Task 1: Students are encouraged to identify and list the author’s:
- viewpoint;
- tone;
- technique(s); and
- purpose and impact.
Task 2: Students are encouraged to use this information as the basis for sentences/a paragraph.
Exercise 7: A dog’s life (p. 11)
Main contention/ Viewpoint: Mr Jack Smith of Brunburn disagrees with the Mornington Council’s proposed new law to restrict the length of a dog’s lead to one metre.
Technique: Mr Smith appeals to the reader’s moral values when he states that it is unfair that sensible dog owners will be punished because of the actions of an irresponsible few.
In addition, he also appeals to our moral compass and sense of responsibility by implying that dog owners like himself are sensible and want to enjoy a “friendly outing”.
Impact: He expects members of the public to recognise that the Council’s rules are unfair and to vent their dismay at the decision.
Tone: Mr Smith makes sarcastic comments about the councillors, such as: ‘Maybe the councillors have something against dogs?’
Technique: He attacks the councillors by implying that they appear to object personally to dogs. Thus he hopes to exclude and shame them.
The Potato Deception, P. 11
View: Harry Jon of Coolabar maintains that the government should ban the burqa in public because he believes that the public will associate people wearing the burqa with criminal activity.
Tone: Mr Jon comments with an authoritative tone that “its use is shaming their religion and is of no benefit to anyone.”
Technique: If its use is shaming their religion, then Mr Jon is also introducing a moral appeal (hence a self-righteous tone). He seeks to exclude those who may be guilty of criminal activity.
Technique: Mr Jon asks a rhetorical question, “how do we know who’s hiding behind those potato sacks?”
Impact/purpose: This statement strikes fear into members of the public and undermines their sense of safety in the community. It may also inflame racist sentiments.
Tone: The tone of the question is provocative and inflammatory.
Technique/ attack: The word “potato sack” deliberately ridicules the burqa and those who wear them.
Technique: Mr Jon appeals to common sense. He infers that Muslims should recognise that the ban is sensible because it will prevent people from misusing the burqa and from wearing it for deceptive purposes.
A Family Affair, (p. 12)
View: Mr James of Black Rock asserts that parents should have the right to discipline children in their own homes.
Tone: Mr James is amazed that the police do not have anything better to worry about except how a mother is disciplining her child. The tone is both annoyed and incredulous.
Technique: Mr James uses short sentence fragments to emphasise that the weapon was not harmful. “Not a knife. Not even a strap. No! A wooden spoon”.
Technique: He uses a rhetorical question to ask, “if there isn’t an obvious case of violence, should they be interfering in family life?”
Technique: Attack: The author discredits the police and implies that they are wasting their time.
Impact/purpose: Mr James expects us to feel indignant at the police because they are interfering in family affairs.
Give cyclists a break, p. 12
View: Ms Winter maintains that it is important for the government to provide bicycle paths for cyclists.
Technique: Ms Winter uses anecdotal evidence relating to two accidents – Ms Crosby’s and her daughter’s.
Impact/ purpose: The real-life example of her daughter is designed to evoke sympathy towards injured cyclists.
Impact / purpose: The anecdote seeks to illustrate the indifference of many motorists. Accordingly, the author encourages us to feel indignant at such reckless behaviour.
Drugs in sport, Ms Janie Haughton p. 12
View: Ms Haughton criticises the MFL’s policy and believes it must suspend players who use drugs.
Tone: She adopts an indignant tone to convey her dismay at the fact that David Hones was not suspended. She adopts a righteous and blunt tone to state that they should be harshly punished.
Techniques:
Attack: (appeal to leadership) Ms Haughton discredits the MFL because of its casual approach to the players’ drug offences.
Purpose: Ms Haughton seeks to shame and isolate those who do not take a firm stance.
Appeals: The author appeals to leadership and moral standards when she states that the MFL and its players must provide an example to the younger generation. Currently, she states that they are not showing sufficient responsibility. “He (David Hones) should have been suspended”, but was not.
