Cyber-Bullying Essay - 1650 Words

Cyber-Bullying Essay (Coursework Sample) Content: NameSubjectProfessorDateIntroductionBullying is a by-product of the capitalist society that advocates for personal advancement over any other goals. From a young age, children are encouraged to be the best they can be. Instincts push people to achieve these results at any cost. The overriding instinct in most instances is personal survival and the need to dominate others. If an individual does not have the right values, they devise ways to intimidate others out of the competition. In the past incidents of bullying were limited to the relatively few cases of face-to-face bullying. All this has changed in the information age. Proliferation of communication devices combined with the internet provides fertile ground for bullying. One reason that could explain the rise in Cyberbullying is the anonymity that the internet affords. People know that they do not have to account for their actions online and therefore tend to be more belligerent than usual. In the past the threat of physical confrontation in bullying was always present, however, the internet has largely diminished that threat. Forms of cyber bullyingCyberbullying refers to a range of activities done online that are harmful to the well-being of the victim (NoBullying.com). These may take the form of flaming where an argument between two people quickly spreads to include more people each taking one side of the argument and hurling insults to people on the other side. Another form is harassment, where a bully humiliates the victim by sending hurtful images, text messages, or emails about the victim. This form of bullying has grown with the recent trend of making memes. Memes are images containing a message meant to ridicule the victim. Denigration is another form of Cyberbullying; the bully attacks and tarnishes the victims through spreading false information about them. Impersonation is another form of Cyberbullying. The bully assumes the identity of another person with malicious intent. Clos ely related to this is outing where someone gains personal information about the victim using dishonest means such as impersonation. The bully then publicizes that information with the aim of humiliating the victim. We also have stalking which involves following the victim online in an unjustified way. As illustrated, Cyberbullying involves a myriad of activities taking place in the online space. These activities involve both passive and active participation by victims and bullies (InDirect)Causes of online bullyingOnline bullying may happen for several reasons. First, bullying by popular kids happens because they want to maintain their popularity (Donegan 35). Such people use bullying to validate their popularity. Often, this requires the support of backers and henchmen who remain on the sidelines cheering actively and passively as the bully brings down the victim. This kind of bullying is likely to target famous people since attacking them provides the bully with potential for att racting more attention. In addition to popularity, hurting others makes such people feel powerful. The more people they bully the more powerful they become. Taking on famous figures boosts the power of such bullies to even greater heights (NoBullying.com). The other group of online bullies is people who are less socially successful. This group forms the bulk of cyber bullies. They find solace in bullying as it helps them cope with their low self-esteem. Their objective is to fit in with their peers and bullying provides a chance to help them achieve this goal (InDirect). Cyberbullying requires even less courage than traditional forms of bullying. The internet with its anonymity helps people show their true colours. Cyber bullies might not be bullies in real life but since the internet provides them with anonymity, they take advantage of that to bully others (Donegan 37). Effects of CyberbullyingStudies have shown that bullying causes emotional damage to its victims though most of th ese victims find it difficult to admit it. In a study involving over 3000 students, researchers learnt that out of all bullying victims, 38% felt vengeful, 37% were angry, while 24% felt helpless. Another study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Centre using a sample size of 468 students drew almost similar conclusions. They found that out of all the female victims 39% felt frustrated, 36% felt angry and 25% felt sad about it, the males figures were 27%, 36% and 17% for each of those respective categories. Females seem to show high susceptibility to bullying than males. However, this is hardly surprising since males tend to admit emotional weakness less readily than their female counterparts do (Hinduja Patchin 1).Sociologist Robert Agnew developed the Great Strain Theory, which hypothesizes that victims of bullying can develop problematic emotions, which cause deviant behaviour. The victim goes through a vicious cycle and this can result to the victim developing antisocial be haviour as they try to process their emotions and find an outlet for their anger and frustration (Hinduja and Patchin 5). Bullying also takes a toll on the bully. