1. Vocabulary from the Book

English 2009 Destroying Avalon

The effects of cyber bullying Tarra Vidler English 2009 E

n Destroying Avalon 2

1. Vocabulary from the book:

Conspicuous: 1. easily or clearly visible. 2. Attracting attention.

Façade: 1. the face of a building, especially the principal or front face showing its most prominent architectural features. 2. The way something or somebody appears on the surface, especially when that appearance is false or meant to deceive.

Sardonic: Disdainfully or cynically mocking.

Saccharine: 1. relating to, resembling, or containing sugar. 2. Excessively sweet and ingratiating. 3. Excessively sentimental and cloying.

Churlish: 1. characteristic of somebody with bad manners. 2. Surly, sullen, or miserly.

Victimised: 1. to be singled out unfairly for punishment or ill treatment. 2. To be made to be a victim.

Alien: 1. at being from another planet or another part of the universe, especially in works of science fiction. 2. A citizen of a country other than the one he or she is currently in. 3. Somebody who does not belong to or does not feel accepted by a group or society.

Tsunami: a large destructive ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or another movement of the Earth's surface.

Oblivious: 1. unaware of or paying no attention to somebody or something. 2. Forgetting about somebody or something.

Insignificant: 1. too small and unimportant to be relevant. 2. Having little or no meaning. 3. Lacking in power or status.

Nauseous: 1. producing or suffering from the unsettling feeling in the stomach that accompanies the urge to vomit.

Unison: 1. two or more notes sharing the same pitch. 2. The performance of two or more parts at the same pitch or an octave apart. 3. at the same time as something or somebody else.

Menacingly: to do something that poses a possible danger or threat.

Subjected: to be under the rule of another or others, especially one who owes allegiance to a government or ruler.

Confronted: To have come face to face with someone or something, especially with defiance or hostility.

Impenetrable: 1. not able to be passed through or entered. 2. impossible to understand or discern. 3. Not open to intellectual or moral influences, impressions, or ideas.

Reprieve: 1. to halt or delay the punishment of somebody, especially when the punishment is death. 2. To provide somebody with temporary relief from something harmful, especially danger or pain.

Intimidated: 1. to have frightened somebody into doing or not doing something, e.g. by means of violence or blackmail. 2. To have created a feeling of fear, awe, or inadequacy in another person.

Sceptical: 1. tending not to believe or accept things but to question them. 2. Marked by a doubting attitude.

Paranoid: 1. obsessively anxious about something, or unreasonably suspicious of other people and their thoughts or motives. 2. Relating to or showing the characteristics of the psychiatric disorder paranoia

Incredulously: 1. unable or unwilling to believe something or completely unconvinced by it. 2. Showing or characterized by disbelief.

Curfew: an official restriction on people's movements, requiring them to remain indoors after a specific time.

2. Describe Avalon’s new school and her old school so that the contrast is clear. Give quotes to back up your description.

Avalon’s new school had a very strict uniform: “knee-length navy-blue skirt and I white shirt with the school crest on the pocket, all hair had to be tied back and minimal jewellery”. The guys wore the same with navy trousers whereas her old school had a “relaxed uniform” which was more of a “dress code” and the students wore clothes like shorts or miniskirts in school colours. The students at her new school look “practically adult”. Also, the school itself was different to her old one. It was for years 7 to 12. This school had “perfectly manicured lawns” with labeled buildings. “Each building was surrounded by rose gardens”. It had netball courts and playing fields.

Her old school was prep to year 12. It was “a single rectangular building surrounded by verandahs with chipped faded painted railings. “The playing field was the local town oval and the netball court was a warped, volcano-like bitumen surface”.

3. Avalon is not the kind of person we would usually expect to be a victim. Explain what makes her an unlikely victim and give examples from the text.

Avalon never did anything to draw attention to herself, in fact, she hated attention. She often says she blushed when someone spoke to her or when she was centered she felt “the size of a flea”. She faked confidence and was ridiculed for that when one of Alice’s friends said “she looks completely up herself.” She wasn’t dumb either. She had been put up a year level and was in the top classes. She had no bad history and really nothing abnormal about her to be picked on.

4. Some of the characters find it hard to belong, have friends and fit it. Explain who and why. Use examples from the text.

Avalon, Sukey, Jemima, Tamara and Marshall all have trouble fitting in with people other than each other. Sukey didn’t talk much and was very devoted to school work and music. Tamara was bigger than the other people at the school and was often accused of being a lesbian. Jemima was……… Marshall was accused of being gay and was teased and bashed because of this. Avalon was the typical new girl, knew no one at the school and had to start over completely. She was taken in by Alice on the first day but was then rejected by the “bitches” and accepted by the “weirdoes and queeroes”.

5. There are hints in the text that Sukey is Dragon Girl. Find and list these hints. How does she explain her motivation?

In one of the blogs Dragon Girl reveals some information that Avalon had told her group which means that it would have to be a member of the group that posted the blog.

