Put An End To It, Now.

With all of the recent cases of bullying, I decided I would post my feelings on the topic. It's crazy to me that kids can not only bully other kids face to face, but now with the internet bullying can also occur online. While I have never been a victim of cyber bullying or really any serious face-to-face bullying, I still definitely think that this IS something that needs to be prevented more. I also feel that cyber bullying is worse than face-to-face bullying. I'll tell you why. Kids have more time to think of really hurtful, nasty things to do to people on the internet—and kids can say anything they want, with a sense of feeling that they won’t get caught. You can basically expose anything you want online. This is cliché, but that old saying "words do hurt" is really true. Seeing things that are mean or embarrassing written about you on someone's blog or Facebook would not be fun at all. I've never been cyber bullied only because I'm too old and mature to be taking part in this current trend. I could only imagine what kids must feel like having things openly written about them for all their classmates and friends to see. The worst part is there's no way for you to get rid of it if someone posts hurtful things about you on their Facebook. Once something is written about you, it's there to stay and never really goes away.

I think what happened with that student at Rutgers University was completely uncalled for. Invading someone's privacy and posting videos of their private life is so immature, inhumane and rude. Does anyone's sexuality really have any impact on you? Heterosexual people get married, have affairs and get divorces all the time. Many straight people fail at marriage, yet gay people are “trying to destroy the sanctity of marriage?” It doesn't make any sense to me that kids are bullying others because of their sexuality. It's hateful and not needed. I've watched specials on ABC about bullying, and it's usually the parents who aren't stepping in. Cause they're probably bigoted too. Many parents give this message to their kids that they are stronger and more powerful than gay people. What does power have to do with anything? What someone does in their private life has no impact on you. If a kid's trying to make someone's life miserable because they're different, then that kid is just a weak person who probably has issues with his/her own self. Sometimes, I feel people bully other kids to take the negative feelings or attention off of their own self. It's really awful that cyber bullying is a new trend. It’s insane that we now a word “cyber-bullying”. It's because kids have more freedom to says and do things on the internet than they do in school. This is just another subject that is causing young men and women--(wait, some are even technically kids) to kill themselves all because of some idiotic asshole feels the need to talk shit about that person (like a coward) behind a computer--knowing (or thinking in some cases) that he/she won't get caught. Thankfully, for some, they thought wrong and did get caught.

I just thought that cyber bullying was a sad, horrific, yet, interesting topic because it's definitely a current trend in our society; which is pretty damn sad that it’s come this far! I'm glad that more cases have brought some form of justice, as means of the bully getting some form of punishment. However, there are still WAY too many cases out there in which the bully has NOT been punished. This needs to end. Period.

What does everyone else think about it? Should kids be allowed to say and do hateful things on the internet with no consequences? Do you think there is some form of punishment available? How “harsh” should the punishment be? Please, leave your thoughts…I am very interested in what you all have to say!