Bullying-- Source #7

http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2005020400&type=hitlist&num=0



When I first came across this soure, it appeared to be more of the same information that I have been finding. However, when I scrolled to the bottom of the site, I noticed the timeline of bullying. I feel that this shows the progression of bullying; it used to be a non-issue as no one really talked about it. Towards the more recent years of the timeline, there has been more focus on bullying.

Before 1970	Researchers pay little attention to bullying
1970s-1980s	School bullying remains a low-key issue, although a sprinkling of journal articles discuss the problem. Norwegian school and government officials begin addressing the problem of bullying in schools, but officials in England and the United States begin to focus on the issue only late in the decade.
1978	Norwegian psychology Professor Dan Olweus, widely considered the father of social science research on bullying, publishes the English edition of Aggression in the Schools: Bullies and Whipping.
1982	After three unrelated suicides by children in Norway, a Nationwide Campaign Against Bullying is begun in all of the country's 3,500 schools.
1990-2000	A string of schoolyard massacres in the United States — many committed by victims of bullies — prompts scientists, law enforcement and government officials to study the causes and negative effects of bullying.
1993	Olweus publishes his landmark work, Bullying: What We Know and What We Can Do About It.
Feb. 2, 1996	Barry Loukaitis, 14, kills two students and a teacher in Moses Lake, Wash., later telling officials he was tired of being called a “faggot.”
Feb. 19, 1997	Evan Ramsey, 16, kills his principal and another student in Bethel, Alaska, later complaining that school officials had failed to stop the bullying he was encountering at school.
Oct. 1, 1997	Luke Woodham, 16, kills two classmates and wounds seven in Pearl, Miss., after passing a note to friends stating “I killed because people like me are mistreated every day . . . . Push us and we will push back.”
Dec. 1, 1997	Michael Carneal, 14, kills three students and injures five others at his West Paducah, Ky., high school. He later says he felt that going to prison would be better than continuing to endure the bullying he was subjected to in school.
Dec. 15, 1997	Joseph Colt Todd, 14, shoots and wounds two students at his Stamps, Ark., high school, later complaining that he was tired of being bullied.
April 20, 1999	Columbine High School students Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris shoot and kill a teacher and 12 students at their Littleton, Colo., school and then turn their guns on themselves; 23 students are wounded. The 18-year-old shooters had been favorite targets of bullies.
2000-Present	Schools across the United States adopt anti-bullying programs; the number of bullying incidents in some districts reportedly decreases by more than 20 percent. At least 16 state legislatures pass legislation requiring schools to adopt anti-bullying programs.
May 2002	A study of school shooters by the U.S. Secret Service and U. S. Department of Education reveals that in two-thirds of 37 school shootings over the last 25 years the attackers had felt “bullied, persecuted, or injured by others” before the attack.
2004	Parents in Kansas and Connecticut sue their children's schools and school districts for failing to protect students from being bullied despite repeated complaints from the families. Parents in Virginia sue the alleged bullies of their child.
February 2005	Responding to a television report on widespread school bullying, the Indiana Senate is expected to pass a bill calling for statewide anti-bullying programs in schools.

Ninteen Minutes entry 6

The ending of Nineteen Minutes presents a twist. In the final stages of the trial, Josie admits that she was the one who shot Matt the first time after the gun fell out of Peter's bag. While it is not this shot that kills Matt, it is Peter who later fires the deadly second shot. Throughout the novel, Josie never tells the entire story of what she knew from the shooting. She always says "I can't remeber." However, it is clear at the end of the novel, that it was that she did not want to remember.  She is carrying so much emotional guilt and pain that she tries to avoid the topic at all costs. She reflects upon happy and difficult, abusive moments with Matt. Not once, however, does she admit to shooting Matt. Because she finally tells the truth, she recieves a sentence and Peter's sentence is reduced. While she will have this on her record, she is released from keeping a lie that has been tearing her apart.

Nineteen Minutes entry 5

Josie's relationship with her single mother Alex is a really important area of the novel. Flashbacks from before the shooting reveal the tough relationship between Josie and Alex. A large result of their strained relationship is Alex's inability to be both a judge and a mother. Alex recognizes this dilemma she faces between her personal and professional life, but tries to continue living her life and telling herself that it is okay. She reassures herself that she is doing the best she can as a mother when she tries to prepare breakfast or talk to Josie. However, it is clear to both Alex and Josie that there relationship was in no perfect condition. I think that our relationships with our family, our parents, are so important because they allow us to see situations from another perspective. Because Josie and Alex rarely see eye to eye, they find themselves in awkward situations. Before the shooting, this type of relationship seemed to be okay. However, it is when something terrible strikes, that causes them to become closer. It is sad to think that their relationship would have always been this poor if it had not been for a tragedy. However, when we are suffering, the worst type of suffering is when we suffer alone. If they would have stayed their separate paths, Josie would have kept all of her emotions inside. Alex and Josie's relationship was still incomplete, but they tried to make it better. The tragedy allowed Josie to become a stronger person and be able to admit her sadness and fears. I think one of the saddest parts of the novel is that despite their recent coming together as mother and daughter, Josie still feels to lie. Instead of telling her mom that she was going to visit Matt's grave, she tells her that she is tutoring middle and elementary school kids in math. Josie should be able to tell her mother anything, but she does not feel comfortable doing so. However, as I re-read this passage now, I can see that there is a great deal of strength within Josie. The reason she goes to the cemetery is to reflect in silence. She feels no pressure from anyone else, she hears no voices, but her own. While she is not honest with her mom, she is being honest with herself at the grave.

