When bullying goes from physical to online

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During the month of October, HHS will be holding events to recognize national bullying prevention month. Counselors and student ambassadors have been working to show awareness for bullying prevention through announcements and posters. While bullying may be looked as only a physical act, it can also take place online. Cyberbullying is used when bullying goes through one screen and onto the other, mentally hurting the victim. Student assistant counselor Lora Cantwell works with these type of situations in the school and is aware of the difference between physical and online bullying.

“I think it’s definitely a big issue. One of the things with online bullying is once it’s there, it’s there. It kind of can stick around a little bit longer and that’s a big concern. I think it’s a new form of bullying with technology changing and that it’s happening more and more… there’s not as many safeguards to address it,” Cantwell said.

Cantwell also believes that the new everyday developments with technology is a contributor to cyberbullying.

“I think it was a natural progression as we increased with technology. The more we have social media, unfortunately, there become problems and the more we use it, the more it’s going to be there,” Cantwell said.

Student ambassadors plan on working on bullying prevention all through October to make sure students are aware that bullying is an unacceptable act. Junior Heather Whetzel has been an ambassador for two years now and believes that social media is the main cause for online bullying.

“It happens more than what people give it credit for, especially on sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter…  It’s a lot different than in person when someone makes fun of you. Sometimes you can take it as a joke but when you see it right there in front of you [on social media], I feel like it can hit to your heart a little bit more because you can’t tell if they’re joking, you can’t tell what their emotions are. I feel like cyberbullying gets taken the wrong way,” Whetzel said.

As of this year, counseling in a school is a first for Cantwell. While she has worked with students in the community, school counseling brings a different experience. As the school’s student assistant counselor, Cantwell works with everyday conflicts that students have with peers or even dealing with their own struggles. The goal for Cantwell falls under trying to make every student feel comfortable when they go to school.

“[I] make sure that everybody has a safe space and everybody feels heard. I don’t want anyone to think that they have to put up with [bullying],” Cantwell said.  If it’s a problem and it’s affecting your day and impacting the your function at school, then we care about it.”