Purpose: These comments are likely to spark anger towards the MFL, especially given the size of the footballer’s pay-packet, and is likely to stimulate hostile feelings among the public.
Purpose: Ms Haughton seeks to encourage members of the public to recognise that such sporting institutions have an important role to play in setting public standards and she therefore expects people to pressure the MFL to discipline players more strictly.
Technique: The author appeals to emotions and our moral compass when she refers to the “fatal consequences for the user”. This elicits sympathy for the younger generation who are betrayed by their idols.
Technique: The author appeals to the reader’s sense of logic when she makes a connection between the footballers’ example and the behaviour of supporters. This is designed to alarm members of the public, especially parents of young children.
“Dump homework”, the Editorial, The Daily, p. 13
The editor believes that we must assess whether there is any value to homework in primary school.
View: The author believes that homework does not serve any useful purpose in primary school.
Audience: The editor’s discussion of homework targets teachers, parents and school children.
Tone: sensible; rational; forthright; assertive. The author adopts an assertive tone to state that “it does not pass the test”. Because the editor is very forceful, they command authority and people are more likely to believe their views.
Technique/ language: The editor uses a pun— that homework has does not “pass the test” — to discredit its purpose.
Technique: The Editor refers to an expert organisation, the Australian Council of State School Organisations, to reinforce their point that homework should be “dumped”. This colloquial expression “dumped” makes a forceful impression and implies that homework is worthless.
Purpose/impact: It suggests children are being subjected to unnecessary stress, which is likely to make both parents and children alike feel anxious. Teachers may, understandably, have mixed reactions.
Appeal to health and wellbeing/fear: The editor places a higher priority than many on the children’s health and wellbeing and their personal happiness. By acknowledging children’s and parents’ fears about homework, the editor seeks to win support from parents who worry about their children becoming tired and stressed.
Appeal to morals/attack: “Schools should be a fun place of learning.” “Let children be kids once they get home.” (parental responsibility/ high-minded tone.) The editor believes that homework should not be given to children if it is stressful. The editor seeks to isolate teachers and schools that give children so much homework that it becomes stressful.
Technique: appeal to family values: The Editor also appeals to family values when he states that “let children be kids once they get home”. This suggests that homework denies them a childhood.
Exercise 30: Smoking at home kills (p. 41)
View and topic sentence: Mr Treeton maintains that parents should not smoke in the home because they are jeopardising / compromising their family’s health.
Techniques and purpose:
• Appeal to moral values: Mr Treeton characterises the parents as selfish and/or ignorant in order to shame them.
• Appeal to the common good and public safety/ duty of care and responsibility: Parents should be more responsible in the home. The government should set appropriate standards.
• Mr Treeton makes an analogy with other rules and regulations relating to domestic affairs to show that there is a precedence. This anticipates Ms Fit’s attack (and seeks to overturn the preconceived notion) that the government should not interfere in the home.
• He uses an anecdote referring to Sabina and her asthmatic condition to prove that parents are ignorant of the damage they are causing to their children.
• His argument also relies on statistics to show that there are a lot of children who are suffering unnecessarily from passive smoke. This enhances the author’s authority as well as the degree of trust among his target audience –parents who smoke.
• Repetition (parallel rhetorical questions): “Don’t they read… Don’t they see…?” to question their degree of ignorance and selfishness.
Return to Red Workbook Tasks Overview
Exercise 33: Anna’s mother begs for change (p. 45)
View: Ms Reston contends that the industry should have stricter guidelines for models to prevent anorexia and death.
Tone: She adopts a desperate tone to share the experience of her daughter’s death with readers.
Technique/impact: She uses the real-life example of her daughter to show the consequences of a lack of regulations in the fashion industry. (Purpose) Ms Reston depicts her daughter as disturbed because of her mind-set that she had to be skinny to get work. She quotes her daughter and uses emotive language to show the daughter’s attitude. The story of her painful relationship with her daughter and the fact that she could not change her mind tugs at readers’ heartstrings and makes people realize that it could happen to anyone. This is also likely to shock readers because they can see how innocent and vulnerable these girls are.
