Health
What is health?
Health can
be defined negatively, as the absence of illness, functionally, as the ability
to cope with everyday activities, or positively, as fitness and well-being. In
any organism, health is a form of homeostasis. This is a state of balance, with
inputs and outputs of energy and matter in equilibrium (allowing for growth).
Health also implies good prospects for continued survival. In sentient creatures
such as humans, health is a broader concept. In this context, health is viewed
holistically as an interacting system with mental, emotional and
physical components. We define health as "a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity". We also consider health as a basic and dynamic force in our daily
lives, influenced by our circumstances, beliefs, culture and social, economic
and physical environments. ...
When it comes to mental and physical health, we would like to talk about a cyber-sickness that is propagating and
infecting the internet like a virus. This sickness is affecting our teen's daily
life's while at school, home and online. We are talking about Cyberbullying.
This is a new way of mental-online defamatory warfare that troubles
our new generations of children growing up. Cyberbullying is sending and
posting harmful, damaging and cruel text material and images using the Internet,
cyberspace and other digital communication devices. The stories are heart
breaking. Parents need to pay close attention to websites like
myspace.com,
Xanga.com,
AOL-Instant Messaging (IM),
blogs,
and
online boards
where teens can get free access and subscriptions to utilize their web-tools,
email, cell phones text, pagers, free instant messaging, free chat services, to
propagate defamatory information about peers, teens, and other people they
choose to bull-around world wide via the internet.
Unfortunately, there has been many cases where teens get abused by cyberbullies and cyber-predators. Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to promote defamatory personal Web sites, and defamatory online personal polling Web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group (s), that is intended to harm others We urge all parents to pay more attention to what their children are doing on the internet, who they are talking to, who they are communicating with; this may save your child's life. It is our intension to create awareness and open your eyes to this new threat that is very serious. Cyberbullying is emerging as one of the more challenging issues facing educators and parents as young people embrace the Internet and other mobile communication technologies today.
A Cyberbully
is when a child is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or
targeted by another child using the Internet, mobile phone, or other type of
digital technology. It has to be a child on both sides. If it is an adult, it
is not considered cyberbullying and is called cyber-harassment or
cyberstalking
and is a very serious crime. Cyberbullying is very serious also, but it
doesn't always break the law. Sometimes it does break the law , and even when
it doesn't, it is definitely wrong and children do usually get in trouble with
parents or school. You have to be very careful if you are the victim of a
cyberbully. If you try to take things into your own hands, you may end up
being a cyberbully yourself without even realizing it. Always report
bullying of any kind to an adult or someone who can help you.
Teens who are:
Cyber-threats are a related concern. A cyber-threat is online material that threatens or raises concerns about violence against others, suicide, or other self-harm.
There are two kinds: Direct threats are actual threats to hurt someone or commit suicide. Distressing material provides clues that the person is emotionally upset and may be considering hurting someone, hurting him or herself or committing suicide. We are afraid most of the times that our kids at school might be exposed to danger, AND afraid of being called a tattletale? Most schools will protect your privacy. They won't tell who told them. They’re very careful not to. Pretend that you're asking them for change in the cafeteria. Tell people you went to a guidance counselor to talk about your grades. Nobody has to know why you really went to talk to them. Bullying is one of the most minimized and persistent problems in our school systems today. The sad thing is – it’s a reality for all children, whether they’re victims, witnesses, or they’re the bullies. Children are born into the world innocent – without defenses. Another child or an adult comes along who is a product of abuse, rage, or being a ‘bully’ victim and the cycle continues. Whether it’s at school or at home, anyone who is bullied will very often feel depressed and have low self-esteem. And if you’re a bully, you are more likely to be hostile and antisocial. If you’re a bully, who has been bullying you?
- Remember that bullying It’s physical harm, it’s verbal and emotional terrorism, it’s sexual harassment, its racism … and at times it can grow into much more serious abuse – and criminal behavior.
- If someone is hitting, biting, kicking, punching, pinching you, pulling your hair, tripping you – that’s physical bullying.
- If someone is relentlessly teasing you, calling you names, spreading rumors about you, leaving you out of group activities – that’s verbal and emotional terrorism.
- If someone touches you inappropriately, snaps your bra strap, stares at your body, or makes sexual comments – that’s sexual bullying.
- If someone is using racial slurs against you, making fun of your customs, the color of your skin, your accent, or the food you eat, if they spray symbols and graffiti on your house, if they tease you about your country – that’s racial bullying. Bullying is when someone keeps doing or saying things to have power over another person.
Bullying is very Harmful and Damaging for a child and teenagers. Some people think bullying is just part of growing up and a way for young people to learn to stick up for themselves. But bullying can make young people feel lonely, unhappy, depressed and frightened. It makes them feel unsafe and think there must be something wrong with them. They lose confidence and may not want to go to school any more. It may make them sick.
STATISTICS PROVE THAT CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN ABUSED, BULLIED, AND STALKED HAVE A HIGHER PROPENSITY FOR USING GUNS AND/OR KILL THEMSELVES!
Cyberstalking can be defined as threatening behavior or unwanted advances directed at another using the Internet and other forms of online and computer communications. Cyberstalking is a relatively new online phenomenon. With the decreasing expense and thereby increased availability of computers and online services, more individuals are purchasing computers and "logging onto" the Internet, making another form of communication vulnerable to abuse by stalkers. Cyberstalkers as well cyberbullyies target their victims through chat rooms, message boards, discussion forums, and e-mail. Cyberstalking takes many forms such as: threatening or obscene e-mail; spamming (in which a stalker sends a victim a multitude of junk e-mail); live chat harassment or flaming (online verbal abuse); leaving improper messages on message boards or in guest books; sending electronic viruses; sending unsolicited e-mail; tracing another person's computer and Internet activity, and electronic identity theft.
Similar to stalking off-line, online stalking can be a terrifying experience for victims, placing them at risk of psychological trauma, and possible physical harm. Many cyberstalking situations do evolve into off-line stalking, and a victim may experience abusive and excessive phone calls, vandalism, threatening or obscene mail, trespassing, and physical assault. If you have been a victim of such crimes visit: Cyber-Crimes, Cybertipline, www.fbi.gov, IC3, Crimes on Line and consult with your lawyer, local police department and law enforcement agencies.
