Posted: December 3rd, 2022

The Amanda Todd Story Case Study

Criminal Justice
Title: Case Study: Bullying – The Amanda Todd Story
Number of sources: 2
Paper instructions:
Watch the video titled “Amanda Todd’s Story: Struggling, Bullying, Suicidal, Self-harm” (8 min 55 s).

Video Source: ChisVideos. (2012, October 11). Amanda Todd’s Story: Struggling, Bullying, Suicidal, Self-harm [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej7afkypUsc.

This video can be viewed from within your online course shell.

Use your textbook, the Internet, and/or Strayer Library to research articles on bullying cases that occur today.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

Describe at least two (2) types of bullying to which Amanda Todd was subjected.
Identify at least three (3) consequences that Amanda Todd experienced as a result of being bullied and discuss her attempts to deal with them.
Recommend two (2) strategies that you believe Amanda’s parents, teachers, and authorities could have used to reduce episodes of bullying of Amanda and thus prevent Amanda’s suicide.
Compare at least two (2) similarities and two (2) differences between the bullying cases that take place today with those cases that took place when you attended high school.
Explain the key contributing factors that you believe led to bullying behaviors. Next, suggest at least three (3) ways in which prevention programs can reduce bullying cases overall.
Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

This course requires the use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Discuss bullying cases, strategies to mitigate the effects of bullying, and the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs

The Amanda Todd Story Case Study
Type of Bullying
Amanda was subjected to various types of bullying, including physical, verbal, cyberbullying, and social bullying. Physical bullying occurred when an old boyfriend with the girlfriend and 15 other students threw her to the ground and punched her multiple times. She was also subjected to verbal bullying when she was told, “look around, no one likes you” in front of other students. Amanda was also a victim of cyberbullying after a friend created a Facebook page with a profile picture of his boobs. Others commented online, saying, “I hope this time she dies.” The online presence had a huge toll on her psychological and physical health. The victim was also subjected to social bullying after a friend invited her over. He was only interested in sex and nothing else. Amanda thought the person loved her, but she was distressed in the end.
Consequences of Bullying
Amanda started using drugs and alcohol to avoid the depression she was facing. Substance abuse is a common practice among victims of bullying (1). She lost her friends and respect from people, thus leading to bitterness and crying at night. Another consequence is isolation since she could stay alone without friends. Other consequences include depression and assault. The assault leads to bruises that required medical help. In the hospital, she also overdosed as a result of depression. She felt she did not have any value and thus was destined to die. The bulling had a huge impact on her physical, social, and mental health.
Amanda attempted to deal with the problems by taking drugs and alcohol to avoid depression. She was also a victim of overdosing while in hospital. Another strategy of dealing with the problem was moving to a new school, intending to seek a new and friendly environment (2). Amanda also attempted suicide as a way of taking away her life since she felt worthless.
Recommend Strategies
The teachers, parents, and authorities could have taken various actions to reduce the consequences of bullying. One of them is educating the children on the negative effects of bullying (1). Educating them should also provide opportunities for the victims to report ugly incidences. The school and authorities should also have developed stringent measures to punish those involved in bullying others like Amanda (1). It is also important to educate them to avoid social media since they can fall victim to online interactions.
The authorities should also have developed strict laws that prohibit bullying. Offenders should be punished severely since their actions put the lives of others at risk (2). For instance, in all bullying cases, Amanda does not receive support from the school to punish the offenders. The parents also do not press charges against the bullies who are making her life uncomfortable. Therefore, Amanda’s life is at risk due to the lack of sufficient opportunities to report cases and prosecute the bullies.
Similarities and Differences
The similarities between the bullying taking place today and a few years ago is harassment and verbal abuse. Harassment involves physical abuse, such as punching that occurs in the case of Amanda. The trend of punching other students or beating them with sticks or other materials continues. The harassment in public is also a trend that has been ongoing for years (1). Verbal abuse is a common trend that comprises us with harsh words or abusive language. Students use words to demean the value of their victims (2). The two types of harassment have been prevalent for a long time. One of the major differences is that there is an increase in social media use to bully others. In the past social media bullying was not a common practice. The rate of social bullying is high, yet while I was in high school, verbal bullying was prominent compared to social bullying.
Contributing Factors
The parents need to counsel their children and talk to them to know the challenges they are going through. For instance, Amanda is engaging with various boyfriends to the extent of giving into sex, which shows a lack of parental guidance. Social media is an unrestricted platform that can put the life of people at risk (1). Lack of online laws and restrictions is also a contributing factor. The bullies know no one will follow them up and punish them for their behavior. Teachers also lack to punish students and monitor their negative behavior of bullying others.
Prevention Programs
Prevention programs are essential in reducing the rate of various types of bullying. One of the programs is the enforcement of laws that prevent cyberbullying, which is prominent today (1). Another approach is educating students on the negative effects of bullying and provide opportunities to report the offenders. Strict laws both in schools and online should allow offenders to receive tough punishment (2). The punishment should involve both the child and the parent or guardian for their failure to warn them against such vices. Prevention programs will reduce the rate of bullying significantly.

Sources
1. Antoniadou, Nafsika, Constantinos M. Kokkinos, and Angelos Markos, 2016. Possible common correlates between bullying and cyber-bullying among adolescents. Psicología Educativa, 22(1), pp.27-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pse.2016.01.003
2. Arcadepani, Felipe B., Deborah YG Eskenazi, Thiago M. Fidalgo, and Jun Sung Hong, 2019. An exploration of the link between bullying perpetration and substance use: a review of the literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, p.1524838019837593. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838019837593

Order | Check Discount

Tags: The Amanda Todd Story Case Study