Technique: By using the first person pronoun, she conveys the depth of her sorrow. She also uses her real-life experience to build trust among her readers – parents and models.
Technique/impact: Ms Reston also appeals to the readers’ sympathy by stating that Anna was mentally unstable.
Technique: Ms Reston also uses facts and figures and statistical evidence (and some jargon) to show that the risk to the daughter’s health. Firstly the daughter was only 40 kilograms which was unhealthy and secondly the fashion industry lacks strict regulations. She states that only Spain had a minimum BMI level for models. (Attack on the industry) In order to show the daughter’s dangerous weight levels, she compares her BMI (13.5) to a normal/ healthy BMI which should be 18. Purpose: These statements and her assertive tone, “it is critical that”, reinforce her view that the fashion industry is exploiting the young girls.
Tone: Ms Reston adopts a caring and candid tone when she reminds parents: “please remember”.
Technique/language: The alliterative phrase “famous fashion brand” reinforces the negative impact of a model’s obsession with fame and fortune.
Putting it together:
(View) Ms Reston contends that the industry should have stricter guidelines for models to prevent anorexia and death. (Tone) She adopts a desperate tone to share the experience of her daughter’s death with readers. (Technique) She uses the real-life example of her daughter to show the consequences of a lack of regulations in the fashion industry. Ms Reston depicts her daughter as disturbed because of her mind-set that she had to be skinny to get work. She quotes her daughter and uses emotive language to show the daughter’s attitude. (Purpose) The story of her painful relationship with her daughter and the fact that she could not change her mind tugs at readers’ heartstrings and makes people realize that it could happen to anyone. This is also likely to shock readers because they can see how innocent and vulnerable these girls are.
(View) Mrs Reston strongly censures the fashion industry believing it is irresponsible and corrupts the young girls. Technique: Ms Reston uses facts, figures and statistical evidence (including some jargon) to encourage parents to recognise the risks to their daughter’s health. Firstly, her daughter was only 40 kilograms which was an unhealthy weight and, secondly, the fashion industry lacks strict regulations. She states that only Spain had a minimum BMI level for models. Purpose: These statements and her assertive tone (“it is critical that”) reinforce her view that the fashion industry is exploiting young girls. Such comments are likely to draw anger from concerned parents.
Exercise 36: Support Animal Lives: (p. 48)
(Topic sentence/ View) Ms King introduces her article with a rhetorical question that directs our attention to the importance of taking action to protect the victims of the live animal trade.
(Tone) In a frustrated tone, she asks “how do you get something done” in this country.
(Technique: Purpose) To direct our sympathy towards the animals, Ms King appeals to the reader’s moral compass by stating that Animals at Risk fight for morals.
(Purpose) As such she encourages readers to support such an organization because they protect the animals.
(Technique / Statistics) The fact that seven million animals are shipped to countries that lack regulations is likely to shock readers because it is a significant number.
(Tactic/ emotive language) Ms King also uses emotive language to depict the animals’ fate – the “knives are blunt” and the cattles’ “eyes are gouged out”. (purpose/impact). The purpose is to show their suffering and to alarm members of the public.
(Technique/ view) Ms King makes numerous attacks to discredit and isolate those organizations and members of the public who support the trade. For example, she draws attention to Livestock’s deceptive practices. They use a lot of “spin” to pretend that they care but they are only interested in “profit”.
(Purpose/ intention). The purpose of her criticism is to encourage members of the public to vent their frustration at the government’s lack of action. She seems intent on stirring the antagonism that is bound to mount in the community as people become aware of such suffering. Furthermore, she shames the Livestock’s actions because they appear to be dishonest.
(Technique) She also makes a comparison between the live animal trade and whale hunting to shame Australians who do not take sufficient action to protect animals.
