High School Bullying: Society and the Media Continue to Ignore Bullies, and Forget Columbine
Thankfully, what might have been many repeats of Columbine have been avoided, thanks to higher awareness of student behavior and those who chose to report suspicious activity or messages posted on the internet that could have been deemed as foreshadowing a tragic event. Every so often, the media reports these events and usually manages to reference Columbine, almost gleefully reminding us of the horror of that day and warning us that our children are forever unsafe.
Since Columbine, there have been several occasions where guns and other weapons have been removed from students, and reports of students who were posting threatening messages or acting in a threatening or suspicious manner. In the wake of Columbine, we have been forced to adopt a zero-tolerance policy so that another Columbine does not take place.
Unfortunately, while we have mainly focused on those who might be inclined to perpetrate such a horrible deed, we have done little to examine the true factors as to why such a tragedy occurred in the first place.
The media has fostered the idea that music, violent video games, and violent movies are turning children in deadly monsters. They do this for several reasons, with ratings high on the list. But also because they realize that society needs a scapegoat, something or someone to blame. They realize that blaming these violent acts on video games or music with violent lyrics is more interesting than simply examining the family life of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
Instead, they falsely reported that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold belonged to some sort of gothic subculture, simply because they wore black clothing often. Society gobbled up the story as reported by the media and found new reasons to be alarmed for their children. They cast a suspicious eye on music and video games, and against anyone who might be associated with this ‘strange’ gothic culture.
The topic of people being influenced by violent video games, music and movies is a controversial one. On one hand, I do agree that such things can play an influential role in children when they are at a young age. But that is why there are ratings on these things, folks. Young children should not be exposed to such things, and it is the responsibility of the parents to ensure this. Unfortunately, we live in a society where we like to blame everyone and everything other then ourselves for things that transpire around us.
In regards to Columbine, I place the blame on the bullies and the parents of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. I found it somewhat disconcerting that there was very little investigation done into the family life of the two gunmen, something that often plays a large factor. And woefully, the bullying and harassment that pushed Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold over the edge still continues today in schools all across America.
And while the media shows daily footage of violence and reports on violent events across the globe, they also happily jump on any story in which they can lay blame for a tragedy upon violent games, movies, and cultures that mainstream society deems as weird or frightening. The media, along with censorship groups and other advocates against violent movies, love to blame violent movies for some of society’s ills and the behavior of our children. But what about the incidents where young children injured themselves thinking they could fly after watching Superman or Peter Pan? Should these movies be banned as well?
I recall a news report where a high school teen was injured after lying down in a street while traffic rushed by, after viewing a similar scene in a movie. The movie was subsequently blamed by the media and the parents and much of society for influencing the teenager. While I can understand how a small child might be easily influenced by scenes of flying children in a Peter Pan cartoon, when you reach a certain age, you are expected to have a certain level of intelligence. The movie should not have been blamed for the teenagers stupidity, the blame lays squarely on the teenager himself, who should have known better. And perhaps some of that blame can be attributed to his parents, who should have taught him better.
In no way do I condone the actions of Eric and Dylan, but I do understand them. To be a victim of high school bullying can have long-lasting effects on a person’s psyche. I myself was a victim of bullying from grade school through early high school. I myself often wore black, but I was not part of the gothic culture. I listened to the same music that Dylan and Eric were reported to have listened to, and I played the same video games. I watched hundreds of horror and violent action movies. And while I may have hated many of the people in school who for some reason found me an easy target for bullying, I never invaded my school with an arsenal, intent on causing bloody mayhem.
I place the reason for this solely upon my family life. I grew up in a good family, and while they may not have understood what I was going through on an almost daily basis for 10 years, thanks to them, I knew the difference between right and wrong, and between fantasy and reality. I am very proud of the person I am now, and I believe I am who I am because of the experiences of my past, as well as my family life.
Had I grown up differently, I could have easily been pushed over the edge just like Dylan and Eric. And now thousands of children across America are facing the same challenges. Thousands of children who do belong to the gothic culture, which, in a nutshell, is simply a different style of dress and a fondness for a different type of music, are being harassed, threatened, bullied and picked on, courtesy of the media who all but represented them as crazed killers who could snap at any moment. And others who have simply found themselves as targets for bullies are being subjected to daily torture, harassment, and embarrassment, and each day of this threatens to push them closer to a breaking point.
While it is all well and good that we have adopted a zero-tolerance for behavior that may be indicative of another Columbine incident, we need to also adopt a zero-tolerance attitude towards bullying in general. Not enough is being done to educate children on how their bullying actions and behavior can lead to tragic consequences. Many children simply do not have the capacity to understand how their harmful words and actions can effect another. They need to be taught to better understand one another and respect one another. And they need to be subsequently reprimanded and punished if they continue with their bullying. We should not have to wait for another Columbine to take the concept of bullying more seriously.
I don’t profess to have the answers as to how to go about implementing what may very well be an impossible task. I just know that it is a major problem that deserves our attention. While the media plays the blame game with movies and music, we need to also find fault with the bullies and the families and seek to curb this negative behavior. Only then will tragedies like Columbine be a thing of the past, rather than another possible future.
