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Maryland Teens

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Has Social Media Made Bullying Worse in Maryland?

Is bullying really worse than it used to be? If it is, should we blame the Internet?

A Maryland middle schooler made national headlines recently after his mother took to her social media accounts to get people to send letters of encouragement to her son who was a victim of bullying. Noah Brocklebank of Columbia, MD received thousands of letters from others saying "it gets better." That often prompts the question from Patch readers: Is bullying really worse than it used to be? If it is, should we blame the Internet? There’s no consensus among experts on those questions, but there is consensus that 1) bullying is a huge problem that’s only beginning to be addressed, and 2) new forms of bullying require new forms of support. Once people understand the scale of the problem, they usually have a new question: How can I help? The…

Peggy Anne

10:45 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013

Internet bullies can be reported, and blocked. People need to give classes, and empower the victims of bullying. We wouldn't tolerate a phone call from a bully, why tolerate it on line ? Bullies are cowards, and in the minority. They must lead miserable lives. I can see bashing a nasty corporation verbally, but not harmless individuals. When bullies start agrivating someone in class, the teacher …   more ›

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