Bullying involves students which are physically, verbally and emotionally abused at anytime mostly because the students that bully are insecure. Thirty percent of students in grades six through ten are involved in bullying, according to www.howtostopbullying.com, which also notes that one out of four kids are bullied. These rates are frugal. Bullying and its impact on children with learning disabilities are even more extreme in today’s society and as a community, we need to put a stop to it.
Recently, an anti-bullying bill was signed into law by Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy. According to www.cga.ct.gov, the new law takes comprehensive steps to prevent bullying and ensure every child the right to learn in a public school without the fear of teasing, humiliation or assault. The law responds to alarming evidence that bullying “impedes Connecticut students’ ability to succeed in high school.”
The new law also includes language regarding cyber bullying. According to www.StopBullying.gov, examples of cyber bullying include: Sending hurtful, rude, or mean text messages to others ; Spreading rumors or lies about others by e-mail or on social networks, and Creating websites, videos or social media profiles that embarrass, humiliate, or make fun of others. Bullying online is very different from face-to-face bullying because messages and images can be sent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year , shared be shared to a very wide audience and sent anonymously.
Amber Allen, a junior at the Journalism and Media Academy in Hartford responded to a recent Teens Today interview. When asked about bullying in school she said “It definitely isn’t right to bully and I’m no supporter of violence.”
Allen also said she has never been bullied but if she saw another student being bullied, “I would interfere or call the situation to an authoritative person.”
Allen also added, “The anti-bullying law is effective because it ensures students the right to learn without being assaulted; I’m for it!”
Earlene Hawkins, a sophomore at the Journalism and Media Academy in Hartford said she didn’t like bullying.
“Bullies are people who have low self-esteem and just try to make themselves feel tough,” she said, “ I have never been bullied before and if I was, I would talk to the bully or bring the situation to an adult.”
Also according to the state general assembly website, the new bullying law, Public Act 11-232, takes “precarious steps to reduce student bullying.” For instance, school employees have to report bullying on site to school officials, when schools receive reports of bullying they must investigate promptly and more steps.
Stan Simpson, senior executive advisor at JMA said “Bullying is for cowards.”
The new law, according to the Connecticut General Assembly responds to alarming evidence that bullying impedes Connecuit students’ ability to succeed in school.’’ Twenty five percent of Connecticut high school students, and 35 percent of the state’s 9th graders, report having been bullied or harassed on school property in the previous years”
Lashai Hudson, another JMA student, said people bully other kids because they are in “denial.”
She also said that she never bullied before at school and also agreed with the new bullying law because she thinks more people would be alive if it came sooner.
One of the most popular and saddest examples of cyber bullying that may have encouraged the CT law occurred in Massachusetts in 2010 when 15-year-old Phoebe Prince was stalked and harassed for nearly five months by classmates before she took her own life.
According to www.thetrevorproject.org, President Barack Obama has launched a campaign against bullying in which he stated that “many children are falling victim to the problem” and that it “would not tolerated.”
Jakar Hankerson, a JMA senior, said it was up to the kids being bullied to also speak out to others about any harassment.
“ I see it yeah,” he said of kids getting bullied at school.