preview

Bullying in the National Spotlight

Best Essays

As a young man growing up, I have had my share of hardships and difficulties with bullies and being bullied. My personal experiences of bulling started early in middle school and continued throughout junior high and high school. Given a small frame and statue, classmates would often create pranks targeting me. The pranks didn’t the start out as f bulling; name calling started early on my school career. Names such as four eyes, studderbox, nerd, mute, Steve Urkel, were just some of the many names I endured while in school. Entering high school as a freshmen was one of the most enjoyable and traumatic times as a young man. Going into high school with a new attitude, I thought the bulling was over. By the second week of school, I found …show more content…

Jonathan Martin’s frustration stemmed from one and half football seasons of bullying and taunting from some of his teammates which had gone beyond the player hazing that sometimes occurs in NFL locker rooms (2013). Rookie hazing is seen as a rite of passage in the National Football League teams. Stuart (2013) argues that athletic hazing is about team self-governance and is a potent tool to create a team hierarchy through fear and intimidation. She also argues that athletic hazing is part of maintaining masculinity and is perceived as a rite of passage to masculinity Looking at her analysis of hazing as the physical and psychological abuse of younger team members are by those who are more senior is humiliating but dangerous (Stuart 2013). Butryn (2003) prompted that intimidation, bullying, humiliation, and sexual violence are all intertwined into an acceptable template for male masculinity behavior. Waldron and Kowalski (2009) study of collegiate athletes resulted in athletes reporting engaging in risky, hazing behaviors because of the sport and the desire to be accepted by teammates encouraged hazing.

From the headlines in social media and television, Jonathan Martin bullying continued into his second season while on the Miami Dolphins team. Canfora (2013) reported that the bulling as personal and different from what the rest of the dolphins team rookie class endured. Martin was verbally

Get Access