Avalon and the hippies…I hear the new girl’s from a hippy commune, where the families tell them to root anyone there…And there’s a guy in the country who she admits she just used to root.

Also, Sukey defends Alice when Tamara says she’s going to bash her. The only reason she would do this was if Alice was innocent and Sukey knew she was. ‘Alice is a mole,’ Tamara said angrily. “I’ll smack that bitch out. I’m sick of the way she thinks she owns the school.”

“You don’t want to do that,” Sukey said. “It’s not worth it.”

6. There are forms of bullying apart from cyber bullying in the school. Some people exclude and abuse others. Who bullies this way and what motivates them? Give 3 examples from the text.

Todd and his mates call Marshall names, as revealed in his diary, and they also pull his pants down and try and embarrass him by spreading rumors. Marshall says in his diary: ‘Todd & his mates call me queer, faggot, poof & woman. They reckon I stink & play with myself in class.’

Chris physically abuses his victims. He punches Marshall after accusing him of looking at him in the shower. Another incident happened in the showers a while later. Jeremy, who Marshall thought was “normal”, stole his clothes and towel then teased Marshall when he came out of the shower saying “Look at this pin dick.” Some of the boys then held him down and shaved his pubes off whilst chanting “dirty little faggot”.

Tyson, Jeremy and Chris bashed Marshall on the very last day of his life. He was king hit then kicked. He was then held up so that Jeremy could punch him in the face. He was spat on and then left for dead with a broken nose and covered in vomit and blood, all his own.

7. Tamara at first seems an unattractive character and Avalon does not trust her. Why is this so? How would you describe Avalon’s reaction? What is Tamara’s real value and when does she prove it?

The very first day that Avalon was with Marshall, Sukey, Jemima and Tamara, she was accepted by most. Tamara didn’t show any real interest in her and when she was introduced to Avalon, she shrugged it off and kept eating. She never talked to Avalon and all she seemed to do was bad mouth everyone that wasn’t in the group, especially Alice’s group. Avalon decided it was best to keep her distance and invited her to her house for the pool party just because she had invited everyone else. Tamara seemed to come out of her shell and asked Avalon to take her shopping. She wanted to look nicer and she wanted Avalon to help her. Tamara was the greatest support for Avalon after Marshall’s death. They became really close friends and Avalon realized she was a good person she was just secluded. Avalon knew that Tamara would be there if and when ever she needed her.

8. Alice is not Dragon Girl but she does bully. How does she explain her behavior? What part did she play in the cyber bullying? Do you think she is ever sincere in her approach to Avalon? Explain.

Alice may not have been Dragon Girl but she played a fairly big role in the bullying scheme. She verbally bullied Avalon and she was rude in general. She made Avalon feel stupid, dumb and intimidated. She thought because Avalon was pretty, smart and attracting the boys’ attention that she had motive to be a bitch and bully Avalon but that was all before she even got to know anything about her. Alice was the one that told Avalon about the blog. She thought it was pointless if Avalon didn’t know what was going on. So really, it was Alice’s fault that Avalon found out and the reason she was so affected. If she hadn’t of known, she wouldn’t care, but she’d probably find out sooner or later if Alice didn’t tell her. Alice didn’t want to be involved once it all got ‘ugly’ but her friends were all so into it so she just sat back and watched them torment Avalon.

I think Alice was sincere about telling Avalon about the blog, not that it was a good thing, but I think it was nice of her to tell her what was going on. She didn’t keep bullying Avalon, she stopped. It was like she kind of felt sorry for her.

9. Caleb stands out from the other students. How is he different? Use examples from the text to explain your answer.

Caleb seems oblivious as to what’s going on on the blog. He accepts Avalon and makes her feel happy about herself and makes her laugh when all she seems to be doing in crying. Caleb and

Avalon would always partner up in science and Avalon liked it because it allowed her to forget what was going on for at least an hour.

10. Marshall. There are obvious contrasts between the Marshall his friends understand and the way he actually feels, which is revealed by his diary. Discuss these contrasts using examples from the text. What qualities does Marshall display?

To his friends, Marshall seems happy and content whereas the side of him he reveals in his diary is a struggling, depressed person. He often says in his diary about being strong, about telling Avalon to be strong and she was. He often compares himself to Avalon, saying she was strong, never missed a day of school because of the bullying, that she found a way to smile and all he can do is contradict himself, he can’t smile, he can’t pretend it’s not happening, he can’t be strong. The problem was he kept it all to himself. Marshall is actually a very caring person that would do nothing to hurt anyone. He can give out help but he can’t find a way to use his own advice. He is the sort of person that can’t take the bullying lightly. He takes everything that is said and believes it. He in so convinced that he is gay because of what everyone is saying. He is a very sensitive person.

11. Use the internet to research cyber bullying.

What is cyber bullying?

Cyber bullying, also known as electronic bullying or online social cruelty, is defined as bullying through email, through instant messaging, in a chat room, on a website or gaming site or through digital messages or images sent to a cellular phone.

