Bowling for Columbine Michael Moore Documentary - 2207 Words

Is it the bowling? It must be the Video games? Michael Moore’s award winning documentary; ‘Bowling for Columbine’ explores the reason for the violence in America and the reason for the Columbine High school mascara. In April 1999 two students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a shooting rampage killing 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide, Moore looks at the background in which the massacre took place and assumptions about related issues. Moore uses Bill Nichols’ four modes of representation; the interactive, expository, observational and reflexive to convey his viewpoint on gun control in America and the nature of violence in the United States of America. Interactive mode is when the audience is able to acknowledge the†¦show more content†¦By opening the movie with a picture of the NRA and a voice over it is setting a tone and conveying Moore’s strong viewpoint that the NRA are part to blame for the violence in Littleton and the Columbine Incident, it is also indicating the NRA is going to be something of a target in the film. The next major use of expository mode is when Moore gives us a look into American history by showing a montage of different war and political images from 1953-2001. Typewriter font directly addresses the viewer and gives meaning to the images. For example a picture of a dead man has little meaning, but with the text 1965-1975: American Military kills’ 4 million people in Southeast Asia the viewer is able to make sense of the footage. Another documentary technique used is the use of non-diagetic music; a song by Joey Ramone ‘What a wonderful world’ adds to the mood of the scene. Ramone is singing about a wonderful world as audiences are viewing contrasting pictures of war and killing this creates a dramatic effect leaving the audience question ‘Is this a wonderful world, with all this killing?’ This emphasises Moores viewpoint on how American has been a society of fear for centuries. Another effective voice over is after three and aShow MoreRelatedMichael Moore s Bowling For Columbine Essay1495 Words   |  6 PagesWhen Michael Moore first created the documentary, â€Å"Bowling for Columbine†, in 2002 he not only wanted to raise awareness around the tragedy that was the Columbine Massacre, but wanted to look beyond that and dig deep into finding out the political events that led up to this tragic event. Michael Moore wanted to seek to investigate and confront leading, powerful politicians for allowing this violent culture to worsen for their own benefit through creating this documentary. It is clear that Moore lovesRead MoreMovie Analysis : Bowling For Columbine 1667 Words   |  7 PagesDocumentary Response | English Communications | Line 1†¨Bowling For Columbine Review | Madeline Clarke A compelling documentary about the controversial issues of gun culture, violence, war and the media’s role in promoting fear within communities, Michael Moore’s Bowling For Columbine presents a range of modern day issues within American society. By merging together a variety of different film techniques within news reports, statistics, ironic and tense stunts and interviews, the documentary investigatesRead MoreBowling for Columbine767 Words   |  4 Pages1999 at Columbine High School, Colorado, Two students: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebald stormed the school grounds with two semi-automatic rifles and home made explosives, killing 12 students and a teacher, as well as injuring 21 others. The pair then committed suicide. This event was the inspiration for Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling For Columbine. In this film he tackles the issue of gun control in America and why they are so different to other countries around the world. Bowling for ColumbineRead MoreHow Bowling for Columbine Is Bias Essay779 Words   |  4 PagesBowling for Columbine: A Narrow View of a Complicated Story The Biased viewpoint of Michael Moore tears viewers away from the actual problem, and perhaps even the film’s intended message itself†¦ Alexi Heazle The idea of a documentary being an artistic or even personalised expression of a director is long gone, or so it seems in recent times. In Michael Moore’s latest documentary, Bowling for Columbine, he attempts to get across to viewers his, and essentially only his point of viewRead MoreAnalysis Of Bowling For Columbine1112 Words   |  5 PagesMichael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine (2002) is a documentary exploring America’s predilection for gun violence with a focus on the Columbine High School massacre of 1999. Moore investigates the background and environment where the massacre took place. Additionally, the documentary presents common public opinions and assumptions about related issues. Within the documentary, Moore uses archival footage of gun violence, pro-gun and anti-gun rallies, and news media footage – often with this being expressedRead MoreAnalysis Of Bowling For Columbine1215 Words   |  5 Pagessomething very powerful and something to be addressed for Americans. In the documentary Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore discusses this very issue. By traveling the the United States as well as Canada, he pieces