In the video “Bullying The Amanda Todd Story” one can see several bullying types that a girl was subjected. First of all, it was cyberbullying, quite widespread type of bullying nowadays. Due to the fact that people have instant access to the internet and have mobile phones which can upload and download different content, it is extremely easy to expose someone in the internet, uploading pictures, videos, posts with provoking content. As it was with Amanda Todd, her private photos were exposed by her friend. Unfortunately, such cases of cyberbullying are quite common nowadays, and thousands of people can be hacked or simply tricked and their personal information could leak out in the internet. Cyberbullying is more severe and adverse than common bullying, due to the fact that a bully can be anonymous, and expose some information online for millions people, regardless of their location, making it an international bullying. Moreover, it is possible to say that the fact that cyberbullying does not require physical contact with a person, victims of bullying, particular physical abuse, can become bullies themselves, trying to revenge those people who make them cry, who beat them up, etc., thus, creating a never ending circle of bullying, where a bully becomes a victim, and a victim turns into a bully.
Another type of bullying was a common bullying with physical abuse. As Amanda wrote, she hooked up with a guy in her school, which had a girlfriend. Sometime later, his girlfriend physically attacked her in front of 50 people, who did not help her, but instead merely filmed everything. Posting it online, caused another portion of psychological trauma to a poor girl. Being exposed online by the video of her beating not only worsen the situation, but also made Amanda remember this moment forever, as it is known that everything that is posted online stays there forever – it is nearly impossible to delete a particular file or post as thousands of people can copy it, repost it, etc.
At the end, Amanda stated that she saw posts online, where people who witnessed her being beaten up, and particular girls who did this, wished that she was dead, which is another severe case of cyberbullying.
Undergoing such horrible experience, there were several consequences that Amanda experienced. First of all anxiety to go out, communicate with new people, and share a secret with a newly found friend. Most of victims of bullying show evidence of anxiety, as they are afraid to be open again to someone, thinking that they can be hurt. Unfortunately, as one can see, exactly such case scenario happened with Amanda – she decided to open up for a person, who crushed her hopes. By such action, Amanda tried to live from a fresh start, meeting new people, making new friends, etc. Unfortunately, her attempts were cruelly crushed.
Depression was second consequence for a girl. She started hurting herself – cutting, trying to inflict physical pain in order to avoid and forget about mental pain, which were caused by cruel people in this world. The fact that she avoided any physical or electronic contact with outside world was a great example of how stunned, confused, and hurt, both physically and mentally a young girl was (Amanda Todd's Story: Struggling, Bullying, Suicide, Self Harm, 2012). From that point it was clear that it would be difficult for Amanda to regain trust in humanity, and somehow cope with such horrible problems. Regardless of the fact that she changed several school, everywhere she had faced problems and was not able to find comforting, reliable, and decent friends who would support her in hard times. At the end, it is known that Amanda committed suicide, not able to cope with all problems and difficulties.
I believe that parents, teachers, and authorities should have punished those people who physically and mentally hurt Amanda, not as revenge, but to show that nobody would cause such damage without being punished; it would not have changed the situation, though. It is possible to state that it was essential to address the issue to people and show Amanda that there are plenty of people who care about her, love her, and are able to help her overcome any possible problem. Showing such support would be a beneficial for Amanda’s health and would improve her attitude toward the world.
Nowadays, the problem of bullying is take care of by authorities much seriously than it was several years ago. Due to the fact that the internet has become an incredibly dangerous place, people can be sure that any case of bullying can be filed, and used as evidence for authorities. Moreover, new policies and programs that tend to decrease amount of bullying in schools and outside its territory are perfect examples of how different the situation is now. I believe that teachers should analyze the situation within a school observing for possible harassments and bullying, and immediately report to parents and authorities, in order to prevent escalating the problem ("Prevent Bullying", 2016). Secondly, students should be informed than bullying is punished and can lead to expelling from an educational institution. Lastly, it is possible to state that educating students and promoting pro-social behavior is another way to reduce bullying cases.
Accordingly, the conclusion that can be drawn from the above is the fact that Amanda Todd story provides one with essential example on how various types of bullying can adversely affects one’s health condition, leading to suicide.
References
Amanda Todd's Story: Struggling, Bullying, Suicide, Self Harm. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej7afkypUsc
Prevent Bullying. (2016). Stopbullying.gov. Retrieved 14 May 2016, from http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/
