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Friday, April 15, 2011

Blog Article, Grade 6, Due TUESDAY, 3-19-11

Please use the link below.  You know the username and password.  Let me know if it is not working, and I will e-mail you the full text.  Please select the link entitled, "Prosecuting Cyberbullies."

http://email.psm.k12.il.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.fofweb.com/Demo

After reading, answer ONE of the following questions:

1) Do you think cyberbullies should be prosecuted? Why or why not?
2) Do you think schools should be able to punish students for what they say or do at home on the Internet? Explain your answer.
3) If you were a prosecutor in a cyberbullying case in which the bullied victim committed suicide, what charges would you press against the cyberbully, if any? Explain your position.
4) What do you think social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace should do about cyberbullying?
5) Have you ever been cyberbullied? How does it feel? Do you notice cyberbullying at your school?

23 comments:

  1. 1)I think the prosecution depends on the amount of cyberbullying. If a person is cyberbullied once or twice as a prank then the prosecution shouldn't be severe because it was a small case of cyberbullying. However, if a person is being cyberbullied to the point that it becomes constant and the person commits suicide then the prosecution should be severe because no one should be in that much pain that they want to take their own life because of what someone said. It's one thing to be cyberbullied one or two times but it's another thing for someone to be driven to the point of suicide. No one should be in pain psychological. I also think that parents should prepare for their child for cyberbullying so they'll know how to handle. A lot of teens base their emotions off of what other people think of them. I also think that kids should get permission fom their parents to start talking to other people on the internet because other peoples' comments can lower that person's self-esteem. Before the child puts their information on the internet, the parent should encourage their child to rise above other peoples' words and be themselves because if not the child could go as far as committing suicide. Basicall, cyberbullies should be prosecuted but only on the amount of bullying.

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  2. Yes, I have been cyberbullied. It feels like you just want to move away or cry because this person is doing this for no reason but to hurt you. Then again when you think about the person is doing this to get popular or they have low self-esteem and problems at home. When cyberbullying gets out of hand you should tell your parents or someone that you're comfortable to talk about the situation. No. I don't notice this at school but it may occur somewhere else. For examples Facebook or My Space.

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  3. 3. If any one was to cyberbully and the victim was to commit suicide they should be charged of a felony murder because they caused someone to die. If not a felony it should still be charged. A felony is when a death is an accident but was totally not supposed to cause a death (for example a car accident can be a felony in some states. Cyber bullying is a big problem and may be worst than normal bullying. Although it is bad it shouldn't be charged at the fullest since it is the victims responsibility if they committ suicide. Its a win/lose situation and should be charged depending on the case.
    2. I think it is the schools responsibility to punish the students. That is what we do at psm.looking at how so many people got cyberbullied it should be common sense. Not only will it lower the students self esteem but it will cause even suicide. Not ever one is meant to be perfect and the school should know to punish the cyberbullies. I know for a fact that nobody likes to be punished and punishment will get the student back on track.

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  4. Ofcourse I think cyberbullies should be prosecuted. These people seem to be heartless to me, because they don't realize how the effect of cyberbullying is just like punching them with words. Even worse, cyberbullying is posted on the world wide web for everyone to see. Some outcomes of cyberbullying can be suicide, hiding the pain inside, etc. Cyberbulling is a very serious matter and needs to be delt with, even if the outcome means procecution. Finally, if cyberbullies were prosecuted, they deserve it. Hopefully, the will feel the pain that they've caused amongst the innocent.

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  5. by, Nyaree P.

    2)I think schools should punish kids for doing something there nit suppose to be doing on the internet. I think so because the student is representing there school.

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  6. 3. If I was a prosecutor, I would charge the cyberbully with hate crime and manslaughter. Bullying is unacceptable to the fullest but causing someone to take their own life is totally unfathomable. I would charge that person would have made an enemy of me. I would use everything in my power to make sure that they get what they deserve. The cyberbully had no consideration for that victim's life so why should I take into consideration their regret. The cyberbully saying sorry will not bring back the victim's life. The bully caused grief to more than the victim. There was the victim's family, their friends, among others. The bully should receive time to think about their actions, community service for a week will not teach them anything. The bully should learn and have time alone with their thoughts. I would not rest until they received the maximum punishment for their actions. They should have thought about the consequences before committing such hateful acts. Why should someone be let off with a warning if they are the reason for someone’s death. The person that texted or typed the words are just as responsible as a person who went up to someone and shot a bullet. I would make sure they got what they deserved.

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  7. Amari Brown

    1. I think cyberbullies should be prosecuted. But also at the same time it depends on the action of the bully. But if the bully is severe I believe they should be prosecuted. If the bully is a simple harassment they shouldn't be. Simple once or twice actions aren't worth all of prosecution as Kai said. Cyberbullying is worldwide on the internet. Even a simple comment that is very upsetting can cause the victim to be very upset and embarrassed. If things like the victim being so upset and afraid cause resistance to others and school, then the bully should be prosecuted. This is an example of depression and low self-esteem. This also makes people want to commit suicide. Things like this should cause prosecution of the bullier. But ultimately, this is not of a PSM student. So PSM students should be prosecuted because they know their expectations. But overall prosecution of cyberbullying depends on the extent of it.