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention report, over 60% of males with bullying tendencies between grade six and nine were later convicted of at least one crime in their adult life. This is in comparison to 23% of people who did not bully. Forty per cent of these former bullies got at least three conviction by the time they were age 24 years; this is in comparison to 10% of those who were not bullies (Donegan, 37). When bullies use bullying as a coping mechanism it leads to development of a vicious cycle for both the victim and the bully (Oleus 8). Evidently, bullying has a heavy toll on the society, the effects of this habit are long lasting, and some individuals feel the repercussions throughout their life. Cyberbullying and Legislation Though the effects of Cyberbullying are evident, the legal situation is not as clear-cut as the social situation. Freedom of speech receives such a high degree of importance that even law enforcers prefer to err on the side of caution than be seen as curtailing this very important right (Wiseman). The anonymity of the internet makes the situation even more challenging. Prosecuting faceless people would prove to be a tall order for law enforcers. Another challenge is lack of strong laws to address this situation. Even when cases of Cyberbullying are reported, the legal repercussions do not match the severity of the crimes committed (Donegan 38). Consider the case of New Jersey V Dharun Ravi, 2010 as narrated by NoBullying.com. In the summer of that year, Tyler Clementi started sharing that he was gay. Clementis roommate at Rutgers University was Dharun Ravi. One day Ravi used a webcam to stream footage of Clementi kissing another man. Ravi uploaded this video link online and instantly Clementi became the subject of ridicule within the campus. Due to this embarrassment, he committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. Less than a week later... Cyber-Bullying Essay - 1650 Words Cyber-Bullying Essay (Coursework Sample) Content: NameSubjectProfessorDateIntroductionBullying is a by-product of the capitalist society that advocates for personal advancement over any other goals. From a young age, children are encouraged to be the best they can be. Instincts push people to achieve these results at any cost. The overriding instinct in most instances is personal survival and the need to dominate others. If an individual does not have the right values, they devise ways to intimidate others out of the competition. In the past incidents of bullying were limited to the relatively few cases of face-to-face bullying. All this has changed in the information age. Proliferation of communication devices combined with the internet provides fertile ground for bullying. One reason that could explain the rise in Cyberbullying is the anonymity that the internet affords. People know that they do not have to account for their actions online and therefore tend to be more belligerent than usual. In the past the threat of physical confrontation in bullying was always present, however, the internet has largely diminished that threat. Forms of cyber bullyingCyberbullying refers to a range of activities done online that are harmful to the well-being of the victim (NoBullying.com). These may take the form of flaming where an argument between two people quickly spreads to include more people each taking one side of the argument and hurling insults to people on the other side. Another form is harassment, where a bully humiliates the victim by sending hurtful images, text messages, or emails about the victim. This form of bullying has grown with the recent trend of making memes. Memes are images containing a message meant to ridicule the victim. Denigration is another form of Cyberbullying; the bully attacks and tarnishes the victims through spreading false information about them. Impersonation is another form of Cyberbullying. The bully assumes the identity of another person with malicious intent. Clos ely related to this is outing where someone gains personal information about the victim using dishonest means such as impersonation. The bully then publicizes that information with the aim of humiliating the victim. We also have stalking which involves following the victim online in an unjustified way. As illustrated, Cyberbullying involves a myriad of activities taking place in the online space. These activities involve both passive and active participation by victims and bullies (InDirect)Causes of online bullyingOnline bullying may happen for several reasons. First, bullying by popular kids happens because they want to maintain their popularity (Donegan 35). Such people use bullying to validate their popularity. Often, this requires the support of backers and henchmen who remain on the sidelines cheering actively and passively as the bully brings down the victim. This kind of bullying is likely to target famous people since attacking them provides the bully with potential for att racting more attention. In addition to popularity, hurting others makes such people feel powerful. The more people they bully the more powerful they become. Taking on famous figures boosts the power of such bullies to even greater