Tag Archives: bully

11.18.13
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HAZING as BULLYING

HAZING as BULLYING

Recently, unless you have been living under a rock, or in the woods preparing for a Zombie Apocalypse, some NFL and college football players have ‘come out of the locker room’, and their teams have come under fire, after very serious allegations of hazing have surfaced.

Everyone seems to be weighing in on the topic, so I figured why the hell not?

Heck, Jeremy Shockey has been telling people about this issue for YEARS.

Definition time for those of you who don’t know but think you may have a good idea:

Hazing: humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals, esp. as imposed on college students seeking membership to a fraternity or sorority.

Bullying: to use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.

Based on these two definitions, the separation between hazing and bullying is that bullying has no purpose of initiation, but otherwise, hazing and bullying are the same abuse of power.

Some disagree, based on the premise that hazing is something that eventually STOPS once you are considered part of the team/group/fraternity/club, and its intended goal is to promote solidarity and shared experience between members based on a sense of belonging since everyone has been through the SAME initiation.

In that vein, Hazing is TECHNICALLY a more socially accepted term considering the negative connotations that are attached to the word ‘bullying’.

So where is the line drawn? Do you feel that hazing is simply bullying that society deems as acceptable?

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The high-profile parties to the current controversy have brought this distinction to the forefront of our current life debates.

The Miami Dolphins suspended Richie Incognito over alleged bullying and harassment, after, over a prolonged period, he is said to have repeatedly abused tackle Jonathan Martin, leaving voicemail messages on his phone which included such abuse as, “Hey, wassup, you half n—– piece of (expletive)…” and “(I’m going to) slap your (expletive) mouth. (I’m going to) slap your real mother across the face (laughter).”  Incognito had even intimidated Martin into paying $15,000 for a meal in Las Vegas that he didn’t even attend.

FULL STORY

According to one op-ed piece in the New York Times they are one and the same:  “Hazing is simply another name for bullying, and it is unacceptable in all its forms. Bullies will do only what bystanders allow; it is a group process and a social dynamic that grips a victim’s entire world.”

I URGE you to read this quick post on Hazing and the top Myths surrounding such practices.

Hazing is not limited to certain areas or disciplines – the military, athletic teams, marching bands, professional schools and so on all have a history of hazing members.

Hazing is not authorized by universities or the NFL, most of whom have strict no-hazing policies.  However, group sports and fraternal organizations, traditionally, have their own internal guidelines, their own “initiations” to supposedly strength their bond.

Even NFL players have stated that they EXPECTED to be hazed, whether same did or did not actually happen.

EXAMPLE: When Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith reported to his first training camp two years ago, he anticipated being hazed by veteran teammates. He “had heard the stories and watched shows like HBO’s “Hard Knocks” that glorified the behavior and was prepared to be rudely welcomed to the NFL”. To his surprise, since of course the Ravens are AWESOME anyway, the rookies were welcomed by leaders like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs, who made it clear that the team had more important things to worry about. STORY HERE.

My sorority, Tri Delta, has a no-tolerance policy for hazing – unlike some others whose pledges would have to do embarrassing, yet not harmful, activities.  However, I witnessed a lot of hazing in the other Greek organizations.  Usually, this was light-hearted, such as making new pledges clean the house, or sing in a public place; however, there is a MUCH darker side.

There are times when hazing goes so over the line to amount to assault, battery, and even permanent physical and mental injury.

Take the case of Cameron Fagen, 19-year-old Grand View college student who was a member of the BOWLING team.

First thought? Seriously, hazing in BOWLING? What do they do, roll you down the lane? Put itching powder in your bowling shoes?

NOPE. THEY KICK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU AND BREAK YOUR JAW!! 

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Fagen has sued the university (GOOD!) after he was severely beaten by a group of fellow athletes AND IT WAS CAPTURED ON VIDEO!. Apparently, the incident “started after some rough housing among friends. It ended with duct-taped Fagen punched, kicked, beaten with a broom handle and rolled up in a carpet before being left bleeding and injured in a dorm common room. The diminutive Fagen suffered a broken jaw.” (Des Moines Register)

HE IS DAMN RIGHT TO BE SUING – it’s freaking criminal!  The video is DISGUSTING and shows a total lack of humanity in every damn person in that room. It is assault.  It is battery.  I think the students who did this act were definitely not HAZING – they went way too far to call their actions something less than repulsive, inhuman and sickening (actually more like, they went insane).

