Megan Meier's Story
Bullying has always been a heated issue in schools and outside of schools, however, in today's modern society, bullying now exists in technological advances that are not as easy to escape from. This heated issue, Cyber Bullying, has resulted in suicide, depression, and isolation amongst children and can also continue to affect them as adults. This is the case because individuals feel less intimidated bullying others via the internet or cellphones, giving reason for them to include more harsh statements targeting another individual in order to demean their character or threaten them. This form of bullying is considered to be the worst form, most especially because it can follow the individual anywhere, unless something is done to stop it. Awareness must be spread to children at an early age, in order to teach them about the risks, as well as how to deal with the issue if it ever makes its way into their lives. For this reason, my group was formed in order to address this issue and inform others about how to deal with it.
Cyber bullying is defined as when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones (Wired Kids 2011). It is an issue that has more recently scarred the lives of individuals since technology became much more accessible. The various types of cyber bullying were researched such as harassment, flaming, denigration, outing, trickery, exclusion, exposure, and impersonation. All of which, having the same devastating effects on individuals. Once my group had a better understanding of each of these types of cyber bullying and their effects, a news report of a girl who was cyber bullied, which eventually led to her death, left each of us in shock. We decided that we wanted to share the story of Megan Meir, a 13 year old girl who committed suicide after finding out that "Josh Evans", a boy she had been confiding in and gained feelings for, was fictitiously created by a classmate's mother (Maag 2007). The case ended with Lori Drew, the mother who created the fictitious, "Josh Evans", being charged with violating MySpace's terms of service and breaking a federal law. This case prompted law officials to take bullying cases more seriously and consider specific laws to if not diminish, limit them. Introducing cases similar to Megan Mier's and covering an entire lesson on cyber bullying would be the best way to make children, at an early age, more aware of the issue and learn how to avoid it, as well as report it. As a future educator I will make it a point to really focus on the topic of cyber bullying and other digital safety issues that are significant.
The story of Megan Meir, and other cyber bullying cases has shocked many individuals around the world, including my group. Therefore, by informing others about the issue of cyber bullying, more can be done to prevent it from happening to anyone else. Not only should this topic be covered in the classroom by teachers, but at home too, where parents should also be responsible for educating their children. Let's not wait until another child has to commit suicide before more is done to resolve the issue.
-Shayana Mariano
Undergraduate, Elementary Education
School of Education
University of Guam
11/22/2011
Wired Kids Inc., 2011
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html
Maag, Christopher (2007 December 16). When the Bullies Turned Faceless. New York Times. Retrieved from home
page web address
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/fashion/16meangirls.html?ref=meganmeier>>>>>Digital Safety Issues Presentation, Cyber Bullying