together America’s fascination with guns and how it relates to tragedies like that of the Columbine shooting, and many others. In other words, Moore’s Bowling for Columbine is a powerful and thought provoking documentary through its use of comedic satire, emotional value, and Moore’s use ofRead MoreHow Michael Moore Makes His Arguments in Bowling for Columbine666 Words   |  3 PagesHow Michael Moore Makes His Arguments in Bowling for Columbine Michael Moore in his latest documentary, Bowling for Columbine, has aimed his camera directly between the eyes of our American culture. Using the school shootings of 1999 in Columbine and Flint as a starting point, Moore documents the fear and hypocrisy that has come to define this American culture. Im going to avoid discussion of the specific material presented in this moving film; I feel no need to reinventRead MoreMovie Analysis : Bowling For Columbine3206 Words   |  13 Pageser the the years the documentary genre has been seen to have evolved and as to has the definition of a documentary. A documentary is an informative, non-fiction genre that presents the idea of ‘reality’ to audience members and relates to the idea of a text having common elements of which the audience can relate and identify. In the documentary, â€Å"Bowling for Columbine† directed by Michael Moore (2002), we as an audience follow Moore as he explores America’s violent history and whilst making us moreRead MoreBowling for Columbine by Michael Moore743 Words   |  3 PagesDocumentaries are usually boring, just spitting facts at the viewers. Not Michael Moore’s â€Å"Bowling For Columbine,† this film was very different from any other documentary. It was not simply facts, instead Moore took a different approach to get the attention of the less informed. Lear ning a lot throughout the film, it would be a great recommendation for anyone looking to learn about the gun accessibility and violence within America. In this documentary, Moore begins by showing how easy it is toRead MoreThe Truth Behind The Columbine Shooting1240 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica’s star detective Michael Moore has done it again! In this edition, he uncovers the truth behind the Columbine shooting, and exposes the â€Å"real† menaces of America’s society. Or this is what we are led to believe†¦ The Columbine Shooting has solidified itself as a tragic event in America’s past, and was a real wake-up call to the nation’s age-old gun problem. Michael Moore looks into this issue and decides it provides a great premise for his next documentary, his next crusade to flush out the

The Portrayal Of African American Women - 1046 Words

Jazmin Avalos WGS 321 – Outline Assignment Outline for Chapter 4 Thesis: The portrayal of African American women as stereotypical mammies, matriarchs, welfare recipients, and hot mommas helps justify U.S. Black women’s oppression. Outline: 1. The objectification of black women as the other a. Advocating the imagery of U.S. Black women as the Other provides ideological thinking justification for race, gender, and class oppression. (Page 77) i. Binary thinking shapes understandings of human difference. Objectification is central to this process of oppositional thinking. b. Culture is defined as the opposite of an objectified nature. (Page 78) i. Defining people of color as less human, animalistic, or more â€Å"natural† denies African peoples subjectivity and supports the political economy of domination that characterized slavery, colonialism, and neocolonialism. c. Domination always involves attempts to objectify the subordinate group. (Page 78) i. The treatment of U.S. Black women domestic workers objectifies them as if they were animals or mules, represents one form of objectification. d. Oppositional binaries rarely represent different but equal relationships, they are inherently unstable. (Page 78) i. The foundations of intersecting oppressions become grounded in interdependent concepts of binary thinking, oppositional difference, objectification, and social hierarchy. 2. Controlling images and black women’s oppression. a. The dominant ideology of the slave era fosteredShow MoreRelatedPortrayal Of African American Women1538 Words   |  7 Pages Women have long been negatively stereotyped in American society, usually portrayed as submissive and passive while at the same time seen as disobedient and pushy. These contradictory representations are doubly imposed upon Black women. For example, there are common stereotypes ascribed particularly to African American women, such as the â€Å"promiscuous jezebel†. This stereotype, which evolved during slavery, continues to exist and still contributes to the harassment of African American women todayRead MorePortrayal And Demeanor Of African American Women On Television3281 Words   |  14 Pagesof the portrayal and demeanor of African American women on television. Using current African American dominated shows that attract viewers such as â€Å"Love and Hip Hop†, â€Å"Real House Wives† and â€Å"The Bad Girls Club†, Samuels came to the conclusion that these shows use black women to justify the stereotype of the â€Å"angry black woman†. Although D onald Trump’s show â€Å"Celebrity Apprentice† is not an African American dominated show, Samuels uses it as an introductory and