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  8. Amari Brown

    So, as said in Kai's response and mine, prosecution depends on the extent of the bully. Also of what the victim does to take off that pain. If they do something extremely horrible to hide embarrassment, the bullier deserves prosecution.

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  9. I do think that schools should punish students for cyber bullying. I believe so because no one be bullied over the Internet. It’s worst enough at school, but on the Internet, that’s just not cool.
    Yes, I do believe schools should be able to punish students for what they say or do over the Internet. I also believe that the school shouldn’t go overboard in how they find out what their students are doing or saying. The school should only punish if profanity is used to offend or insult a person. Yes, so a the student uses foul language, but it isn’t as big as a deal as using foul language to hurt someone emotionally. I also believe that the students should be punished if a problem is brought to the school from the parent or a victim of cyber bullying. I don’t think a school should go the extreme of finding all users of Facebook or Myspace. For example, going through every single conversations for every single person with a Facebook at the school every single time they are one Facebook. That’s taking it a bit far. I do believe it would be better if a problem started, and evidence was found over a social network. Then consequences should be given.

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  10. I don't think schools should be allowed to punish kids for what they do on the internet at home or at school. I don't think schools should be allowed to punish children because that's what parents are for. I understand if there is a discipline issue at school then the school should have a say about it, but the school's job is to teach. I also think that schools should be checking a child's internet profile because like I said before that's what parents are for and that's an invasion of privacy. The school has no right to check information about someone on the internet because that's none of their business. I also think that's wrong becaause if someone makes a mistake on the internet they can learn from that mistake and teach other people about what they did and how it's wrong. It's not the school's job to be our parents, it's our parents job. I understand the school is trying to help, but they have already done enough by teaching us.

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  11. 4). There could be such a simple task for myspace and facebook to do with cyberbullying. If bullying gets started with and starts to get out of hand, then facebook and myspace should find the IP address of the computer that the person is using to cyberbully someone else. As said in the article, suicide thoughts could be caused easily with cyberbullying, so it makes sense to put a stop to it in two main communication sources on the internet. The internet is a dangerous place, as said everywhere, which can bring a lot of emotional pain to the one being bullied. It sheouldn't be allowed to cuberbully on the web at all and on technology sources. It just isn't right to do. So facebook and myspace are made for communication, not cyberbullying. You should emotionally cure somebody, not emotionally hurt somebody.

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  12. 3. If I were in a prosecuter case in which suicide was comitted, I would press hate charges against the cyberbully. I would really say that the cyberbully, even in a SUICIDE case, that the cyberbully actually killed the victim with words. It is just like on Law and Order, when the guy, after ten years after his daughter was killed said, even though I am alive, I have been dead for ten years, that feeling could be similar with cyberbullying. When Ryan Patrick Halligan was in the 5th grade, being bullied, he must have felt like he was killed, and that continued to 6th and 7th grade. Once Ryan went online, he must have felt he was killed all over again, and that was why he comitted suicide. If i was in the prosecuter case for Ryan Patrick Halligan, I would charge the cyberbully, and the other bullies of in which gave him thought of suicide, with hate charges.

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  13. Amari Brown

    1. I think bullies should be prosecuted. Cyberbullying has to do with the internet. That means something is worldwide. People can see this and someone can be embarrassed to the fullest. Cyberbullies should be prosecuted for this action.

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  14. I have never been cyber bullied before, but i really think it feels bad. First of all, someone is talking about you. Second of all, the comment is on the internet which means everyone can look at it and read it. I also think schools should punish cyber bullies. No one should be bullied no matter if it's on or off line. God didn’t put people on this Earth for people to make fun of them. God put people on Earth to live. People should respect the 3 letters: www. This means WORLD WIDE WEB. It means ANYONE and EVERYONE CAN SEE IT!!!!

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  15. I agree with Abi. I have never got any comments of cyber bullying, but I know that others have. I do think that cyber bullies should be prosecuted. Some people have been really hurt from this. There are many reports of it. Its still going on. Some people can get really depressed, and kill them selves. This is a reason of most suicides. Many families are hurt from this situation. And also I was watching a commercial on cyber bullying. A teen Gage Goliath said that if you don't want this to happen to you, you shouldn't do it to somebody else. The conflict would backfire on you. Then you are the one looking guilty because this has happened to you.

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  16. 4) I believe that if someone cyberbullies someone else their page should be deactivated. They should get in touch with the school and let them activate their page when they feel he or she is ready. They should also be punished by their school. That is another reason why this school is identified by their consequences. Cyberbullying is a major issue and I feel that parents, schools, and facebook should get involved and not just sit there and let it happen.