The Huffington Post refers to this incident as BULLYING. Other outlets claim HAZING.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE???

01.08.13
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High School Senior creates Twitter Account to fight bullying that tweets compliments to friends and classmates.

Published on Jan 2, 2013, Jeremiah Anthony, high school junior and creator of @westhighbros, a Twitter account that tweets compliments to friends and classmates.

Read Full Article

Jeremy’s Statement:

“For most people, the idea of kids and technology conjures up images of sexting and cyber bullying. I started @westhighbros to end cyber bullying at my school and to make it a better place to be in general. Let’s face it, school is for learning but socialization happens more often that studying. Our Twitter account is here to prove to every single doubter of the goodness of people, but especially teens, that people my age can do great things with technology. We’re here to show the world the power of technology and the power of positive word.

Let me back up a bit. I started @westhighbros in late October of 2011. I ran the account by myself for three months then asked one of my friends to join me – throughout the year we added more “bros” as contributors are called and we built up a decent following. We have everyone from the local newspaper to the local US Congressman follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook. Despite these high profile follows, our greatest joy is when parents of our classmates follow us on Twitter or friend us on Facebook. It gives us the parent stamp of approval. Right now we stand at about 850 followers on Twitter and 1,500 friends on Facebook, and yes we know every single one of them. Well there you have it, the story of @westhighbros, the world’s first compliment account. Now let’s talk about what we actually do.

Simply put @westhighbros and (the Facebook version of @westhighbros) writes compliments (we call them comps).  We write comps mainly to our classmates at Iowa City West High but we’ve been known to write to the principal of our cross town rival, the President, and to celebrities. Most of the time people respond with a thank you and a follow. This is our method of eliminating bullying.

The USA started a war on bullying with a massive campaign on how to stand up to bullies.   Newsflash, it isn’t working.  Bullying is still a problem.  And, even more frightening, we regularly hear news reports about bullying being a factor in teen suicide. While it may be impossible to eliminate bullying completely; my goal is just to impact one person.  Even if it’s just a small change in their life, the second I know I have done something for someone, I know my goal is accomplished. You might be thinking this idea is dumb but ever since we started our Twitter and Facebook pages, bullying has decreased by over 60% at our school.  By no means is my way the only way, but for my school it worked. I encourage anyone reading this blog post to think just for five minutes of ways they can help spread their own comps.  Just a simple five minutes can change your whole community, it certainly changed mine.”

Jeremiah Anthony is a junior in high school. He is a self-proclaimed “normal kid in a world, who likes seeing the beauty in people.

10.24.12
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Bullying May Be Linked to Mental Disorders, with children MORE LIKELY than other kids to BE BULLIES

Bullying May Be Linked to Mental Disorders, with children MORE LIKELY than other kids to BE BULLIES.

“Much research probing the link between bullying and mental health has focused on how being bullied contributes to the development of issues like anxiety and depression. But a new study suggests the relationship goes both ways, finding that boys and girls with mental health disorders are three times more likely to be the bully.” SOURCE.

But what type of mental disorders were identified?

Depression,  and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, apparently.

Here’s the Scoop:

Children with mental health disorders are more likely than other kids to be bullies, a new study finds.

The study, “Association Between Mental Health Disorders and Bullying in the United States Among Children Aged 6 to 17 Years,” was conducted by Dr. Frances Turcotte-Benedict, a Brown University masters of public health student and a fellow at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence. She and her colleagues used data provided by the parents and guardians of children ages 6 to 17 as part of the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, which included nearly 64,000 children.

In 2007, approximately 15 percent of the children were identified as bullies, and that children with mental health disorders were three times more likely than their peers to bully other children.

“There is a larger story behind why children bully,” said Dr. Turcotte-Benedict, a Brown University masters of public health student and a fellow at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence. “And part of that story may include the diagnosis of a mental health disorder.”

It is well-established that victims of bullying are at increased risk for mental health illness and suicide, but few studies have examined the mental health status of bullies.

Depression was associated with a three-fold increased risk of being a bully, while a diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder increased the risk six times.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder. That disorder, which affects between 1 percent and 16 percent of school-age children, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, is characterized by many of the traits that are associated with bullying, such as aggression.

Turcotte-Benedict said the new study emphasizes the need for continued research into the complicated link between mental health disorders and bullying in order to improve prevention efforts.  “We need to assess bullying prevention programs for their effect on children with mental health disorders,” she said, “and whether psychological support for these children has any impact on bullying behavior.”

