By Miriam Stone
The RACC Student Government Association sponsored a Civility in Action program at the Miller Center On October 16th of 2012. On that day, Traciana Graves, the founder of “Project Bully Free Zone” spent several hours giving statistics about the effects of bullying.
She said that women can no longer receive a college education in this country because one third of all women will be assaulted on their way to, from, or on their college campus – not might be assaulted – will be assaulted.
Only 42 % of 12 to 24 year olds who are cyber bullied report the incident.
In a twelve hour time span 24 people who are bullied in the age group of 15 to 24 will attempt suicide.
Cyber bullying is the most prevalent way for children to be bullied.
Ms. Graves cited the tragedy at Rutgers University when student Tyler Clementi committed suicide after his intimate encounter with another student was secretly videotaped by his roommate Dharun Ravi via webcam and posted on the Internet. Ravi was given the harshest sentence possible as an example of what would happen if this was done again and anti-bullying legislation was proposed.
Ms. Graves wandered from her point several times and I came away from this program disappointed because I expected so much more from the “anti-bullying expert.”
She did however, drive one point home. Bullying isn’t a game kids play at recess. Bullying kills kids and it doesn’t stop there. Bullies are everywhere and all of our live they will be where we are and we will have to deal with them.
I have made a list of some of the books we have in The Yocum Library that deal with bullying and I’ve included their call numbers. If you are interested in looking at any of them, you may ask for help in locating them at the Service Desk on the second floor.
And words can hurt forever : how to protect adolescents from bullying, harassment and emotional violence – BF637 .B85 G36 2002
Bullying beyond the schoolyard : preventing and responding to cyberbullying – LB3013.3 .H566 2009
Bully epidemic : not just child’s play – BF637 .B85 B58 2011
Cyberbullying : bullying in the digital age – HV6773 .K69 2008
Bullied : what every parent, teacher, and kid needs to know about ending the cycle of fear –
BF637 .B85 G63 2012
Taking the bully by the horns – HQ784 .S56 N64 1997
The meanest thing to say – Early Reader