perfect example that black women are usedRead MoreAdvertising Bigotry: the Foundation888 Words   |  4 Pagesideals of American society incorporated numerous stereotypes that even today cause detrimental effects within our infrastructure. The lasting belief of women and African Americans’ inferiority and its harrowing portrayal in advertisements originates from the very distant past. Seemingly from the beginning of time, women all over the world were viewed as lesser individuals therefore they received lesser roles in their society. Since the 18th century, when America first began colonization, women were expectedRead MoreEssay on Portrayal of Black Women in Media1635 Words   |  7 PagesThe Portrayal of African-American Women in Media The stereotypical misrepresentations of African-American women and men in popular culture have influenced societal views of Blacks for centuries. The typical stereotypes about Black women range from the smiling, a sexual and often obese Mammy to the promiscuous Jezebel who lures men with her sexual charms. However, the loud, smart mouthed, neck-rolling Black welfare mother is the popular image on reality television. These images portrayed in mediaRead MoreAnalysis Of Blaxploitation Films : A New Step For The Hollywood Film Industry From 1968 Till1623 Words   |  7 PagesPermissiveness and conceptual incongruity in Blaxploitation films concerning the shaping and portrayal of the female character exemplified in the works of Pam Grier. A new step for the Hollywood film industry from 1968 till nowadays is the creation of the MPAA film rating system. Ever since the erasure of the production code of the Classic Hollywood era, and filmmakers’ realisation that they do not need the seal of approval, it has become possible to show or tell anything on screen. Film genresRead MoreStereotypes And Stereotypes Of African Americans Essay1468 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican Americans have been represented in the media with harmful stereotypes which were founded in the slavery era (Cartier, 2014)(Carpenter, 2012). This negative representation invites bias from those who accept the images, the distortion of which is accentuated by both sexism and racism. Black women are the least represented group in cinema, making it easier to rely on stereotypes which encourage societal bias. From these stereotypes, like the Jezebel and Sapphire, stem the â€Å"real world† stereotypesRead MoreAnalysis Of Inuyasha And Othello 1373 Words   |  6 Pagesof evil, suspicion, wonder, exoticism and fear which gives small glimpses into the far-reaching effects of blackness embedded in Japan today. InuYasha and the portrayals of blackness in other anime like it, encouraged me to wonder about the effects subversive historical conceptualizations of blackness have on portrayals of African Americans. I began this study with a memory from my adolescents to implicate the importance of understanding â€Å"blackness† in contemporary Japanese culture, which grants conflictingRead MoreThe Stereotypes Of African American Females Essay1575 Words   |  7 Pagesnegative, African American females have to deal with these on a daily basis. Stereotypes often influence the way people view themselves and the way others view them. These are represented in American media, such as commercials and other advertisements. Reflection on Experience After watching one hundred commercials, I found that African American females are represented in 23% of the advertisements, which is a low frequency. According to the United States Census Bureau, African American females accountRead MoreRacial Segregation And Popular Culture1676 Words   |  7 Pages The unreliable generalizations and disturbing portrayals of members in a racial group contribute to the justification of unequal treatment in various systems that impact people in the society negatively. Racial biases exist unconsciously in our attitudes. This leads to actions that are negatively interpreted in our cultures and diffuse in the media, which in turn, form prejudice and discrimination that structure systems to target minority groups. The two most frequent racial stereotypes in culturalRead MoreThe General Public s View Of African American Athletes Essay1184 Words   |  5 PagesFor my future study I would like to research how these articles effects the general public’s view of African American athletes. I would do this by surveying groups of classrooms, students around campus, and showing them athletes. I would show them both African American athletes and White Athletes. I would ask them how they feel about these athletes, why they feel this way about them, and w hat have they heard about them in the media. After collecting this data, and gathering my conclusion from it

The Blame Game- Who Is Responsible for the Bully free essay sample

