The Phoebe Prince suicide which resulted from bullying is making headlines all over, and is being referred to as a watershed for American Schools.
There are a number of reasons put forward for the ‘New Bullying’ which we are witnessing an upsurge in recent times:
- Students have less play time. Whereas in earlier days, kindergarten and preschool meant time for kids to play and get to know one another, now the stress is on academics and tests.
- Electronic communication: With kids constantly texting on their cell phones, getting onto social interaction sites and ‘networking’, face to face encounters and social skills in children may be lessening. ‘Socially maladroit’ children may be the reason that always bully on their victims.
- Lack of parental supervision and knowledge: Parents have no means of really supervising their child’s Facebook account or monitor the sort of text messages that their kids may be exchanging. Also there is ignorance about bullying or a reluctance to face up to the problem.
- TV and movies: Studies have found that TV programming for kids include a lot of situations where meanness is rewarded so kids are getting the wrong message.
Source: USA Today