heights (NoBullying.com). The other group of online bullies is people who are less socially successful. This group forms the bulk of cyber bullies. They find solace in bullying as it helps them cope with their low self-esteem. Their objective is to fit in with their peers and bullying provides a chance to help them achieve this goal (InDirect). Cyberbullying requires even less courage than traditional forms of bullying. The internet with its anonymity helps people show their true colours. Cyber bullies might not be bullies in real life but since the internet provides them with anonymity, they take advantage of that to bully others (Donegan 37). Effects of CyberbullyingStudies have shown that bullying causes emotional damage to its victims though most of th ese victims find it difficult to admit it. In a study involving over 3000 students, researchers learnt that out of all bullying victims, 38% felt vengeful, 37% were angry, while 24% felt helpless. Another study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Centre using a sample size of 468 students drew almost similar conclusions. They found that out of all the female victims 39% felt frustrated, 36% felt angry and 25% felt sad about it, the males figures were 27%, 36% and 17% for each of those respective categories. Females seem to show high susceptibility to bullying than males. However, this is hardly surprising since males tend to admit emotional weakness less readily than their female counterparts do (Hinduja Patchin 1).Sociologist Robert Agnew developed the Great Strain Theory, which hypothesizes that victims of bullying can develop problematic emotions, which cause deviant behaviour. The victim goes through a vicious cycle and this can result to the victim developing antisocial be haviour as they try to process their emotions and find an outlet for their anger and frustration (Hinduja and Patchin 5). Bullying also takes a toll on the bully. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention report, over 60% of males with bullying tendencies between grade six and nine were later convicted of at least one crime in their adult life. This is in comparison to 23% of people who did not bully. Forty per cent of these former bullies got at least three conviction by the time they were age 24 years; this is in comparison to 10% of those who were not bullies (Donegan, 37). When bullies use bullying as a coping mechanism it leads to development of a vicious cycle for both the victim and the bully (Oleus 8). Evidently, bullying has a heavy toll on the society, the effects of this habit are long lasting, and some individuals feel the repercussions throughout their life. Cyberbullying and Legislation Though the effects of Cyberbullying are evident, the legal situation is not as clear-cut as the social situation. Freedom of speech receives such a high degree of importance that even law enforcers prefer to err on the side of caution than be seen as curtailing this very important right (Wiseman). The anonymity of the internet makes the situation even more challenging. Prosecuting faceless people would prove to be a tall order for law enforcers. Another challenge is lack of strong laws to address this situation. Even when cases of Cyberbullying are reported, the legal repercussions do not match the severity of the crimes committed (Donegan 38). Consider the case of New Jersey V Dharun Ravi, 2010 as narrated by NoBullying.com. In the summer of that year, Tyler Clementi started sharing that he was gay. Clementis roommate at Rutgers University was Dharun Ravi. One day Ravi used a webcam to stream footage of Clementi kissing another man. Ravi uploaded this video link online and instantly Clementi became the subject of ridicule within the campus. Due to this embarrassment, he committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. Less than a week later...

Eternal Freshness of the Flawless Poem Why Frosts Poetry Remains Vital - Literature Essay Samples

In Robert Frosts poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, from his book entitled New Hampshire, the poet descriptively evokes a bucolic New England winter ambience (which Frost knew quite intimately) and utilizes a simple narrative soliloquy centering around a rural traveler, who is Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, a commonly understood and easily identifiable situation. These textual choices are employed for the purpose of subtly and cleverly articulating and arriving upon large-scale existential conclusions regarding the human condition. In this poem, which is described by Elizabeth Sergeant as The most limpid and perfect of [Frosts] lyrics (249), and which was written, as the poet himself explained in one stroke of the pen (249), Frost utilizes language that is concurrently: simple and grandiose, surface-accessible and metaphorically rich, vague and specific, apathetic and emotion-laden, carefully articulated/witty and in laymans vernacular, and to the end, with flawless execution of what he describes as performance and prowess and feats of association. Frosts utilizes language that is highly ambiguous while simultaneously densely complex metaphorically or analogically. Lawrence Thompson describes