Published on January 26th, 2014 | by Sedgrid Lewis
06 Ways Dr.King Would End Cyberbullying
During the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. faced overt racism through the use of physical violence in the form of beatings, dog bitings, and other acts of violence. One wonders how Dr. King would address cyberbullying which is one of the most dangerous issues facing our society. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people. According to statistics at least 20% of teens admit to contemplating suicide after being bullied online. Cyberbullying involves a faceless type of violence with deadly consequences. Cyberbullies are embolden by their anonymity. Through the use of digital keyboards they harass and torment their victims.
It is only appropriate that we look to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King this weekend for answers. So we look at Dr. Martin Luther King’s 6 Steps to nonviolence to seek an end to the violence that is taking place through cyberbullying.
1. Gather Information
Dr. King urged his followers to learn all the information possible through community organizations and the media in order to confront their enemy. It is vital that we follow the same steps by learning all we can about cyberbullying. This all can be accomplished through following anti-bullying organizations on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Churches can hold forums on cyberbullying to educate their members. Schools need to continue to provide symposiums and workshops on cyberbullying.
2. Educate Others
Dr. King built the civil rights movement on educating others of social and economic justices that were happening in the community. Cyberbullying is a hard issue to provide education because most victims are too embarrassed to discuss the violence that it taking place. Since most of the bullying is taking place through text messaging or emails, there is a one on one line of communication that leaves others out. Therefore, the education has to come from the people that are the closest to the victims.
It is not enough for cyberbullying experts and community leaders to educate the community. There has to be a grassroots movement to learn about cyberbullying. These types of movements take place in the living room. It require mothers to talk about their child’s bullying experiences at work or at the grocery store. Fathers educating their friends on the dangers of cyberbullying. Victims have to educate the public of the violence they have suffered and continue to suffer through Youtube videos and other social media outlets.
3. Remain Committed
The civil rights movement continued their mission despite all of the legal obstacles that were endured along the journey. There has to be a strong commitment to stop cyberbullying. Citizens have to commit to Cyberbullying campaigns.Victims have to continue to lobby law makers to pass stronger policies. Parents have to hold mobile app companies accountable for their platforms that shield cyberbullies. Freedom of Speech cannot be a shield to up hold harassment and hatred.
4. Peacefully Negotiate
Dr. King was masterful at understanding the plight of the oppressed and oppressor. It is not enough to only listen and acknowledge the victims of cyberbullying. We also have to listen to the cyberbully. We need to obtain a deeper understanding of why they resort to digital violence. Research shows that some cyberbullies are dealing with underlining mental health disorders.Most cyberbullies are former victims of bullying themselves. Thus there exist a commonality between the bully and victim that could lead to resolution.
5. Peaceful Action
Non Violent actions and interventions were the hallmark of the Nonviolence Movement. Dr. King demonstrated this step through countless marches and peaceful sit-in demonstrations. In order to stop cyberbullying, some of the same tactics have to be employed in communities. Demonstrations and pickets can take place at corporations and small companies that uphold bullying behavior. Twitter and Social media campaigns can be waged against known cyberbullies.
Dr. King once said that “all we will remember in the end is not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” We have to teach our children not to stand by silently on their computers while other are harassed and bullied. They have to become digital citizens that stand up to cyberbullies by reporting and flagging their actions on the internet. They have to confront twitter tribes that perpetuate bullying and harassment that often lead to physical violence.
6. Reconcile
Dr. King popularized the term the benevolent community. King argued that the end game is reconciliation. The victim through love is able to forgive the bully. A Foe could easily be turned into friend. Dr. King was once quoted in a speech:
We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.
Only through the love and understanding of cyber bullies will we be able to forgive their actions. This is the last step that has to take place before reconciliation.
In order to resolve cyberbullying, sometimes with have to review our past for the answers. Dr. Martin Luther King’s philosophies of Non violence continue to guide us today in addressing some of the newer forms of violence that plague our communities.
About the Author
Sedgrid Lewis Sedgrid Lewis is the founder of Spy Parent LLC. He is an internationally recognized safety expert specializing in surveillance equipment, internet monitoring software, and mobile applications for parents and child care professionals. Sedgrid has been highlighted in over 20 major publications. Sedgrid has been covered by Fox News, CBS News, NBC News, Readwrite, Gizmodo, and many more. He is a contributor to Your Teen Magazine.
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