When it comes to bullying I can safely say that everyone has been excluded at one time or another in their life. It may have been in kindergarten or on a sports team, how about at a party or you were the last one chosen. Exclusion hurts us emotionally.
Have you ever broken a bone before? Did it hurt? Can you still remember how much it hurt?
Why do I ask these questions? Well neuropsychologists have found that the same area of the brain that registers the pain from a broken bone is the same area of the brain that registers the pain from social exclusion. So let’s back track, I ask if it hurt when you broke a bone and can you remember how much it hurt because it is in the same area of the brain, when someone is socially excluded not only does it hurt you never forget it.
The brain develops from the back to the front. The front of are brain is the prefrontal cortex which helps us with decision making. The prefrontal cortex does not get fully developed until the age of 25. When it comes to cyber bullying we know people in general are more likely to say things on line that they wouldn’t normally say to someone face. Statistics show that Student from ages 12 to 18 was 40% more likely to post an offensive message then an older age group.
Because the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed we see students just doing dumb things, not thinking, showing no responsibility for their actions.
Students just don’t think there are any ramifications for what they post. They just don’t think before they post an offensive message. Is it right? NO but we can see know how students just post without thinking.
So the next time you go to post an offensive message which may hurts someone’s feeling think twice.
I hope in this blog I have helped us understand what and how bullying can affect our emotions from actions we take and how it affects are brains.