these lyrical characteristics as New England reticence and fondness for understatement (123), and works to afford certain key words (i.e. promises, miles, and sleep) dualistic and distinct inner planes (123) of interpretation and connotation. Moreover, this structural methodology, while often making it difficult for the reader to assuredly arrive upon the authors original intent, enables each reader to unlock the metaphor, (123) so that they can establish their own personal connection to the text. It is this lyrical mastery that brings readers back to the works of the great poets of previous generations, despite the time differential. These successful lyrics and insights remain fresh upon countless readings, serving as existential master-narratives, and never appear anachronistic with regard to emotional intensity and verbal richness. The first three stanzas of Stopping by Woods alone, lend credence to the poets masterful descriptive lyrical sophistication, and do justice to the poets own famous remark on the subject of poetry, that Like a piece of ice on a hot stove the poem must ride on its own melting. However, the poems fourth stanza most brilliantly personifies Frosts fundamental essence, as the lines: The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. (13-16). masterfully articulate the poets subtle and complex emotional state and careful employment of wit that will forever keep [the poems] freshness as a metal keeps its fragrance, infusing Stopping by Woods with the essential ingredients to allow it to run by [its] own associational melting.Stopping by Woods, a poem written as if addressing an unacknowledged friend, appears to be, on the surface, a simple dramatic soliloquy. The speaker is traveling on horseback through an unidentified rural area on a snowy and dark winter evening and decides to pause to reflect upon his surroundings. In doing so, the speaker becomes enthralled with the lure of the natural world of the the woods [which] are lovely, dark and deep (13), and immediately is overcome with feelings of complacency and satisfaction upon being momentarily withdrawn from civilization. However, the speaker triumphs over this fascination with nature (for better or worse) and wills himself to continue to travel onwards, in spite of his inclination and desire to prolong his stay, as well as his likely physical and psychological fatigue. Frosts speakers situation amidst the snow-filled rural wood, a microcosm of the natural world from the poets New England vantage point, serves as a symbolic representation of a place of tranquil respite and escapism from the fast-paced and complex modern world. Ironically, wh ile the speaker seems to acquire moderate refuge from the daily concerns/responsibilities of the civilized world by Stopping by [the] Woods, his presence alone effectively acts to impose worldly or temporal concerns on the otherwise carefree and unimpeded natural world. This idea is evidenced by the speakers acknowledgement that the woods in which he currently views are someones private property, as he explains Whose woods these are I think I know. / His house is in the village; though; (1-2), and thus, like the speaker, the personified woods become subject to the whims and actions of humans. Structurally, Stopping by Woods comprises of four consistently iambic quatrain length stanzas of nearly identical construction. The rhyme scheme, A-A-B-A, B-B-C-B, C-C-D-C, D-D-D-D, is one in which the first, second, and fourth lines of each of the first three stanzas are end-rhymed, and the third lines final word determines the rhyme scheme for the next stanza. The final stanza follows the established format in that its end-rhymes are based on that of the final word of the previous stanza. However, the third line of the final stanza does not start an end-rhyme anew, but rather concludes the poem with an unimpeded continuation of the fourth stanzas end-rhymes. This somewhat peculiar rhyme scheme, in which the last word of the third line of the first three stanzas predicate[s] the three sounds which are to be repeated in the next stanza, thus interlocking stanza with stanza (Thompson, 84), serves to link the first three stanzas together to form one seamless entity. This pattern, in conjunction with Frosts scarce usage of punctuation in the first three stanzas, serves to drive the tempo of the poem, as well as to blend the stanzas into an interwoven surreal and dream-like fabric of descriptive imagery. The speakers fast-paced and fantastical tone abruptly changes, however, upon arrival at the fourth stanza, into a more deliberate hyperconscious characterization. Th is change is evidenced by the disjuncture resulting from the influx of punctuation in the line The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, by the end-stopping commas at the conclusion of the latter three lines, as well as by the repetition of the entirety of the penultimate line in the final line. Through these subtle syntactical techniques, the speaker symbolically arises to the realities of human existence, and is forced to deliberate the consequences of his decision. While the speaker takes pains with the implications of his choice to reintegrate