The Blame Game- Who is Responsible for the Bully? Abstract You hear the sad stories on your local and even national news, kids who pay the ultimate price for being the victim of bullying, death. Many stories gain nationwide popularity like the story of Jamey Rodemeyer, an openly gay fourteen year old who hanged himself due to the torment he could no longer take from his bullies. Another infamous story is that of Florida teen Seath Jackson, who was brutally beaten and shot to death by his tormentors all because his ex-girlfriend had a new boyfriend who didn’t like him. Hearing stories like these often makes people wonder if there wasn’t more that could have been done to stop the bullies’ behaviors. It’s not just the bully themselves who is responsible for their actions. Many say it is the school teachers and official’s duty to notice a problem and report it. While this is true and in most cases they do, schools can only see and do so much. Parents and a child’s home life have the most influence over children’s behavior. Most children bully others because it’s a learned behavior and they are repeating actions they have learned in their own homes. Although it’s often difficult for them to admit, parents need to recognize their responsibilities in raising a bully and take a proactive approach towards stopping bully behavior in children and teens. The Blame Game- Who is Responsible for the Bully? Almost every time you turn on CNN or Fox News you hear about another heartbreaking incident of bullying. They are usually horrific stories mainly focused on the victims. Many of these tragic stories gain nationwide exposure like the suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer. A fourteen year old who was found hanged in his parents’ West New York home in 2009. The news reported that the openly gay teen committed â€Å"bullycide† because he couldnt take the constant bullying and anti-gay remarks he received from his classmates. Thats not even the worst part. After Rodemeyer’s death, his sixteen year old sister was even harassed for her brother’s sexuality. While attending her school prom the bullies yelled anti-gay slurs at her and even said her brother was better off dead. Its sad that even death couldnt stop Rodemeyer’s bullying. The murder of Florida teen Seath Jackson is another example of a gut wrenching story and how heartless and cruel kids can be. After a text message from his ex-girlfriend lured the teen over to her home, sixteen year old Jackson was greeted by a group of five of his peers. The group included his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend who, prior to this incident, had been open about his hatred towards Jackson many times around their peers. When Jackson arrived at his ex’s home, the teens immediately struck him in the head, shot him multiple times and broke his knee caps in an attempt to squeeze his body into a sleeping bag. Once they heard Jackson moan the teens realized he wasnt dead, so they shot him again, this time in the head. They then took him out back and burned his body in the back yard and scrapped his ashes into paint cans to try to cover up the murder. Jackson died senselessly because his ex-girlfriends and her new boyfriend didn’t like him. These horrific stories of bullying lead many to want to place blame on someone for the bullys actions. Of course, the child should be held accountable for their actions however; they are still children themselves and learned to behave so cruelly from someone. In the sue happy society we live in today, parents of the victims are looking to place blame on more than just the child. It’s obvious school officials and teachers play a role in preventing bullying. According to D. DAmico (2011), more schools are increasing their responsibilities in the fight against bullying by attempting to directly deal with the bully and their behavior. Most states have an anti-bully law in effect which makes it mandatory for schools to have a Bully Policy in effect. This means, most schools have an appointed person or coordinator to deal with any reported bullying directly. This is usually done by the school launching an investigation of the reported of bullying. If the investigation finds that the child was indeed bullying a peer, the school while mandate counseling for both the bully and the victim, as well as contact both parties’ parents. While there are cases where this type of prevention has been effective, Kalman (2009), argues that the schools anti-bullying policies make the victim of the bully look like a snitch. He also reports that the bully usually feels angrier, not remorseful, towards the victim for getting him or her into trouble. Another fault in attempting to place responsibility on the school is time and class size. While teachers may notice and report a problem with a bully, they simply cannot concentrate all their time and effort on disciplining and refereeing the bully when they can have up to twenty other students at a time that they are responsible for. Teachers and school officials only have a portion of the day to work with the child or teen who is displaying the bully behavior. They can only do so much. They cant monitor what the bully does when the school bell rings and they leave school property, or what type of environment or rules that child has at home. Many factors can determine why a child becomes a bully. Marano (1995), admits mental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Emotional Disorder (ED) can lead to aggression and bully behavior, these factors are not usually the main reason why children become bullies. In most cases the bully displays learned behaviors from the home. Children who bully or have violent behavior are often just repeating what they see in their home