By: Jacqueline C. Elliott
Some Bowling Green State University students say they have been directly affected by online bullying, but many feel it is a major problem and something needs to be done about it.
Many students were appalled by the case of a Rutgers University student who killed himself last year. The trial is still ongoing according to a story by USA Today.
Another related story regards a 13 year-old Florida girl who committed suicide after explicit photos of her were revealed, according to a story on MSNBC.
“If everyone was treated equally with respect, things like this wouldn’t happen,” said Deidra Davis, a sophomore accounting major from Columbus.
Some students on BGSU’s campus have been directly affected and think that the most important thing is to speak out about being bullied and become more informed.
“I was bullied in grade school over MySpace and threatened to be beaten up,” said Sarah Royer a freshman apparel merchandising major from Cleveland. “I had to tell my parents because I knew I couldn’t handle this on my own.”
Another student affected by online bullying is Nikki Chiricosta, a sophomore communication major from Avon Lake, Ohio. She said that when she was in high school she dated a friend’s ex-boyfriend and soon after she began to receive threatening messages.
“I think that more awareness in schools is important so that this does not continue to happen to other innocent students,” said Chiricosta.
Jonathan Davis, a senior communications major from Ravenna, Ohio, said that the issue should be more publicized so that more people can be aware of the problem.
Along with awareness, students also had strong opinions about parental involvement in these bullying situations.
Cheyenne Nawrot, a sophomore community health major from Toledo, Ohio, thinks that parents should monitor their kids’ Internet access when they are “young and immature.” She says that parents should not allow their children to even be subscribed to sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Lindsay Elliott, a freshman social work major from Delaware, Ohio, agreed that younger people should not be allowed on websites like Facebook and Twitter without parental supervision.
Sometimes, younger children fear telling their parents about these types of situations, but according to students, there are other options.
Chelsea Robinson of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, a visual communication technology major, said that students can block the people harassing them, make their profile private, or even delete the page all together.
Students said online bullying is a problem that needs to get under control with more severe consequences for those found guilty of the crime.
Seleina Beltran sophomore biochemistry major from Columbus, Ohio thinks that when a person harms himself or herself because of a bully, that person should be held accountable for their actions and charged with attempted murder.
“Depending on the situation, stricter punishments should be put in place for violators,” said Beltran.
The justice system should have more of an impact, said Jasmine Hardin, a sophomore medical technology major from Orrville, Ohio. Hardin thinks the punishment should increase with each violation.
Audra Facinelli, a sophomore public health administration major from Avon Lake, Ohio, is unsure how to prevent online bullying. She feels it would be hard to convict anyone of a crime because it is all done online. She says that people can pretend to be anyone they want so there is no direct way to relate someone to certain crimes.
“If there is no crime then no legal action can take place,” she said. “You can’t really stop someone from speaking their mind, but there should be something to block negative things said on the Internet.”