Ninteen Minutes entry 4

Between each of the major chapters, there are small passages with important meanings and ideas that lead into the upcoming chapter. One of the ideas that has stayed with me is the idea of self-perception. The passage reads "To be truly popular, it has to look like it's something you are, when it reality, it's what you make yourself" (240). This novel illuminates how so many teens are expected to behave in a certain way. In order to gain social approval, teens feel the need to change everything about themselves in order to conform, to develop strong social bonds. Josie, without a doubt, has certain expectations that she has to maintain. She feels the need to conform in order to be popular so will do anything to change herself and act in a way to be labeled "popular." Being popular and maintaining a high social status becomes especially important to her in high school. This drives her to completely lose sight of everything important in her life. Before high school and having Matt as a boyfriend, she has no problem spending time with Peter. She comforts him and while she may not fully admit it, she enjoys being together. While she is aware that others think he is weird and corky, this does not prevent her from doing what she feels is right. She may not be considered popular at the time, but she is comfortable in her own skin. However, it is in high school when she notices that everyone around her is judging her. Therefore, while she is perfectly content before, she turns to rewire her brain to be have in a specific way. Josie feels a great deal of pressure- she has never seen the importance of being popular. However, now she has to convince herself and the people around her that she is comfortable with herself, walking her own path. Although she is not happy, she has to convince others that she is loving her life. This is no easy role to fill and this affects her emotionally.

Nineteen Minutes entry 3

Right after the shooting took place, the shooter was identified as Peter. Lacy Houghton, Peter's mother was of course, in disgust, in shock, wondering what could she have done to prevent this from happending. As a mother, her natural instict is to find her son. To make sure he is okay. She finds a way to think past what terrible crime Peter has committed in order to look out for the welfare of him. She calls an attorney who agrees to take on the case. Jordan has no idea what to expect, but knows that he has gotten himself into a long process. When they meet for the first time, Peter is in jail. While Jordan expects to find Peter quiet and terrifed, the opposite is true. Peter treats Jordan just as any other teenage  boy would. He questions why he is in jail which is shocking to Jordan. Jordan responds "What do you mean?" (133). Peter bursts out that he is the victim. The people around them caused him to act in such a terrible way and yet,  he is being punished. He cannot wrap his head around the fact that what he did was terrible. The bullying and isolation causes Peter to always feel in danger and at caution. He feels no security at school and his initial reaction to being forced into jail proves that he feels by killing the people at his school, he has done nothing wrong. For once, he feels a sense of control and power. People were afraid of him and this is something that Peter has never felt before. Futhermore, Peter does not feel remorse and considers himself a victim. I find this concept to be so startling, but at the same time, the extent to which Peter is bullied his entire life has turned him to feel and act in such a manner.

Nineteen Minutes entry 2

One of the chapters that had a genuine impact on me came around half way through the book. It brought the reader back to gym class back at Sterling High before any of the shooting took place. Coach Spears had chosen Drew Girard and Matt Royston to be team captains; this was no surprise to Peter because they were varsity athletes. Of course, this irritated Peter as he expected to be the last one called. Meanwhile, the coach told the class to "look alive" as the captains picked players; the names began to get called out and eventually it was Peter along with his friend Derek and a student with aggression issues who were last. It is Matt's turn to pick a player and he replies "I'll take the homo." (228). This of course is referring to Peter. This is so troubling to me not just because Matt said this, but rather that Spears said nothing to Matt. In fact, all he said was "Let's play" (228). It is completely ridiculous to me that students such as Peter, were bullied throughout their high school experiences and no teacher tried to stop it. It is evident that the Coach had heard what Matt had said and deliberately ignored him. Bullying will never end if the teachers, the people who are supposed to look out for us, do nothing. There were so many people who had the opportunity to stand up for Peter, yet they did nothing at all. While Josie had Peter's back for several years, she was not a loyal friend in high school as she allowed her friends and boyfriend, Matt pick on Peter constantly. When people see bullying and do not do anything, I believe they are just as guilty as the person doing the bullying because they are condoning the behavior.

The Marketplace of Ideas- day 3

Today in class, I was able to research and find additional sources to blog about.  While I expected that I would find a lot of general information on bullying that all gets to the same statistics, details, and themes, I have found that there is so much on bullying. While my main focus is bullying in the school atmosphere, I also learned about school in the workplace. Bullying occurs everywhere and affects so many different people. I am starting to realize how big of an issue bullying it is. It is troubling to learn this, but important because I am hoping to spread a message that bullying must be recognized. It cannot be avoided, we must face it.