Video bullying in schools is no longer uncommon these days since almost all students have a cell phone with them most of the time. However, when someone begins bullying, that person is usually going to make sure that no one is around to take a video. On the other hand, there are more chances that bullying in schools can be recorded through video by means of CCTV or by any person trying to support the bully or victim. Below are some accounts of video bullying in schools.
Video Bullying in Schools: A Video of a 13 Year Old Bullying Victim
On March 31, 2011, the local news reported a 13-year old girl from Connecticut suffered the bullying of her classmates for two years. Her only recourse was to post videos on the popular Facebook site regarding her plight. The uploaded video already garnered 50,000 views.
The video showed the young girl showing a series of signs regarding her feelings about being bullied. She did not utter a word but showed signs asking poignant questions. She was asking why she was being bullied and why she has very few friends. Alye is the young girl. Ever since she made the video and uploaded it with the permission of her mom, there is an increasing number of viewers showing support.
Alye’s message in the video clip was very touching. She said that not a day has gone by in the last couple of years that she has not been called a bitch, whore, slut, freak, and so on. The signs she showed on the video clearly portrayed what she thinks and feels about being called these ugly things and she encouraged young people to be less vicious and careless on their words since these words can really hurt and cause real harm. Her video seemed to have raised awareness on adolescent bullying which is what she intended to do.
Video Bullying in Schools: Bullying Video of Karen Huff Klein in a School Bus
Karen Huff Klein, a school bus monitor in Greece, New York, received an outpouring of support after posting a ten-minute video of her enduring bullying from middle schoolers while on a bus ride going home. Karen Klein is a widow of 17 years and is about to have her 50th high school reunion in the same district.
The video showed children calling Karen Klein fat and ugly. Children even went further as to say no one wants to be near Karen and made fun of her having no family. Aside from bullying, one can just scratch at their heads as to why children would be so disrespectful to an elderly adult.
The video bullying that was done by these middle schoolers included verbally abusing a hearing-impaired grandmother of eight who was hired by the school to keep children safe on the bus. This video went viral on June 20th, 2012. More than 32,000 people who watched the video rallied to Karen’s side and donated $700,000 which allowed her to retire from her job. After the incident, Karen announced that she is forming the Karen Klein Anti-Bullying Foundation. Its goal is to teach kids and teens about being friendly, kind, and being nice to others.
Video Bullying in Schools: Bullied Canadian Teen Posted YouTube Video
Another bullied teen decided to post a YouTube Video regarding his plight as bullying victim. Amanda Todd is a Canadian teen that decided to share her experience on being bullied the modern way. Like Alye, she held up cards to show how she feels. However, her story was different.
The Canadian teen made a video with her face obscured from the camera while holding cards filled with messages in black marker to tell her story. According to the teen, her bullying began after she posted a topless picture of herself on the Internet. She only did it after being told to do so by many of her stranger fans who kept telling her she was pretty, stunning, and beautiful.
Little did she know that this topless picture will cause more trouble. Amanda received a Facebook message asking her to show more of herself to the specific stranger if she did not want the topless picture spread all over. The stranger claimed to know all her personal information, from her address, school, friends, relatives and family.
One day while on Christmas break, the police came to her home and told her that her photos were sent to everyone. The teen struggled with anxiety and rarely went out for a few months. The same man appeared again on a Facebook page that displayed her topless photo as his profile picture. She cried every night, lost all friends, as well as many people’s respect.
The above incident is a type of cyberbullying since Internet browsing has become one of the most enjoyed hobbies in today’s era. Other types of bullying include physical, written, verbal, emotional, and sexual bullying. All of these types of bullying can be a subject of video bullying in schools.