Sources:

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/22/bullying-mental-health-problems_n_2001583.html

Bullying May Be Linked to Mental Disorders – MedicineNet.

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-children-mental-health-disorders-bullies.html

10.12.12
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CAUGHT ON TAPE. Teen Bullied During Anti-Bullying Interview

In one of the STUPIDEST things I have heard all day, a Maryland teen was bullied while being interviewed on TV about BULLYING!

Seriously – what is wrong with people?

Full Article but…

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Boy suspended from Frederick County school for three days after fighting back against another bully.

2. Local News Station decides to do a piece on bullying, and to interview Boy.

3. As the Boy gets ready for his interview, “three boys approached and one began hitting him in the head”  [WHAG-TV].

4. Boy runs to get help.

5. Cameras keep rolling.

Warning: The video may piss you off.

Frankly, I am more than just annoyed by this – I am seriously questioning how this happens ON-CAMERA — AND NO ONE CALLS THE POLICE.

The reporter witnessed a crime. She had video of the perpetrators. What should she do? Call Police. Oh wait – give it to the school officials!  That’s a GREAT idea.

On the bright side, his MOM sure is happy:

“I’m hoping now that they take this more seriously than what they have,” Cheryl Deener told the station.

The school system is now “investigating”.

10.12.12
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Another teen lost . . . Another star has faded…

Please take a moment to read the
Extraordinarily in-depth Full Article Here

Five weeks after posting heartbreaking YouTube plea begging bullies to stop tormenting her, Amanda Todd, 15, was found dead Wednesday night in Coquitlam, Canada. Authorities believe she committed suicide.

Her mother wants her daughter’s anti-cyber-bullying video to be used to help other young people.

“I think the video should be shared and used as an anti-bullying tool. That is what my daughter would have wanted,” Carol Todd, Amanda’s mother, told The Vancouver Sun in a message on Twitter.

View Amanda’s message to the world via YouTube:

 

Direct from NVEEE:
“Amanda, we are saddened by your death. Such talent. Such beauty. Such a bright soul. Thank you for leaving behind videos to give us a glimpse into your life. Please watch and share this video of Amanda singing. We will pray for your family and friends and ask for strength and guidance in the upcoming days as these will be the toughest moments in their lives.

To all the kids who are bulling others, who are being bullied, and who are watching it happen without saying anything… Just know there is another way. When you think its never going to get better, just know there are organizations and regular people out there who are standing strong for you. We just need to find each other. COME FIND US. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE LOVED AND ACCEPTED!!”

http://www.nveee.org

 

Rest In Peace Amanda.

10.11.12
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A Plea Deal Made Him Do It! Justin Beiber Releases Anti-Bullying PSA

I just learned that Justin Bieber has made a new anti-cyberbullying video, which was released Wednesday, October 10.

OK, so he’s doing he is part…

wait…

what was that?

He has a PLEA DEAL that calls for him to make an anti-cyberbullying public service announcement?

While it’s great for the anti-bullying crusaders out there, and for Beliebers everywhere, that he has made a PSA video on this topic,

does it lose it’s effectiveness when you know that he was forced to make it by New York prosecutor as part of a plea deal?

Not in the mood to read the FULL ARTICLE?

HERE IS A BASIC RECAP OF EVENTS:

1. Bieber’s Twitter account stated he was going to be at a mall in 2009.

(Remember New Kids on the Block/Debbie Gibson Mall Tours circa 1982? Yeah, just like that. They still do that kind of thing.)

2. Too many tweens showed up and safety issues arose (a mall “frenzy” lol).

(Tween: “a girl ages about 9-14…too old for toys, but too young for boys” – Thanks Urban Dictionary!)

3. Police asked his staff to pretty please send a tweet out that the event was cancelled.

(Not too hard, right? But WAIT…THERE’S MORE!)

4. They couldn’t do so because JB’s manager had changed the password to prevent anyone from cancelling the event.

FAIL.

Bieber’s Manager Braun and Def Jam Records executive James Roppo were charged with misdemeanors.

(oh yeah, did I mention that shortly after they were arrested 2 tweets were sent out cancelling the event, it took all of 15 MINUTES for the crowd to vanish?)

The charges were later dropped in a plea agreement that permitted Bieber’s record company and a management company to plead guilty to fire code violations, as well as reimburse Nassau County almost $8,000.

