By Leigh Edwards | Observer Contributor
Across the United States over the past year, the subject of bullying has been brought up numerous times, as it has become an epidemic among students in schools, and especially online. However, the biggest argument brought up in schools by victim’s parents and bullying activists is that bullying should be put into law as a crime, and MWCC students and faculty seem to agree.
A major cause for bullying in the U.S. is discrimination against one’s sexual orientation. According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, 86% of the LGBT community has experienced harassment.
Since the boom in social networking has occurred, cyber bullying is becoming the “go-to” way of harassing students, as it takes little effort and is available at any time of day. However, it is still not set in stone as to why bullies bully. “9 times out of 10 bullying comes from ignorance, and that’s what’s so frustrating about it. Something should be done to prevent it” said Professor Conn, a Biogeology Professor at MWCC.
Even as close as Hadley, MA bullying became so traumatic for young Pheobe Prince. She eventually took her own life. Pheobe’s story isn’t the only one like it; many past students have taken their lives due to bullying. The string that attaches each bullying/ suicide case is that the act of bullying was reported to the school it was taken place in, but there was no action taken place at any school’s establishment. Some argue, that if school’s had taken a stronger stand on the reported bullying, lives could have been saved, “Something needs to be done in schools to prevent bullying, because it needs to be stopped” said Veronica Alejandro, a dual enrollment student at MWCC.
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