life. In other words, bullies are made not born. (Marano, 1995, para. 25). If most bully behavior is learned, then we must place the responsibility on the parents to teach their children the correct and appropriate way to behave and treat others. As difficult as it may be for a parent to hear that their child is a bully, it’s even harder for parents to take a good look at their home life and realize they may be contributing to the child’s behavior problems. It’s imperative that parents take action and responsibility to correct their child’s behavior. Some of the parents of the attackers in the Seath Jackson murder blamed violent video games for their children’s horrible actions. While its true, kids these days have easy access to violent video games and movies, it a poor excuse for a parent to try and blame their child’s behavior on violent entertainment when ultimately, the parent should have control over what their child is watching or the video games they play. If that is going to be their excuse and their child displays negative or violent behavior as a result of the violent entertainment they are watching, then the parents are just as responsible for their child’s actions. Maybe if those parents would have kept a closer eye on the things their kids watched, Seath Jackson would still be here today. The sad truth is, the attackers in the Seath Jackson case probably learned their violent behavior from their home environment, not the television. All though the bully themselves needs to be held accountable for their actions, according to Ross (1996), parents also need to take an active role in modifying their childs bully behavior. Bullies often use name calling as one of their favorite forms to pick on their peers. Parents need to be cognitive of the language they use in the home. This is especially true for young children who are very impressionable because of their young age. Parents who use gay or racial slurs around their children teach them to notice and single out others who may be different by using those inappropriate types of slurs. Parents have a huge impact on their child’s behavior and it is their parental duty to recognize if their child is a bully and take the appropriate measures to correct their child’s behavior. Anger management, family counseling or seeking professional psychological help are a few options for families to work together to address their child behavior issues. (Health Refrence Center Academic, 2011). The more parents and society recognize the importance of correcting child’s bully behavior in the home and at an early age, the less we will hear of cases like Jamey Rodemeyer and Seath Jackson. Parents cannot just sit back and use the excuse that their childs bully behavior is a phase or is a result of media violence. The fact is, bully behavior is learned, which can be good news because that means it can be easily prevented. Parents need to have a proactive approach in teaching their kids how to empathize with their peers, treat others with respect, and most importantly, set a good example for their children in the home. References D’Amico, D. (2011, August 12). https://www.psychologytoday.com/

The Blame Game- Who Is Responsible for the Bully free essay sample

The Blame Game- Who is Responsible for the Bully? Abstract You hear the sad stories on your local and even national news, kids who pay the ultimate price for being the victim of bullying, death. Many stories gain nationwide popularity like the story of Jamey Rodemeyer, an openly gay fourteen year old who hanged himself due to the torment he could no longer take from his bullies. Another infamous story is that of Florida teen Seath Jackson, who was brutally beaten and shot to death by his tormentors all because his ex-girlfriend had a new boyfriend who didn’t like him. Hearing stories like these often makes people wonder if there wasn’t more that could have been done to stop the bullies’ behaviors. It’s not just the bully themselves who is responsible for their actions. Many say it is the school teachers and official’s duty to notice a problem and report it. While this is true and in most cases they do, schools can only see and do so much. Parents and a child’s home life have the most influence over children’s behavior. Most children bully others because it’s a learned behavior and they are repeating actions they have learned in their own homes. Although it’s often difficult for them to admit, parents need to recognize their responsibilities in raising a bully and take a proactive approach towards stopping bully behavior in children and teens. The Blame Game- Who is Responsible for the Bully? Almost every time you turn on CNN or Fox News you hear about another heartbreaking incident of bullying. They are usually horrific stories mainly focused on the victims. Many of these tragic stories gain nationwide exposure like the suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer. A fourteen year old who was found hanged in his parents’ West New York home in 2009. The news reported that the openly gay teen committed â€Å"bullycide† because he couldnt take the constant bullying and anti-gay remarks he received from his classmates. Thats not even the worst part. After Rodemeyer’s death, his sixteen year old sister was even harassed for