WHY DO PEOPLE OR TEENAGERS CYBERBULLY?

Name: Tarija Francis

Subject: English “A”

Centre Number:

Candidate Number:

School: Morant Bay High

Territory: Jamaica

Teacher: Miss Wallen

Date of Examination: June 2021

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Acknowledgement

Being thankful is an important part of being human and it is necessary if you want

to go somewhere and be somebody. I would like to thank my teacher, Miss Wallen for her advice

and her guidance in helping me to complete this S.B.A. I would also like to thank my partner for

constantly having my back in all the decisions I made and taking me off my high horse and

humbling me .Last but not least, I would like to give God my appreciation for giving me the

determination and guidance needed to complete this assignment for without him, I am nothing.
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Table of contents

Headings Pages

Plan of Investigation ………………………………………………………………. 5

Artifacts ………………………………………………………………………..... 7-17

 Artifact 1 ………………………………………………………………….. 8-9

 Artifact 2 …………………………………………………........................... 11-13

 Artifact 3 …………………………………………………………………… 15-17

Reflections ………………………………………………………………………… 19-24

 Reflection 1 ……………………………………………………………….. 19-20

 Reflection 2 ……………………………………………………………….. 22

 Reflection 3 ………………………………………………………………... 24

Participation Measure ……………………………………………………............... 27

Written Report …………………………………………………………………….. 29-30

Oral Presentation Plan……………………………………………………............... 32-33

Reference ………………………………………………………………………….. 35
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PLAN OF INVESTIGATION

Plan of Investigation

The topic that I have chosen for my portfolio is “Why do People or Teenagers

Cyberbully”. I chose this topic because I could relate to it and decided to take this route
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considering that I was made to feel ashamed of my body and the colour of my skin on various

social media platforms and it affected me greatly. 

The material’s I have chosen to compliment my research will be a blog titled “Why do

People Cyber Bully?”, a poem entitled , “Beautiful, Brown, Naked, Woman” and an advice

column called “Why do People Cyberbully Others?”. All artifacts have been taken from different

Google (online) sites. The linguistic skills I hope to employ will be finding out the tone of each

piece, scrutinizing and evaluating the credibility of all articles. Consequently I hope to improve

my critical thinking skills, vocabulary and analytical skills as a student of English.

A. SCORING RUBRIC FOR PLAN OF INVESTIGATION

Name: Tarija Francis
Date: March 21 2021

Areas Rating Scale Final

0 1 2 3 Score
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(a) Reason for No reason and title Reason given is Appropriate reason Original and
choosing the given or obscure vague  or weak; and given title insightful
topic and reason  with appropriate title reason and
     /3
selection of inappropriate given title given
title title
(b) Expected No benefits given Benefits given are Benefits are clearly Benefits are
benefits to not clearly stated, expressed, but they  clearly
you as a few are attainable are not all sound, expressed,
student of most are attainable sound and
    /3
English attainable
(c) Proposal for Material to be Material to be Material to be
collection collected not collected stated collected stated
and use of stated (type or nature of (type or nature of
material material) Limited material)
   /2
list of sources given Various sources for
possible material
(Internet etc…)
given
Use of the English Use of the English Use of the English
Language Skills to Language Skills Language Skills
be used in outlined and an clearly outlined and
analyzing the attempt made to clear indication of
   /2
material  not indicate how they how they will be
stated will be used. used provided.
                                                        Total Score         /10

Total marks for Plan of Investigation = 10 marks

Scale down to 5 marks

Score awarded = Total Score = ______________
                                     2

Name of Teacher: ______________________ Time/Date:__________________

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ARTIFACT 1

My first article is a blog.

WHY DO PEOPLE CYBERBULLY?

Cyber bullying happens for many of the same reasons as any other type of bullying, but it may

be even more appealing because it can be done anonymously. Stopbullying.gov describes two

kinds of people who are likely to bully: those who are popular and those who are on the social

fringes.
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Popular kids or teens may bully because:

 They see it as a way to stay popular.