himself into human society, he assures his audience that he will stay true to his promises. The poems final stanza, as well as the poems tone at large, perhaps alludes to the first stanza of a sonnet by Keats published in 1817, which reads:Keen, fitful gusts are whispring here and thereAmong the bushes half leafless, and dry;The stars look very cold about the sky,And I have many miles of Foot to fare (Sergeant, 251). In both quatrains, the s peakers describe losing their senses of reality amidst their respective nocturnal, bucolic surroundings. It is only after both speakers verbally assert the necessity of ambulating away from the dark woods that they are able to combat the lure of nature and continue on their journeys back to the civilized world. George Nitchie explains that human complications of responsibility and desire become poignant through their contrast with natures impersonal simplicity (22), as natures appeal lies in its serene ambience of carelessness and lack of responsibility. Thus, as the speaker gets caught up in watch[ing the] woods fill up with snow (4), the frozen lake (7), The darkest evening of the year (8), the sweep / Of easy wind and downy flake (12), etc., he seems to forget or at least is sidetracked from the world of social considerations and ethical complexity, the melancholy-engendered world of fallen man (91), as potently, though subtly and implicitly, encapsulated by the feelings provo ked in the poems final quatrain. The woods provide an illusory place of withdrawal from the complexity that has plagued human existence ever since the biblical times of Adam and Eve. They evoke in the speaker a sense of nostalgia for a time when mankind lived in harmony within the natural world, devoid of human concerns (i.e. in the Garden of Eden or even in childhood). The speaker soberly acknowledges his responsibilities to human society as captured by the subtly woeful tone of the line But I have promises to keep, (14) implying that practical considerations force him to practice self-restraint, and act against his inclinations to inhabit the woods. Furthermore, the utilization of a wintry landscape as evidenced by several references to the climate (the frozen lake, downy flake, the darkest evening of the year, etc.) bring to both the speakers as well as the readers attention the fact that absent shelter, the New England winter is not amenable to human habitation. Likewise, should the speaker fall asleep in these severe conditions, he will inevitably be subject to natures wrath, lacking food, shelter/warmth, companionship, etc, and possibly suffering a premature death. These aforementioned considerations, which are implicated by the word promises in the final stanza, result in the speakers arrival at the logical conclusion that he must forge ahead in spite of his strong emotional attachment to his surroundings. This decision, in light of the circumstances, highlights the speakers agency and ability to act against his natural inclinations and evidences mankinds ability to practice self-restraint. Nevertheless, Frosts repetition of And miles to go before I sleep, / And miles to go before I sleep. (15-16), begs the question of whether the speaker has, in fact, taken the proper road, as the final line casts doubt within the speakers mind on his decision, serving as a reinforcement of his now irreversible course of action. Nitchie articulates this conc ern very lucidly, as he, drawing on both Stopping by Woods and Reluctance, explains that these lyrical statements declareit treason of the heart to yield to necessity and compromise desire (162) given the speakers yearning nostalgia (163) and strong tendency towards habitation within the natural world. Frosts adroit ability to utilize language that is witty and metaphorically rich while at the same time vague and somewhat generalized in its definitive meaning serves to infuse his poetic texts with a sense of novelty and personal significance upon any number of readings and in any spatial or temporal context. In this essay, I have intended to express my personal response, upon several readings in relatively quick succession, to one of Frosts most famous and masterful poetic texts, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, so as to highlight some of the ways in which one of Frosts master works can be scrutinized. This type of poetic analysis can prove extremely gratifying to the reader , as unpacking the metaphoric and otherwise wit-infused language of a skilled poetic work resonates on a basic human level. Furthermore, this characteristic enables one to arrive upon a concept (or set) that can be usefully applied to ones own life, and which is fundamentally dynamic rather than static and thus, ultimately worthy of returning to at a later point, as it can never lose its sense of meaning that once unfolded by surprise as it went. BibliographyNitchie, George W., Human Values in the Poetry of Robert Frost. North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1960. Sergeant, Elizabeth S., The Trial by Existence. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960. Thompson, Lawrence, Fire and Ice: The Art and Thought of Robert Frost. New York: Russell and Russell, 1961.