her brother’s sexuality. While attending her school prom the bullies yelled anti-gay slurs at her and even said her brother was better off dead. Its sad that even death couldnt stop Rodemeyer’s bullying. The murder of Florida teen Seath Jackson is another example of a gut wrenching story and how heartless and cruel kids can be. After a text message from his ex-girlfriend lured the teen over to her home, sixteen year old Jackson was greeted by a group of five of his peers. The group included his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend who, prior to this incident, had been open about his hatred towards Jackson many times around their peers. When Jackson arrived at his ex’s home, the teens immediately struck him in the head, shot him multiple times and broke his knee caps in an attempt to squeeze his body into a sleeping bag. Once they heard Jackson moan the teens realized he wasnt dead, so they shot him again, this time in the head. They then took him out back and burned his body in the back yard and scrapped his ashes into paint cans to try to cover up the murder. Jackson died senselessly because his ex-girlfriends and her new boyfriend didn’t like him. These horrific stories of bullying lead many to want to place blame on someone for the bullys actions. Of course, the child should be held accountable for their actions however; they are still children themselves and learned to behave so cruelly from someone. In the sue happy society we live in today, parents of the victims are looking to place blame on more than just the child. It’s obvious school officials and teachers play a role in preventing bullying. According to D. DAmico (2011), more schools are increasing their responsibilities in the fight against bullying by attempting to directly deal with the bully and their behavior. Most states have an anti-bully law in effect which makes it mandatory for schools to have a Bully Policy in effect. This means, most schools have an appointed person or coordinator to deal with any reported bullying directly. This is usually done by the school launching an investigation of the reported of bullying. If the investigation finds that the child was indeed bullying a peer, the school while mandate counseling for both the bully and the victim, as well as contact both parties’ parents. While there are cases where this type of prevention has been effective, Kalman (2009), argues that the schools anti-bullying policies make the victim of the bully look like a snitch. He also reports that the bully usually feels angrier, not remorseful, towards the victim for getting him or her into trouble. Another fault in attempting to place responsibility on the school is time and class size. While teachers may notice and report a problem with a bully, they simply cannot concentrate all their time and effort on disciplining and refereeing the bully when they can have up to twenty other students at a time that they are responsible for. Teachers and school officials only have a portion of the day to work with the child or teen who is displaying the bully behavior. They can only do so much. They cant monitor what the bully does when the school bell rings and they leave school property, or what type of environment or rules that child has at home. Many factors can determine why a child becomes a bully. Marano (1995), admits mental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Emotional Disorder (ED) can lead to aggression and bully behavior, these factors are not usually the main reason why children become bullies. In most cases the bully displays learned behaviors from the home. Children who bully or have violent behavior are often just repeating what they see in their home life. In other words, bullies are made not born. (Marano, 1995, para. 25). If most bully behavior is learned, then we must place the responsibility on the parents to teach their children the correct and appropriate way to behave and treat others. As difficult as it may be for a parent to hear that their child is a bully, it’s even harder for parents to take a good look at their home life and realize they may be contributing to the child’s behavior problems. It’s imperative that parents take action and responsibility to correct their child’s behavior. Some of the parents of the attackers in the Seath Jackson murder blamed violent video games for their children’s horrible actions. While its true, kids these days have easy access to violent video games and movies, it a poor excuse for a parent to try and blame their child’s behavior on violent entertainment when ultimately, the parent should have control over what their child is watching or the video games they play. If that is going to be their excuse and their child displays negative or violent behavior as a result of the violent entertainment they are watching, then the parents are just as responsible for their child’s actions. Maybe if those parents would have kept a closer eye on the things their kids watched, Seath Jackson would still be here today. The sad truth is, the attackers in the Seath Jackson case probably learned their violent behavior from their home environment, not the television. All though the bully themselves needs to be held accountable for their actions, according to Ross (1996), parents also