 Hurting others makes them feel powerful.

 Kids or teens who are less socially successful may bully because:

 It helps them cope with their own low self-esteem.

 They think it will help them fit in with their peers.

 They have trouble empathizing with those they hurt.

In general, bullies’ behavior usually stems from their own problems. Stopbullying.gov reports

that bullies tend to have less involved parents, to be less excited about school, and to be

depressed or anxious. They often have trouble controlling their emotions and impulses and find it

hard to follow rules.

Here are some additional reasons people may do their bullying online:

 Anonymity—Cyber bullying allows bullies to avoid facing their victims, so it requires

less courage and provides the illusion that bullies won’t get caught.

 Ignorance of the consequences—The National Council on Crime Prevention reports that

in a survey of teenagers, 81% said they believe others cyber bully because they think it’s

funny. Because they don’t see their victims’ reactions in person, cyber bullies may not

realize how much damage they are doing.

 Social pressure— some cyber bullies may think their behavior is normal and socially

acceptable, especially when friends egg them on.

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ARTIFACT 2

My second article is a poem.

Beautiful, Brown, Naked, Woman

Written by CC (Taken from a site called Hello and Poetry)

The photos were leaked today

They were of a **** woman with brown skin

Love making as she stared straight into the lenses

I was showed by a man who did not know how to react once I had been shown
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My reaction was not shock

I merely stated "That's baad"

I did not know how to react to the staunch cyber-bully who was sure he was doing himself a

justice by being so open about his anger at the naked, brown, humiliated, naked, shamed, and

beautiful

I am shamed by his shaming

I am naked by his *******

I am beautiful by myself sometimes

Sometimes I take the tape off my camera and position it near my bloom

I am not alone in this activity and yet I feel alone in an intimate situation, feel less alone, in a

private situation.

Sometimes I work it so that every part of my dark lips are shadowed and my fingers seem to

work for a living rather than play

My body is not a string

It is a temple of dark things

It is an ossuary filled with the dust of former lives

It is not to be dangled for cats for play

It has no puppet hands

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Or puppet face

It smiles because it sees you smile

And she frowns when she sees you laugh

It is alive

The misfortune you hope her body will bring her is shame

I hope it will bring other people enlightenment

The fault is not in her

The fault is in the malicious, villainous, caricature of man who is hallow and made of maddening

bells

Every time you disturb him he rings in announcement "This lady I had once an intimate

relationship and she abused me. Here is her punishment."

We are all cavernous tunnels with lights to shoot out of the pins and needles sensational feelings

we do not desire this but we must desire to be freed from being owned by this

We all think we're exempted from shame until we are ashamed

There are no exemptions, only more bells

They ring, until background noise renders them obsolete to us

#slutshaming #cyberbullying (no date was present)

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ARTIFACT 3

My third and final article is an advice column.

Why do people cyber bully others?

What is cyberbullying?

          Cyber bullying is when someone sends you hurtful messages or harasses you online via

social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and more. What makes this different to face-

to-face bullying is that sometimes you won't know who's sending the messages because people

can make themselves anonymous online, but it is still just as harmful, Choma.

Reasons people cyber bully others:

REVENGE

        Some people fall into the cyberbullying trap if they are trying to defend themselves or their

friends when they are being criticized by other people, aka they are being "called out". It's
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common for a bully to feel attacked if they are being criticized for saying something that is

harmful to others. This might cause them to say even more nasty and harmful things to others in

defense.

POWER

       Cyber bullies want to show people that they have power and can get away with doing hurtful

things. A lot of the time this might be because they have been abused by someone they know and

feel that this is the way to boost their ego, get their confidence back or to express themselves.

ENTERTAINMENT

         To cyber bullies, hurting other people can seem funny and they find it to be entertaining. If

they have an audience or others laughing along, this can encourage them to carry on.

