AyahHamad

TheCyberbullyPlague:ANationalEpidemic

Introduction:Shouldschoolsandlawmakersdomoretoprotectkidsfrom cyberbullies?Cyberbullyinghasbecomeamajorconcernsincetheincreasein technologyHurtingpeopleovertheinternetcancausethesamepainasdoingitin person. Bennett,Jessica."FromLockerstoLockup."Newsweek.11Oct.2010:n.p.SIRS IssuesResearcher.Web.01Apr.2014. Summary:TheauthorfocusedonthecaseofPhoebePrince,agirlwhocommitted suicideduetocyberbullying.Sixstudentswerechargedwithfeloniesassociated withherdeathbecausetheymadeitimpossibleforhertoremainatschool.Bennett arguesthatrulesandlawswoulddolittletohindercyberbullies. RhetoricalAnalysis:JessicaBennetthasmadeamarkinthejournalismsceneby becominganawardwinningwriter,editor,andproducer.Ithoughtherarticlewas convincingbecausesheprovidedgoodevidencetosupportherclaimsand discusseddifferentpointofviews.Forexample,Bennettclaims,Kidswhoare bulliedarefivetimesmorelikelytobedepressed,andnearly160,000ofthemskip schooleachday,fearfuloftheirpeers.Ithoughtthisstatisticwasgoodevidence becauseitupheldherargumentwithfactualinformation.Italsocreatedabetter understandingoftheharshoutcomesofcyberbullying. Reflection:Theauthor'sintroductiongotmeinterestedinreadingtherestofthe article.Shealsoaskedalotofquestionswhichhelpedmereflecteasierandfully understandwhatshewassaying.Bennett'sarticlewaschallengingmyviewson cyberbullyingwhichgavemesomeinsightontheopposingside. Meyerson,Michael."ProtectKidsandSpeech."BaltimoreSun.21Apr.2013:A.29. SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.02Apr.2014. Summary:InApril2012,15yearoldGraceMcComascommittedsuicideafter enduringalmostayearofcyberbullying.Grace'sLawisabillthatispushinginthe stateofMarylandwhichimposeslegalactiononharassmentviasocialmediaas

wellasemails.Thechallengecomesincreatingalawthatwouldprotectchildren fromcyberbullyingwhilealsorespectingtheFirstAmendmentrights. RhetoricalAnalysis:MichaelMeyersonisaprofessoroflawandafacultyfellowat theUniversityofBaltimoreSchoolofLaw.He'stheauthorofseveralbooks,buthis mostrecentpublicationis,"EndowedbyOurCreatorTheBirthofReligious FreedominAmerica."Ibelievetheauthorwassomewhatconvincingbecausehe usedotherexamplestofurtherhisclaims. Reflection:MeyersonbroughtuptheSupremeCourtwhichshowedthat cyberbullyinghasmadeitswaytothefederalgovernment.Thisauthordidn'taddany evidencesupportinganopposingargumentwhichmadehisarticleweaker.He shouldhaveprovidedanopposingviewpoint. Munn,Devan."CyberbullyingRequiresaBalancedApproach."GuelphMercury.21May 2013:A.2.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.01Apr.2014. Summary:Munnbelievescyberbullyingcannotbesolvedbymerecriminalization. Heproposesabalancedapproachthatwillcombinelegislationwitheducationto gettotherootsofcyberbullyinginallitsforms. RhetoricalAnalysis:Theauthorisa17yearoldmalewhoisstillinhighschool andintendstostudyjournalisminaUniversity.InthearticleMunndidn'thavestrong evidencetosupporthisclaim.Itwasalsohardtotellhispositiononcyberbullying untilyougotclosertotheend. Reflection:Insteadoflistingfacts,theauthorproposedastartpointtohelp eliminatecyberbullying.AlthoughMunnwasarguingtheoppositeviewpoint,his articlehelpedmetoseewhyapersonwouldntwantactivelawsincriminating cyberbullies. HowardPerry,Kate."NewFloridaLawFocusesonCyberbullyingatSchool,Home." OrlandoSentinel.09Jun.2013:B.7.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.01Apr.2014 Summary:Floridacurrentlyenforcesastatewidebullylawbutsomecitizensare tryingtoexpandittoincludecyberbullying.Therevisionwouldgranttheschool districttherighttodisciplinestudentsforoutsidecyberbullyingifitimpactsthe studentsschoollife.Perrydefendstheideaofexpandingthebullylawbecause cyberbullyinghasthesameeffectonchildren.

RhetoricalAnalysis:KatePerryisajournalistwhograduatedfromSalveRegina UniversityinNewportRhodeIsland.Currentlyshehasnineyearsofexperience underherbelt.Ifeelherargumentwouldhavebeenmoreconvincingifshetalked abouttheopposingsidewithmoreexamplesandevidence. Reflection:Thisarticleshowedmethatcyberbullyingshouldbeaddressednation wideandthatCongressmendocare.Ifweproposelegislationtopolicymakersit canstartadominoeffecttocreatelawswhichwouldbetremendousinshutting downcyberbullies.Perry'sargumentscloselyalignwithMeyersonargumentssoI wasabletocompareascontrasttheirideas.

Wood,DanielB."Cyberbullying:ShouldSchoolsPoliceStudents'SocialMedia Accounts?"ChristianScienceMonitor.17Sep.2013:n.p.SIRSIssues Researcher.Web.31Mar2014. Summary:TheGlendaleUnifiedSchoolDistrictinGlendale,California,madethe controversialdecisionofhiringafirmtomonitortheirstudents'socialmedia profiles.Thedebateisfocusedonwhetherornottheschoolshouldbeinvolvedin thisissueofcyberbullying. RhetoricalAnalysis:DanielWoodisaprofessorintheDepartmentofPolitical ScienceintheCollegeofLiberalArtsataTexasUniversity.Hehashadplentyof experienceinhisfieldandreceivedpublicationsforbooks.Ibelievethissourcewas convincingbecausehearguedtheprosandconsofeachpositionmakinghis articlestrongerthanMichaelMeyersons. Reflection:OnethingIrealizedisthatstatisticshelpmakeyourargumentstronger byprovidingevidence.Thisarticlemademerealizethattheschoolscan'tstop cyberbullyingunlesstheparents'andstudents'cooperate.Thatissometimesahard thingtodowhensomeparentsfeeltheschoolshouldhavelittleinvolvement.

Conclusion:Creatingcyberbullyinglawsputstheschoolsandlawmakersinasticky situationbecausethechildrenssafetyisatriskbuttheycan'tviolatefirstamendment rights.Abalancedsystemneedstobeputintoeffectthatwillpunishcyberbulliessothatthe victimscangotoschoolwithoutthefearofbeingtormented.Afterreviewingtheprosand consofthesituationIwouldagreethatsettingforthruleswilldeterkidsfromcyberbullying others.AtthesametimeIbelieveschoolsandlawmakersshouldfocusoneducating

studentsaboutcyberbullying.Istronglybelievelegalpunishmentwouldbenecessaryif cyberbullyingiseffectingstudentssobadlytheywouldresorttosuicide.Yes,educatingthe studentsmighthelpinreducingthenumberofvictimsbutthekidsthatarestillbullying shouldntbeabletowalkawayunscathed.