need to take an active role in modifying their childs bully behavior. Bullies often use name calling as one of their favorite forms to pick on their peers. Parents need to be cognitive of the language they use in the home. This is especially true for young children who are very impressionable because of their young age. Parents who use gay or racial slurs around their children teach them to notice and single out others who may be different by using those inappropriate types of slurs. Parents have a huge impact on their child’s behavior and it is their parental duty to recognize if their child is a bully and take the appropriate measures to correct their child’s behavior. Anger management, family counseling or seeking professional psychological help are a few options for families to work together to address their child behavior issues. (Health Refrence Center Academic, 2011). The more parents and society recognize the importance of correcting child’s bully behavior in the home and at an early age, the less we will hear of cases like Jamey Rodemeyer and Seath Jackson. Parents cannot just sit back and use the excuse that their childs bully behavior is a phase or is a result of media violence. The fact is, bully behavior is learned, which can be good news because that means it can be easily prevented. Parents need to have a proactive approach in teaching their kids how to empathize with their peers, treat others with respect, and most importantly, set a good example for their children in the home. References D’Amico, D. (2011, August 12). https://www.psychologytoday.com/

The Blame Game- Who Is Responsible for the Bully free essay sample

The Blame Game- Who is Responsible for the Bully? Abstract You hear the sad stories on your local and even national news, kids who pay the ultimate price for being the victim of bullying, death. Many stories gain nationwide popularity like the story of Jamey Rodemeyer, an openly gay fourteen year old who hanged himself due to the torment he could no longer take from his bullies. Another infamous story is that of Florida teen Seath Jackson, who was brutally beaten and shot to death by his tormentors all because his ex-girlfriend had a new boyfriend who didn’t like him. Hearing stories like these often makes people wonder if there wasn’t more that could have been done to stop the bullies’ behaviors. It’s not just the bully themselves who is responsible for their actions. Many say it is the school teachers and official’s duty to notice a problem and report it. While this is true and in most cases they do, schools can only see and do so much. Parents and a child’s home life have the most influence over children’s behavior. Most children bully others because it’s a learned behavior and they are repeating actions they have learned in their own homes. Although it’s often difficult for them to admit, parents need to recognize their responsibilities in raising a bully and take a proactive approach towards stopping bully behavior in children and teens. The Blame Game- Who is Responsible for the Bully? Almost every time you turn on CNN or Fox News you hear about another heartbreaking incident of bullying. They are usually horrific stories mainly focused on the victims. Many of these tragic stories gain nationwide exposure like the suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer. A fourteen year old who was found hanged in his parents’ West New York home in 2009. The news reported that the openly gay teen committed â€Å"bullycide† because he couldnt take the constant bullying and anti-gay remarks he received from his classmates. Thats not even the worst part. After Rodemeyer’s death, his sixteen year old sister was even harassed for her brother’s sexuality. While attending her school prom the bullies yelled anti-gay slurs at her and even said her brother was better off dead. Its sad that even death couldnt stop Rodemeyer’s bullying. The murder of Florida teen Seath Jackson is another example of a gut wrenching story and how heartless and cruel kids can be. After a text message from his ex-girlfriend lured the teen over to her home, sixteen year old Jackson was greeted by a group of five of his peers. The group included his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend who, prior to this incident, had been open about his hatred towards Jackson many times around their peers. When Jackson arrived at his ex’s home, the teens immediately struck him in the head, shot him multiple times and broke his knee caps in an attempt to squeeze his body into a sleeping bag. Once they heard Jackson moan the teens realized he wasnt dead, so they shot him again, this time in the head. They then took him out back and burned his body in the back yard and scrapped his ashes into paint cans to try to cover up the murder. Jackson died senselessly because his ex-girlfriends and her new boyfriend didn’t like him. These horrific stories of bullying lead many to want to place blame on someone for the bullys actions. Of course, the child should be held accountable for their actions however; they are still children themselves and learned to behave so cruelly from someone. In the sue happy society we live in today, parents of the victims are looking to place blame on more than just the child. It’s obvious school