Just a few days into the start of National
Bullying Prevention Month, dozens of Rutgers University students wore
black to remember Tyler Clementi, a freshman who killed himself after his
roommate, according to prosecutors, secretly streamed over the Internet his
intimate encounter with another man.
Since 2005, the month of October, has been specifically dedicated to globalize the awareness about this pressing matter which teenagers and young adults face today.
This
effort brings attention to the various types of bullying such as verbal or physical,
which are usually common signals of abuse. However, with the constant evolution
of technology, bullying has extended as far as the internet and is now known as
'cyber bullying.'
As it relates to Clementi's case, two students, Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei, have been charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy after allegedly placing a camera in Clementi's room and live streaming the recording online on Sept. 19, according to a written statement by New Jersey's Middlesex County.
To bring awareness to the cause, cable television network Nickelodeon, aired a segment featuring children speaking on the emotional and long-term effects of bullying on October 3.
On Monday, CNN
News anchor Anderson Cooper interviewed young teenagers as they told their own
personal stories of verbal, physical, and/or cyber abuse on "Anderson Cooper
360." His segment also highlighted tragic stories of other young adults from
previous years who have experienced bullying.
Disney Channel celebrity, Joe Jonas, has also created a short video speaking briefly about bullying stating that change starts "in yourself and then in your school and in your community."