Bullying+Awareness+Over+the+Years

How has the public awareness of bullying changed over the last couple of years?

Bullying has been an ever present issue. Until it reaches a point where one person, or many people, are hurt, the situation is over looked. Only when others are affected do people start to notice and feel the need to take action. __**Cyberbullying, instances of bullying cases,and even political campaigns have hightened the awareness of bullying and the severity of the issue.**__

What is cyberbullying? What contribution has it made toward public awareness? Cyberbullying is the use of any electronic device, such as a phone or computer, to tease or harass another individual. It is also a more serious type of bullying, being that it is the hardest to avoid, and because often times the source is unknown. Cyberbullying can have permanent affects on teenagers like anxiety, depression, and even as far as suicidal thoughts. Cyberbullying has had a major influence on how parents monitor their child's online activity.



HIGH PROFILE CASES

__**Columbine**__ The 1999 shooting of [|Columbine Highschool]in Colorado was an attack planned by two seniors, Dylan Kleibold and Eric Harris, who were allegedly bullied throughout their younger school years. The massacre resulted in 13 killed, 21 injured, and the suicide of both boys. This major event caused an outbreak of anger, fear, and sympathy on a national level.

__**Jonah Mowry**__

There is also the case of Jonah Mowry, who at the time was a seventh grader when he made a viral youtube video, that touched thousands of people. In his video, he told his story about his experience with bullying, how he was scared to start 8th grade and all of the scars he has from cutting. He even confessed that suicide was an option, many times.

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__**Tyler Clementi**__

Then there is the most recent case of Tyler Clementi, an 18 year old student who attended Rutgers University, who had jumped to his death off of the George Washington Bridge on September 22, 2010. He had commited suicide becasue his roomate, Dharun Ravi, had secretly videotaped him having a sexual encounter with another male and then posted it on the internet to share with everyone.

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Under a [|new law] in New Jersey, propelled by the Tyler Clementi case, bullies can now be reported to police by their own classmates by calling a crimestoppers hotline. Some students are now obligated to spend 6 hours learning about the difference between telling and tattling. Each school even has to designate an anti bullying specialist. Campaigns such as [|Think Before You Speak] have been created to help and protect the victims of bullying. [|Cartoon Network] also has their own website dedicated to inform young children on how to prevent bullying.
 * __Campaigns__**