officials and teachers play a role in preventing bullying. According to D. DAmico (2011), more schools are increasing their responsibilities in the fight against bullying by attempting to directly deal with the bully and their behavior. Most states have an anti-bully law in effect which makes it mandatory for schools to have a Bully Policy in effect. This means, most schools have an appointed person or coordinator to deal with any reported bullying directly. This is usually done by the school launching an investigation of the reported of bullying. If the investigation finds that the child was indeed bullying a peer, the school while mandate counseling for both the bully and the victim, as well as contact both parties’ parents. While there are cases where this type of prevention has been effective, Kalman (2009), argues that the schools anti-bullying policies make the victim of the bully look like a snitch. He also reports that the bully usually feels angrier, not remorseful, towards the victim for getting him or her into trouble. Another fault in attempting to place responsibility on the school is time and class size. While teachers may notice and report a problem with a bully, they simply cannot concentrate all their time and effort on disciplining and refereeing the bully when they can have up to twenty other students at a time that they are responsible for. Teachers and school officials only have a portion of the day to work with the child or teen who is displaying the bully behavior. They can only do so much. They cant monitor what the bully does when the school bell rings and they leave school property, or what type of environment or rules that child has at home. Many factors can determine why a child becomes a bully. Marano (1995), admits mental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Emotional Disorder (ED) can lead to aggression and bully behavior, these factors are not usually the main reason why children become bullies. In most cases the bully displays learned behaviors from the home. Children who bully or have violent behavior are often just repeating what they see in their home life. In other words, bullies are made not born. (Marano, 1995, para. 25). If most bully behavior is learned, then we must place the responsibility on the parents to teach their children the correct and appropriate way to behave and treat others. As difficult as it may be for a parent to hear that their child is a bully, it’s even harder for parents to take a good look at their home life and realize they may be contributing to the child’s behavior problems. It’s imperative that parents take action and responsibility to correct their child’s behavior. Some of the parents of the attackers in the Seath Jackson murder blamed violent video games for their children’s horrible actions. While its true, kids these days have easy access to violent video games and movies, it a poor excuse for a parent to try and blame their child’s behavior on violent entertainment when ultimately, the parent should have control over what their child is watching or the video games they play. If that is going to be their excuse and their child displays negative or violent behavior as a result of the violent entertainment they are watching, then the parents are just as responsible for their child’s actions. Maybe if those parents would have kept a closer eye on the things their kids watched, Seath Jackson would still be here today. The sad truth is, the attackers in the Seath Jackson case probably learned their violent behavior from their home environment, not the television. All though the bully themselves needs to be held accountable for their actions, according to Ross (1996), parents also need to take an active role in modifying their childs bully behavior. Bullies often use name calling as one of their favorite forms to pick on their peers. Parents need to be cognitive of the language they use in the home. This is especially true for young children who are very impressionable because of their young age. Parents who use gay or racial slurs around their children teach them to notice and single out others who may be different by using those inappropriate types of slurs. Parents have a huge impact on their child’s behavior and it is their parental duty to recognize if their child is a bully and take the appropriate measures to correct their child’s behavior. Anger management, family counseling or seeking professional psychological help are a few options for families to work together to address their child behavior issues. (Health Refrence Center Academic, 2011). The more parents and society recognize the importance of correcting child’s bully behavior in the home and at an early age, the less we will hear of cases like Jamey Rodemeyer and Seath Jackson. Parents cannot just sit back and use the excuse that their childs bully behavior is a phase or is a result of media violence. The fact is, bully behavior is learned, which can be good news because that means it can be easily prevented. Parents need to have a proactive approach in teaching their kids how to empathize with their peers, treat others with respect, and most importantly, set a good example for their children in the home. References D’Amico, D. (2011, August 12). https://www.psychologytoday.com/