Examples of cyber bullying:

Cyber Harassment In the cyber bullying literature, cyber harassment generally is viewed as a unique form of cyber bullying that involves repetitive offensive messages sent to a target. Most often harassment occurs via personal communication channels, such as e-mail, but harassing messages may also be communicated in public forums, such as chat rooms and discussion groups.

Denigration Denigration is information about another that is derogatory and untrue. The information may be posted on a web page or it may be disseminated to others via e-mail or instant messaging. Included within this category of cyber bullying is posting or sending digitally altered photos of someone, particularly in a way that portrays them in a sexualized or harmful manner.

With impersonation, the perpetrator poses as the victim, most often by using the victim’s password to gain access to his or her accounts, then communicating negative, cruel, or

inappropriate information with others as if the target himself or herself were voicing those thoughts.

Outing and Trickery Outing refers to sharing personal, often embarrassing information with others with whom the information was never intended to be shared. This may take the form of receiving an e-mail or instant message from a target that contains private, potentially embarrassing information and/or photos and then forwarding that e-mail on to others. Trickery refers to tricking someone into revealing personal information about themselves and then sharing that information with others.

Cyber stalking Cyber stalking refers to the use of electronic communications to stalk another person through repetitive harassing and threatening communications. Black’s Law Dictionary (1999) defines “stalking” as: (1) The act or an instance of following another by stealth. (2) The offense of following or loitering near another, often surreptitiously, with the purpose of annoying or harassing that person or committing a further crime such as assault or battery.” Although clearly related to harassment, cyber stalking involves more threats than pure harassment.

Who and why do people cyber bully?

Both boys and girls cyber bully, although it appears that girls are more likely to engage in cyber bullying and be targeted by cyber bullying than their male counterparts. This is a difference from traditional bullying, where we find boys engaging in bullying behaviors or being targeted in higher numbers than girls.

When it comes to cyber bullying, offenders are often motivated by anger, revenge or frustration. Sometimes they do it for entertainment or because they are bored and have too much time on their hands and too many tech toys available to them. Many do it for laughs or to get a reaction. Some do it by accident, and either send a message to the wrong recipient or didn't think before they did something. The Power-hungry do it to torment others and for their ego. Revenge of the Nerd may start out defending themselves from traditional bullying only to find that they enjoy being the tough guy or gal. Mean girls do it to help bolster or remind people of their own social standing. And some think they are righting wrong and standing up for others.

How does it affect the people being cyber bullied?

The victim may feel like there is no escape from cyber bullying. It seems easy enough to close these social media accounts and simply turn off of the computer. However, for some kids avoiding these websites or instant messages may seclude them from one of the most important places they socialize.

They may be at home when they experience cyber bullying, which can lead to a sense of endangerment within the confines of their own room or house.

Cyber bullies are more likely to say harsher words online or by text message because they don’t have to say it to the other person’s face or see their reaction.

The victim may feel like they can’t be secure within their own surrounding because some cyber bullies never reveal their identity. The anonymity of cyber bullying can add to their feeling of being unsafe.

How can cyber bullies be stopped?

If you are being cyber bullied it is possible that you're feeling powerless and isolated.

But, there are options and you can do things to stop the problem.

Keep a record (including time and date) - This may help you (or the police) to find out who is sending the messages.

Tell someone - Talk to someone you trust, a parent, friend, school counsellor or teacher.

Contact your phone or internet service provider and report what is happening - They can help you block messages or calls from certain senders.

If messages are threatening or serious get in touch with the police - Cyber bullying, if it's threatening, is illegal. You don't need to put up with that!

Don't reply to bullying messages - It'll only get worse if you do. By replying the bully gets what he or she wants. Often if you don't reply the bully will leave you alone.

Change your contact details - Get a new user name for the internet, a new e-mail account, a new mobile phone number and only give them out to your closest friends.

Keep your username and passwords secret - Keep your personal information private so it doesn't fall into the hands of someone who'll misuse it.

For cyber bullies:

If you are a cyber bully, you should ask yourself the following questions:

 Why am I behaving like this?

 Is this respecting others or showing respect for myself?

 What would I feel like if someone were doing this to me or my friend?

 Is this the way to sort out problems?

 What if everyone behaved like this, what would happen?

 How will I feel if everyone finds out I have been bullying people in this way?

Where to get help if you are being cyber bullied:

If the issue is after hours or you'd like to talk to someone who is not linked to the school, try phoning

Lifeline: 131 114 for the cost of a local phone call

Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800

You can remain anonymous and get things off your chest if needed. These emotional support services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

It may help more if you talk to someone you know like a trusted adult or friend, that way, they can talk to the bully, if you know who they are, and get them to stop.

Bibliography:

http://www.cyberbullyhelp.com/whatis.html

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/why_do_kids_cyberbully_each_other.html

http://www.cyberbullyalert.com/blog/2008/11/effects-of-cyber-bullying/

http://au.reachout.com/find/articles/cyberbullying

http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au/who/contacts-someone.shtml#secondary