IGNORANCE

        As hard as it can be to believe, sometimes the reason someone bullies others is because they

just don't know it's wrong, or they don’t understand the level of pain that they are causing to

someone else. To them, cyberbullying isn't "real" bullying and so they don't see it as harmful,

this shows that they aren't aware of other people's feelings.

FRUSTRATION

      When someone doesn't know how to deal with negative emotions, like frustration and anger,

they can decide to take it out on whoever they see as an easy target. This is why it's so important

to always talk to a friend, family or a healthcare provider when things are bothering you.

ANONYMITY
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      Having an online personality that's completely different to who you really are makes it easy

to say things you know are wrong, and this can usually happen when you're not happy or

comfortable with your authentic self, Choma. Cyber bullies use this fake online persona to hide

behind and remain anonymous, that way they think they can't get into trouble for being harmful

online.

What can you do?

The great thing is that a lot of social media platforms have extra security settings to avoid this

kind of thing happening to you. Here are 5 steps to blocking someone on Facebook:

1. Click at the top right of any Facebook page.

2. Click Privacy Shortcuts.

3. Click “How do I stop someone from bothering me?”

4. Enter the name of the person you want to block and click Block.

5. Select the specific person you want to block from the list that appears and click Block again.

On your public profiles, you can also change your security settings to make sure your personal

information is invisible to people you don't know so they can't stalk you or contact you unless

you have them as a friend.

Taken from the site called Choma No date was present.

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REFLECTION 1
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“How the materials I have chosen shaped my thinking”

My first artifact was a blog entitled, “Why do People Cyberbully”. It opened my eyes and

showed me how society expects people to behave and treat others. It describes the two types of

people most likely to bully – those who are popular and those who are outcasts. People who are

popular most often than not seek to belittle others and this invokes feelings of superiority that

overrides their own insecurities. People on the “social fringes” would be like “scum” at the

bottom of the hierarchy. They bully because it’s the only thing they know. And psychologically

get back at who bullied them not realizing that they have become who they hated, trying to cover

their own feelings of inadequacy.  I learnt from this piece that cyberbullying doesn't just happen.

I realized that it is a byproduct of society's false teachings and its misleading ‘allure of power’

that causes people to want to bully others to make themselves look impressive and influential.

My second artifact is entitled “Beautiful, Brown, Naked Woman” by CC (Taken from a

site called Hello and Poetry). In this poem, it speaks about a woman who was being made a

mockery of on the internet as a result of her love-making before a camera. Her body set for all to

see. The woman is basically set up for slut shaming. The feelings of disgust, she would probably

feel. The self-hatred that would accumulate at all her flaws being pointed out. The narrator goes

on to say, “The misfortune you hope her body will bring her is shame, I hope it will bring other
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people enlightenment, the fault is not in her” (line28-30). This spoke volumes to me and made

me realize that my body is my own and if I allow others to dictate to me how it should be; I will

never get to know what self-love really is.

My third and last artifact is an advice column. “Why do People Cyber Bully Others?”

This advice column basically went in depth into reasons like revenge, power and entertainment.

It is a popular opinion that Facebook is where the most cyberbullying takes place despite recent

decline in popularity among teens. The advice column basically spoke on how to block bullies on

this app and how doing this could save a life. The advice column made me realize that social

media can be a dangerous place and it made me question my safety on these apps and the danger

I could put myself in.

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REFLECTION 2
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"Use of language in the articles"

  “Why Do People Cyberbully” is the heading of my first artifact, a blog. The tone of the

article was candid and direct. It is in a blatant manner, in which the writer explained what

cyberbullying is, why I was able to draw that conclusion. This can be seen in the way the

journalist says "They often have trouble controlling their emotions and impulses and find it hard

to follow rules" implying an imbalance in the emotional structure of people who have had issues

in their lives and fix them by breaking down others.

