No Tolerance on CyberBullying

Back in October of ‘06, a teenage girl just outside of St. Louis committed suicide because she was bullied on the internet. The public was outraged. Many states, including Arkansas and Missouri reacted by drafting cyberbullying statutes to prevent this from happening again. These laws are now in place but it is still  far too easy to bully people online. The easiest, it seems,  is a website called topix.com. Topix claims to be a leading news community online. They boast that they “aggregate news from thousands of sources,” and “create thousands of topically driven news web pages”. This may have been the grand plan when the site was started, but it has taken a nosedive in some communities and has become nothing more than the bathroom wall of Region 8. You can hide alone and scrawl vulgar, malicious, hateful and hurtful words with measured anonymity. And on topix, like in that bathroom stall, nobody knows you are a coward.

I had hoped that sooner or later, people would grow tired of the hatefulness. But I received a phone call from a local school last week that prompted me to do this editorial. You see, the muck that fills the forums on topix is overflowing into our classrooms. Online bullies are posting vulgar and potentially libelous statements  and the school has had many fights break out between students. Because of topix I’m told it has been almost impossible to hold classes on some days. Folks, we’re talking about the sanity and safety of our children here. Teaching kids today is an unbelievable challenge and we need to get to work to make it tough on those who are doing the bullying.  I know the task is not easy but we must insist on NO TOLERANCE of any bullying whether it is face to face or using internet technology. Talk to your kids about what they do online and about what they see and do on topix. Standing up to bullies will give our students a better chance to learn and will make this a Better Region 8. 

A Better Region 8 - Stop online bullying

Comments

[Scott Shankle]

When I saw this the other night is was like, "Finally!!".

When I saw this segment, I got the whole family around to watch it...cuz I feel the same way about topix.

There are no rules for posting, anonymous posters run wild and, almost, every post is of negative remarks and poor tastes.

I would like to see a more indepth news assignment just on Topix. It may boost their ratings but it, may, also give (unknowingly)parents some insight to this website.

Tips on how to list websites, such as Topix, as banned sites on their web browser by using an internet filter would be very helpful.

[Dana Crow]

Personally I think www.topix.com should be removed from the internet. I have personally been attack on the site and nothing could be done to the people that was doing attacking me, because I did not have an ip address for them. The admins dont care what goes on there. Thank you for speaking out on this subject. I hope more law makers read this and take Topix off the internet or make the admins make it more strict. They should also make EVERYONE register a name and an ip address so they can ban someone that start trouble. That site is the BIGGEST bash board I have ever seen.

[Ronda Ashley]

Thank YOU, for speaking out about this trashy website.
People of all ages need to grow up and realize that if a person ,is going through a tough emotionall time , they do NOT need this to push them over the possible edge. so yes thank you for speaking out about this'

[Monica]

I am so glad someone actually has said something to everyone about this website.This website is downgrading,embarrising and an envasion of people's private lives.I think this is done when parents no longer have control of their children and really dont even have control of themselves.Why be so consumed in others lives? It's sad that the world today is so bad. That kids have to be picked on and bullied through the internet or period for that matter.Your right we all need to think about things we do before we do them because we never know what just a few little words can do to someone. Some people just cant take things like that and these are some of the end results. I wish everyone would give this alot of thought and come to there senses that we need to get rid of this site.If they have nothing better to do then sit at home or where ever on their computer and bully someone then they need to take a real good look at there lives and see how they can improve it. Thank You for saying something about this website where everyone can hear it,that needed to be done.