or get a phone call home to their parents. And if the  bullying continues they will get fined and have to go to court. Same as if a student never comes to school or is constantly late. Bullying should be taken just as serious as those things. I think this approach of handing out consequences will be more affective than any other because i bet a person would think twice about bullying when they find out they can go to jail for it.

In my community I do not see bullying as has gotten worse or better either its about the same as it always have . Those who don't have the newest and best get picked on by those who do, And cyber bullying is usually a jealous person hating on someone else and that has been going on ever since I became an active member of the social networking world. Do I hope that one day such things will cease to exists in schools? Yes I do, but change has to start with this generation in order for the next to know better and do better.

Princess Roro

Bullying - Justin

My ideas for preventing bullying is taking up for yourself and knowing how to ignore people.  Some kids do not ignore bullies very well.  If kids are intimidated by others than they should talk to someone like a counselor or their parents about what ever problem they are having.  Cyber bullying shouldn't be on no ones mind because if somebody did it to them they would hurt. 

People should understand the difference between joking around and teasing.  Joking around is when everyone is having fun and is taking it lightly.  Teasing is when you are trying to be a bully.  Bullying can cause children to grow up and become a bully. It can cause a child to have anger problems in the future. 

What does bullying prove anyway?  Nothing!  Bullying creates fear.  If anything you should want someone to respect you for who you are.  

I feel New Jersey is up to something with this law. Maybe people will see the light.  Maybe they won't bully at all.  Everyone would be better off following the laws. The laws can make society a better place.  This law can probably make the Internet safer for teens and younger kids that are new to the World Wide Web.

Justin