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  17. 2) I believe bullies should get in trouble at school. I do because if you dont punish the student your telling them its okay to do that. Also because if they dont then that person will make there victims lif one miserable life.

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  18. 2. I think schools should be able to punish thier students for cyber bullying or inform the parents about this. If the parents aren't doing any thing about it someone has to. A punishment can be not to let the cyber bully go on any computer at the school or the kid bullying can get kicked out of the school. I say that schools should be able to deal with cyber bullying because most cyber bullies pick on kids they know. Most kids like me do not go outside and don't know everyone on thier block, so the kids that they see daily wich is at school is being picked on. Most cyber bullies have a connection with that person before cyber bullying them. Im just saying, If I was a cyber bully I wouldn't just pick on any random person because for all I know thier father or the person being bullied can be a cop. I would also say the school should handel cyber bullying because the people in schools are experts and more experience at it because most schools should know how to deal with students being regular bullied.

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  19. Brennan Wamble

    I don't really think that cyber bullying is okay. I mean I wouldn't put it to the extent that I would executing that person that cyberbullied him. I would have put them in prison for this as they did. I think that was a reasonable punishment because you made a man commit suicide. I mean really that is just not cool. I mean they probably were trying to be funny, but they took it way too far. Now I could see it in two ways. I bet some people would like to execute those men. This guy named Tyler died. Shouldn't they die too. Now I think differently. As I said before I think their punishment should be just to go to jail. Tyler should have not felt that embarrassed to commit suicide. I mean it is not really that much of a big deal to gay. I mean some people think that is kind of weird like me, but I can still respect someone for being gay.
    Like Kai I think it involves what level of cyber bullying you have committed, but in this case I do not believe that these young men should be prosecuted for there actions but I do think they should be severely punished by being put in a place like jail.

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  20. Yes I do think cyber-bullies should be prosecuted because bullying is causing the person whom is receiving this punishment to kill themselves, want to kill themselves or cause them to have a negative or depressed outlook on life because other people feel that they are wrong about something or that they are imperfect. The thing that irks me is that no one is perfect so how can you feel that someone is below you because they are human the same as every one else. One common cause of bullying is because people are homosexual. These people are being made fun of and basically being prosecuted until they killed themselves. Personally I think that liking the same sex is not what I would do but I will not make fun of you if you do. Like I said earlier we are all human and we have imperfections. Making fun of someone because of their homosexuality could be compared to a person that loves chocolate, maybe they just really like it. Maybe they feel like it's one of their purposes in life. That does not mean that you have to make fun of them. People like this are prosecutors who are saying people are wrong in THEIR OPINION. That is why bullies should be prosecuted because they are prosecuting and need to know what it feels like.

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  21. 2) I personally think that what goes on at home should stay at home and that you should never mix up something personal with something so public. I think it is more of a parents job to check on thechild and what he/ she does then the adult, because ta the end of the day the paretn is the one that must discipline his/ her child. But, I can see where other people are coming from because depending on how a situation is haddled, it can turn out badly for the child. Therefore, the school steps in and nips the situation in the bud. Not only is what the child is doing reflecting the school. It is firstly representing the parent. So, I am on both sides.
    ~Nakeya Harris- Rosenthal~

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  22. Amber G.
    I believe cryberbulling is a current problem. I believe cyberbulling should not be prosecuted. Even though there are laws against bullying changing laws to aniti-cyberbullying would limit ones right to freedom of speech. I agree with critics, the vitims actions (in many situations suicide) are not the bullies actions, therefore they should not be charged. Besides most laws ( such as anti-bullying) are broken anyway, everyday millions of times. Like when have you seen someone not text while driving even though its a law? I agree with Nigel that the most common cause is homosexuality. Maybe they should form another law for sexuality rights versus cyberbulling. I think criminal law forces can't be too involved because most times the problem is not a physical threatening, but mocking or making fun of. I disagree with Jerusalem.In a real court of law judges can not impute their feelings into a case. This is not manslaughter, this is called suicide; a person who intentionally takes his or her own life. Many of you are calling this murder and homicide- this is called harrasment. Cyber harrasment-meanning through use of electronics not physical attack. Schools and parents should show things to students that are okay to do on the internet. Totally telling a child that it is not okay to use Facebook or MySpace is not a good approach because they will most likely end up abusing it. It is hard for children to completely be oblivous to the Internet. After all this a new age, with new technology, and new ways to socialize. " Every tradegy dosen't have to result in someone going to jail"- Butler. My final statment is cyberbulling is INTOLLERABLE, but should not be prosecuted in court.
    "If prison was our only tool, every problem would be a crime."

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  23. 2. I think that schools should be able to punish the students for what they say on the Internet. i think that should because what you put on the Internet about another person can hurt them. Also, when you put it up there it can never be undone. I think that it might make someone feel sad. I think that it's just not nice to do it over the Internet. Also, i think that if someone uses some language it can hurt the person.

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