Unit 5 Discussion

Is it bullying or is it drama?  How can we frame and contribute to this conversation, particularly with tweens in a way that engages with their rhetoric?

"Dismissing a conflict that’s really hurting their feelings as drama lets teenagers demonstrate that they don’t care about such petty concerns." (Boyd, 2011). This is a powerful statement that was made in an article titled "Bullying as True Drama" by Danah Boyd and Alice Marwick. It was published in The New York Times in 2011. This is true for adults as well as teens. People use defense mechanisms to combat the everyday stresses in their lives. One of them used is to brush something off like it does not matter. More often than not drama is coined drama because someone has caused problems. Problems generally result in hurt feelings and hurt feelings can come from bullying. This vicious cycle can have consequences no one can predict. As adults working with teens and tweens, we need to be hyper aware of the terms used. If there is someone who talks about drama in their lives often, they may need to talk more and may know something about some bullying going on. In the book Holes, bullying is prominent throughout the book. The kids try to brush it off because they want to be strong, but hearts are broken none the less. If we can pay attention to the kids we work with, be trustworthy people in their lives, then maybe we can be someone they talk to.