Bullying
"Can we stop bullying altogether? I tend to doubt it; my mother,who grew up on a chicken farm,told me that her family had to isolate any deformed chicken to prevent the others from pecking it to death. Even though we humans should be kinder than chickens, we, like chickens, have always been afraid and suspicious of people whom we see as 'different,' and most of us also tend to enjoy attaining the status and control of our peers that is often one of the 'rewards' of bullying. For those reasons, I fear bullying will always be with us - but that's no reason to give up trying to end it"
- Nancy Garden, as quoted in Teacher Librarian
It is evident that teenagers are currently subject to epidemic-levels of teasing and ridicule at the hands of their peers, often under the microscope of everyone in their school and communities, a sentiment which has been amplified by the explosion of Web 2.0 and social media technologies. This has led to an unprecedented rise in cyber-bullying, and bullying is now more revoltingly visible than ever before.
Subsequently homophobia exists, seemingly running rampant, and the scary reality is that the world can be a dangerous place for GLBTQ youth, who are often bullied much more incessantly than non-GLBTQ students .
Furthermore, many people still have a tendency to view homosexual acts as unlawful or immoral, and until recently (1973), homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder by American Psychiatric Association. It goes without saying that acting as if we have to protect our children from GLBTQ content only makes it seem more shameful and illicit. Denying the existence of GLBTQ information needs and refusing to collect in these areas, only keeps this atrociously fallacious stigma alive. (Alexander and Miselis, 45).
What does this mean for GLBTQ teens?
"All of these factors combine to create a group of teens that are many times more likely than their peers to fall victim to 'violence, verbal abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, high dropout rates, and suicide' " (ibid, 45).
What can librarians do?
" 'One by personalizing the issue and allowing the opposition to see that members of this group are just regular people with jobs, families, and normal everyday lives, many misgivings can be alleviated. And, two, remember that education is a powerful tool.' Librarians can take this advice by networking with local GLBTQ groups, by creating library spaces where GLBTQ groups are welcome along with other community groups, and by encouraging access to the excellent library materials that are available today" (ibid, 48).
Lastly, the University of Illinois' Center for Children's Books recently compiled an annotated bibliography on library materials dealing with bullying aimed at grades 6-12. To check out these valuable materials, click here!!
Sources:
Alexander, Linda B., and Sarah D. Miselis. "Barriers To GLBTQ Collection Development And Strategies For Overcoming Them."
Young Adult Library Services 5.3 (2007): 43-49. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.
"Much More Than Annie On Her Mind." Teacher Librarian 39.1 (2011): 50-54. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.
"Can we stop bullying altogether? I tend to doubt it; my mother,who grew up on a chicken farm,told me that her family had to isolate any deformed chicken to prevent the others from pecking it to death. Even though we humans should be kinder than chickens, we, like chickens, have always been afraid and suspicious of people whom we see as 'different,' and most of us also tend to enjoy attaining the status and control of our peers that is often one of the 'rewards' of bullying. For those reasons, I fear bullying will always be with us - but that's no reason to give up trying to end it"
- Nancy Garden, as quoted in Teacher Librarian
It is evident that teenagers are currently subject to epidemic-levels of teasing and ridicule at the hands of their peers, often under the microscope of everyone in their school and communities, a sentiment which has been amplified by the explosion of Web 2.0 and social media technologies. This has led to an unprecedented rise in cyber-bullying, and bullying is now more revoltingly visible than ever before.
Subsequently homophobia exists, seemingly running rampant, and the scary reality is that the world can be a dangerous place for GLBTQ youth, who are often bullied much more incessantly than non-GLBTQ students .
Furthermore, many people still have a tendency to view homosexual acts as unlawful or immoral, and until recently (1973), homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder by American Psychiatric Association. It goes without saying that acting as if we have to protect our children from GLBTQ content only makes it seem more shameful and illicit. Denying the existence of GLBTQ information needs and refusing to collect in these areas, only keeps this atrociously fallacious stigma alive. (Alexander and Miselis, 45).
What does this mean for GLBTQ teens?
"All of these factors combine to create a group of teens that are many times more likely than their peers to fall victim to 'violence, verbal abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, high dropout rates, and suicide' " (ibid, 45).
What can librarians do?
" 'One by personalizing the issue and allowing the opposition to see that members of this group are just regular people with jobs, families, and normal everyday lives, many misgivings can be alleviated. And, two, remember that education is a powerful tool.' Librarians can take this advice by networking with local GLBTQ groups, by creating library spaces where GLBTQ groups are welcome along with other community groups, and by encouraging access to the excellent library materials that are available today" (ibid, 48).
Lastly, the University of Illinois' Center for Children's Books recently compiled an annotated bibliography on library materials dealing with bullying aimed at grades 6-12. To check out these valuable materials, click here!!
Sources:
Alexander, Linda B., and Sarah D. Miselis. "Barriers To GLBTQ Collection Development And Strategies For Overcoming Them."
Young Adult Library Services 5.3 (2007): 43-49. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.
"Much More Than Annie On Her Mind." Teacher Librarian 39.1 (2011): 50-54. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.