My second artifact is a poem entitled “Beautiful Brown Naked Woman”. This poem has

language devices like the tone which was compassionate and impassioned, and the mood which

could be described as lugubrious. In line 18, it says "My body is not a string; it is a temple of

dark things''. It alludes to a temple which is seen as a place of worship, to simply put her body is

holy and to show reverence. "The fault is in the malicious, villainous, caricature of man who is

hollow and made of maddening bells"(Line 30). In this poem, the poet uses the hollow bells to

symbolize the pain that a man feels after being hurt by his former lover.

My third and final artifact is an advice column with the title of “Why do People

Cyberbully Others?” The tone is pragmatic and pensive. “Cyber bullies want to show people that

they have power and can get away with doing hurtful things…because they have been abused by

someone they know”, this uses the Use of Evidence to back itself up when it speaks about the
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reasons others bully and harassment online which is an indication of how dangerous social media

can be.

REFLECTION 3
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‘How the S.B.A helped me to become a better person’

The successful completion of my S.B.A would have meant that I would have dealt with

all the complications that came with the task. This progression would have meant that I would

have developed another form of dependency on my group member. The S.B.A helped me to

develop my critical thinking skills and improve my vocabulary skills.

The activities that I contributed to taught me self-respect and empathy and with my

improved critical thinking skills, i was able to analyze and critique without sounding arrogant

and foolish. My vocabulary became superior and as a result i was able to craft more structured

sentences that could accurately express my feelings. 

The S.B.A overall made me more appreciative of my surrounding’s and even more aware

of cyberbullying. I am more compassionate towards people who have been victims of that same

situation. And with my improved vocabulary skills, I have become an advocate towards stopping

this ‘imposter’ through writing and speech and i am mindful of social media and it sharks.
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F. SCORING RUBRIC FOR REFLECTION

The assessment of this component will be based on the following:

1. Theme factors – critical knowledge related to theme, how material shaped thinking.

2. Language factors – analysis of language, good organization.

3. Process factors – personal value, benefits clearly identified.

Reflection on topic/issue/theme ,use of language, process and its effects

Descriptors Marks Final

Score
Candidate produces an excellent reflection comprising THREE  entries which
 Discusses how the THREE pieces of material have affected the candidate’s thinking about the 5 marks      /5
issue
 Examines the use of language in the three pieces
 Discusses the process and its effect on the candidate

Candidate produces a   very good reflection which

 integrates the treatment of the issue in the three pieces 4 marks     /4
 provides a very good examination of the use of language
 discusses the process and its effect

Candidate produces a good reflection which

 addresses the treatment of the issue in the three pieces 3 marks      /3
 provides a good examination of the use of language
 gives little discussion of the process and its effects

Candidate produces a limited reflection which

 provides a limited treatment of the issue in the three pieces 2 marks     /2
 attempts to provide an examination of the use of language with limited success
 gives very little or no discussion of the process and its effect

Candidate produces a weak reflection  which

 mentions the issue 1 mark     /1
 very weak examination of the use of language OR none provided
 no discussion of the process and its effect
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5     /5
marks

Name of Teacher:______________________    Time/Date:____________________________

PARTICIPATION

MEASURE
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Participation Measure

B. SCORING RUBRIC FOR INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION                                                     

Name of Student: _____________________ 

Date: _______________________________

The total mark for Individual Participation will be 5 marks based on the responses obtained from the
sessions conducted by the teacher.

Area Questions for students Final Score

s

1. Do/Did you know what you are/were expected to do to work well in a team?
      /1

2. Are you able to focus on what is taking place in your group?

     /1

3. How do/did you feel in your group?

      /1

4. Do/Did you know how to manage how you behave in the group?

    /1

5. Do/ Did you manage your  tasks on time and thoroughly

       /1

Total Marks     /5
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WRITTEN REPORT

Written Report

My group explored the theme of ‘Social Media”. The problems we choose that related to

this theme would be Human Trafficking through the media and Cyberbullying. We both chose
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two of our artifacts that stood out the most to us and enabled the use of the divide and conquer

strategy.

