Blame School yard bullies backing The undersized, the nerd, the outsider Into a corner Where the victim eats dirt for lunch— Nothing new. Held in low esteem Holder of low self esteem The insecure bully acts out; seeking Control, Mimicking behaviors usually parental, Solving by violence or Intimidating by size Any threat to their superiority. Workplace bullies corner The new kid in the cubicle Undermining, stabbing them in the back With paper trails of dirt— Nothing new. Computer bullies Text—putting in words the taunts Of yesteryear. Giving them a different voice. Rumors spread by fingertip Linger in a network Of deceit and lies. Nothing new—really. Just an evolved version of the same Old game. Remember Operator Where whispered words changed By the end of the line? Now deranged Statement from simple beginning. What has changed Are parents less involved Relationships scattered among steps and halves. Somewhere the talking was drowned out by the clatter Of keyboards. What has changed Is society more vocal on the fringes Of sexuality raising its voice From a whisper To taunts from the unknowing Aimed at the confused. Bullying and gossip have conjoined: The rumor mill has more grist to grind Insecure children of orbital families Into the dust and dirt of a societal failing, While invisible yet tangible words Fly through space as communication methods Hasten the flight. It isn’t right. But if you don’t like the program—change the channel. The playground has expanded and one can avoid the fray. Change is just a click away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An article entitled "Students hear lesson on cyberbullying" by Allison Pries of the Record in Hackensack, NJ appeared in the Lawrence Journal World. Following are excerpts from the article: Student leaders shed tears in a Ramsey, NJ school one day Friday last month as the father of a Vermont teen recounted his son's suicide and put a face to the problem of cyberbullying. The powerful presentation by John Halligan was the cornerstone of a daylong summit on cyberbullying head at Eric S. Smith Middle School in Ramsey, NJ. "Mr. Halligan's story brought out the emotional side of bullying," said Nick Schifano, a Ramsey student counsel officer. "It shows it doesn't hurt one person. It hurts family and friends." As young people spend more time instant messaging, texting, emailing and using social networking sites, the peer harrassment that once occurred in hallways and schoolyards has them into cyberspace, experts say. "It's so much a part of their life," said Richard Wiener, the Smith School principal. "So we have to equip them to use the technology in a way that's going to be productive, and not destructive." "I don't think it ever goies away," said Dave Pfeiffer, a guidance counselor from Ridgewood, NJ. "Kids will always have that battle in life." Increasing awareness, many say, is the best way to diminish it. PROMPT: Write a poem about anything you have read in the excerpts or anything that was stirred within you as you read. |