WHICH LEADS TO THE MATTER AT HAND:

The agreement called for Bieber to record the anti-cyberbullying public service announcement video.

I understand the need to learn from one’s mistakes and for them to repay the county for costs associated with their communications failure.

That being said, and after being privy to the facts behind the making of this video, does this change the effectiveness of this PSA?

Let me know your thoughts.

Oh yeah, here’s the PSA.

I’m going to go watch something NOT involving a young boy who eerily reminds me of a blonde  VELMA from Scooby Doo in this video…

10.03.12
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Bully Calls News Anchor Fat, News Anchor Destroys Him On Live TV

OK, so this was originally forwarded to me by my friend Katy – it almost made me fall out of my chair!

 

So without further ado…

 

NEWSFLASH: Being a jerk is always a bad idea, but it is an especially bad idea when a) you have no idea what you’re talking about, and b) you choose to target someone who has the ability to completely break down your crap on her very own live show. ~~~upworthy.com

ORIGINAL: By Jennifer Livingston on WKBT. Sent to UpWorthy.com by designer and all-around cool guy J.D. Reeves.
Gotta love Upworthy 😉
10.02.12
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Lee County student accuses school of “ignoring” bullying – WFTX-TV Fort Myers/Naples, FL

Oh look – another Child being Bullied.

Bullying will not simply stop.

Preventative Education is needed, not just news coverage.

Here’s the latest story:

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – A Lee County student says she’s afraid to go to school because the bullying is getting out of hand.

“They’re not doing anything,” said the 16-year-old Ida Baker student, who did not want to show her face out of fear the bullying would be made worse. “[The school is] saying ‘This is not bullying. It’s not.’ But it is. It is bullying.”

Lee County Schools response?

The school district says they are paying attention. In a statement they tell Fox 4:

“The school and the district followed all established policies and procedures as is done whenever such allegations are brought forth. The allegations that administrators ‘turned a blind eye’ in this case is absolutely false and untrue.”

“Because of privacy and confidentiality laws, the District can’t comment or provide information on specific students. Anyone with concerns can bring them to their principal or the Zone Administrators who oversee their school.”

Full Story

As always, comments welcome!

10.02.12
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October is Bullying Awareness Month

Did you know that October is designated Bullying Awareness Month?

Nationwide initiatives are taking place to raise awareness of this serious issue, to support those who have been targets of bullying, and to remember the lives of our children cut short by related suicide or violence.

Some initiatives include:

World Day of Bullying Prevention

(Promoted by StompOutBullying.org)

Thousands of schools across the country are participating on the first day of the month during the Blue Shirt World Day of Bullying Prevention.  Schools will be educating students about preventing harassment, intimidation and bullying.

Unity Day on Wednesday, Octover 10.

Make it orange and make it end! Unite against bullying!
(Sponsored by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center)

What are your true colors when it comes to bullying? If you care about students who are bullied and want bullying to end, make your color ORANGE on Unity Day, Wednesday, Oct. 10. That’s the day everyone can link together—in schools, communities and online—and send one large, ORANGE message of support to students who have experienced bullying.

 

Know about more Bullying Awareness Initiatives? Let me know!

10.02.12
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Awareness Months – According to Whom, Exactly?

OCTOBER IS:
NATIONAL BULLYING AWARENESS MONTH.
AND Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
AND, in some places, Energy Awareness Month! [TRUTH].
BUT WHO DECIDED THAT OCTOBER BE DEDICATED AS [INSERT CAUSE] AWARENESS MONTH?

I have always wondered who makes the determination that a certain month is dedicated to different topics – breast cancer, AIDS, autism, bullying…

Is there a government agency who confirms these dates and causes? A master list of some kind? Can a person simply add their OWN month of awareness to our proverbial ‘consciousness calendar’?  (i.e. Fur Shedding Awareness Month).
For example, PACER has been credited for the designation of October as National Bullying Awareness Month:
“PACER created the campaign in 2006 with a one-week event which has now evolved into a month-long effort that encourages everyone to take an active role in the bullying prevention movement.”
So sayeth PACER and Wikipedia, so it must be true. Right?

I’d love to have an answer to this question, and Google is just NOT providing me with it, even after extensive research (15 minutes) and interviews with several individuals (my boyfriend, and my roommate).

Please, if you have the answer, do tell.

I’d appreciate it.