Bullying

From now on, I'll be posting about bullying here in dreamer_easy rather than at kateorman - probably about once a week. For health reasons, I'm taking a break, but I am adding links to this posting from time to time.

Help and hope:

Nothing ruins your life forever. NOTHING. After forty-two years of cock-ups and catastrophes, I can confirm it's true! :D

Coming out: gay friendly schools form rainbow alliance, SMH 20 October

Facebook Working with GLAAD to Stop Anti-Gay Bullying

bodlon: Spirit Day, and what 'better' looks like to me

kelemvor: It Gets Better

STOP Cyberbullying

Bad news for bullies:

Stalker served AVO via Facebook, SMH 20 October

( Long long way to go )

ETA in 2011:

Flaming drives online social networks, New Scientist 7 December 2010

Hate and the internet, Observer 12 December 2010

Five myths about bullying, Washington Post 30 December 2010

Parents take revenge on cyber bullies, SMH 4 February 2011

laughingrat on the privilege of staying calm: "The bully, asserting a power and authority he clearly has been trained to consider firmly his own, brutalizes the victim emotionally or physically. The bully, of course, does not get upset; the bully is happy. The bully is reaffirmed in his superiority. The victim, however, may well fall apart; she may well scream, sob, walk away, begin shaking, or retaliate physically or verbally. It is incredibly understandable for the victim to be triggered in such a situation, because her basic humanity, as well as her immediate happiness and calm, has been directly attacked. Nevertheless, as understandable--as rational--as triggering is in such a situation, and as irrational as cruelty is from the bully, it is the victim who gets labeled irrational, and gets told to 'control herself' and 'just not get upset.' The gross injustice and added irrationality of such a response from friends, peers, teachers, supervisors, police, etc. only adds to the victim's fear, anger, and wounding. It only causes further upset."

What happens when mean girls grow up?, Washington Post, 20 February 2011. "Indirect aggression was less acceptable to older women because it was no longer the norm. Seniors outgrow this behavior or at least have the ability to recognize it as juvenile."

Who is being so toxic on the net? And why?

netbullies.com has info and advice for parents.

How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock. "There's always some sap in the comments saying, 'This isn't funny, that's a real person with real feelings.' Well, yeah, but they aren't my feelings, so ... To show such concern on the Internet is a sign of weakness; it's called being "butthurt." Now I've found myself in the awkward position of being butthurt myself. I'm acting like troll bait, and it's an uncomfortable place to be."