Focusing on tone, audience and the writing style, we settled on an advice column and an

article to answer our questions that state:

What are some ways in which Social Media is used to traffic victims?

What are the reasons that could lead to a person being bullied on Social Media? 

Traffickers groom, control their victim through social media as it is much less risky than

to meet in person. Even though most victims never meet their traffickers, the power exerted

through power and manipulation is done through “sextortion”. ‘Sextortion is a serious crime that

occurs when someone threatens to distribute sensitive material…of a sexual nature’ (Withers,

2019). Trafficking can be done through fake advertisements that offer modeling, nanny and

office jobs.

The reasons a person may bully can be linked to Entertainment, Peer Pressure and

Ignorance. Peer Pressure pushes other to become like their friends who can be manipulative

because they think hurting someone is fun which links to entertainment. Ignorance is one of the

main factors that contribute to cyberbullying on social media. As strange as it sounds some

people don’t understand that words do hurt more than sticks and stones.

In conclusion, Social Media is used as a tool for destruction nowadays and the only way

to stop this is to aspire to being the best person that one can be. “There's no room for hate and

violence in this world. We must learn to be more kind, compassionate, empathetic, and

sympathetic to humanity.” ― Germany Kent

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ORAL PRESENTATION

PLAN

Plan for the Oral Presentation

Title: “Cyberbullying” by Tarija Francis

Genre Chosen: Poem

Justification of Genre: Given the nature of my central theme, “Social Media” and my
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Topic, “Why do People or Teenagers Cyberbully”, this genre   seemed to be most appropriate.

Source of Inspiration: Poetry has always been one of my best suits and I felt that this message

would come across more accurately and heartfelt.

 Literary Inspiration: The articles gave me the insight and content base I needed to put the

poem together, in an insightful and motivating way.

Language Used: Simile

                       Metaphor

                       Personification

Rhyme

Summary:  This poem is about the emotive state of the persona who was victimized through

Cyberbullying, it dwells for a short while on the mind-set of the persona which was portrayed in

a way that showed depressive behaviour but it comes to an end when the persona realized that

she should stand up for herself so she could be an example of strength for others and resolved to

fight back without using her fists.

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E. SCORING RUBRIC FOR ORAL PRESENTATION

Rating Scale
Facets of Tasks 0 1 2 3 4
1. Fluency of jerky, halting choppy awkward but Intelligible;
    delivery fragmentary acceptable clear;
long pauses intonation; smooth;
continuous; well-paced
natural flow
2. Structure, connections with Connections Limited Coherent; Clear organization of
 Comprehensibility,      and topic/issue with comprehension Key issues ideas;
development of topic unclear; topic/issue lacks well Sustained treatment
incomprehensible; unclear; elaboration; developed of
key issues not Very Slightly Well topic/theme/issues;
depicted; incoherent in incoherent in expressed in Style very effective
style of parts; parts; many and
presentation does Utterance Somewhat parts; very impactful in
not always aid in incorrect limited; effective communicating
depicting style
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the key issues

3. Language use      and lacks basic words; Ideas limited Adequate style Accurate use
vocabulary lack specificity; to inadequate of of grammar
very many errors in words and presentation Effective use
words jargon Basic sentences of grammar
and sentences Lacks are used; and
specificity Control of basic vocabulary;
Limited range grammatical High degree
of grammar structures; of fluency;
Reliance on Rich
practical vocabulary
expressions;

Score awarded = __________ + _________+ _________ = __________

Name of student: _____________________________

Name of assessor: ________________________________

Time/Date of assessment:___________ /_____________

                                                  Time                      Date

REFERENCE
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CC Oct 2017, Beautiful, brown, naked, woman

https://hellopoetry.com/tag/cyberbullying/

https://choma.co.za/articles/445/why-do-people-cyberbully-others

Delete Cyberbullying

A Stop Online Harassment Project: https://endcyberbullying.net/why-do-people-cyberbully/