(Tactic) Finally, Ms King uses repetition and inclusive language, (“we send them there; we supply them”) (purpose) to show that all Australians are responsible for the suffering if they do not pressure the Government to stop the live animal trade.
(Tactic) She also uses appeals to patriotism (purpose) to encourage us to show compassion and care and a sense of justice towards these animals who suffer from “cruel” treatment. She states that typically Australians join together and “fight for the underdog”. To do any less, she believes is un-Australian.
Exercise 37: Why you should be worried, p. 50
View: Ms Banter discredits parents who neglect their children and let them play an excessive amount of computer games because they are changing the way they play and think.
Tone: provocative; assertive; adamant; dismayed; indignant. Ms Banter adopts an indignant tone to state that computer games are destroying family life.
Technique: Ms Banter uses both expert opinion and her own personal observations to support her view that children’s brains are changing. She also appeals to family values and tradition when she states “gone are the days” when families enjoyed their meals together. Accordingly, she instils both fear and a sense of panic in parents at the fact that children are becoming isolated and addicted to computer games and families are no longer communicating and sharing stories.
Technique and purpose: Attack: Ms Banter uses attacking tactics to scare parents about the consequences of computer addiction such as the “brain dead” syndrome. She characterizes parents as reckless and irresponsible by suggesting that parents contribute to this syndrome by a lack of supervision and control. She maintains it is a form of “child abuse”. This is a very strong word to alarm parents and censure those who do not care enough about their children’s wellbeing. Not only does she scare parents but she thereby seeks to shame them because they do not show sufficient duty of care.
Word choice: She uses an alliterative phrase, “bling and blitz”, to highlight the fact that children are addicted to the entertainment value of games.
Technique: appeal to safety/wellbeing and morals: “This is a form of child abuse”. The tone is: assertive; stern; judgemental and accusatory. Ms Banter shames parents who are guilty of neglect and who do not appreciate the long-term consequences. She instils a sense of fear in parents and hopes that they will recognize the folly of their actions. Such harsh and accusatory words also seek to exclude those parents who do not provide adequate opportunities for productive development.
Exercise 39: Plastiki sails across the ocean, p. 53
Mr Spanner recommends that people recycle their plastic containers and follow the example set by the crew of Plastiki. Primarily, Mr Spanner relies on the eye-witness accounts of the crew members to highlight the point that plastics are endangering our marine life and causing a great deal of havoc in the sea. Readers are likely to trust such evidence because the crew has first-hand experience and has witnessed the damage. Mr Spanner also uses negative words to describe the sea as a “dustbin” to shame people who are carelessly throwing away rubbish. The purpose of such evidence, as well as his logical and assertive tone, is to spark anger at those people who are irresponsible. Mr Spanner also uses repetition, such as “reuse, reduce, recycle and rethink” to reinforce the point that we must re-use our plastic bottles and cartons.
Secondly, Mr Spanner also contends that our health will suffer if we do not care for the environment. To build trust among readers and to show his knowledge, Mr Spanner also refers to Dr Parker from Coolabar University and a report from the United Nations which states that “a million sea birds” are dying each year as well as fish. Also the fact that the particles are seeping into the food chain is likely to alarm members of the public.
Mr Smart contends that the young sailors are not only endangering their own lives but the lives of the rescuers…
Attacking tactics: Mr Smart attacks Abby Sunderland’s motives and maturity. He suggests that she is not sailing because of her passion but because she is pursuing fame and fortune. He states sceptically, “she cashes in”. He thereby expects readers to distrust her motives. In addition, Abby endangered the lives of the rescue parties. “What about the lives of the sailors…” Mr Smart instils in Abby and in similar teenagers a sense of guilt for the fact that they did not recognise the consequences for others. Also, they will “encourage copy cat” sailors and teenagers will get younger.
www. Environmental watch . com. p. 56 Planet ARK and plastic bags.
Julie’s comments: Planet Ark
View: Plastic bags are destroying the environment and killing children and wildlife.
Evidence: Julie relies on real-life or anecdotal examples to prove that plastic bags are killing whales. This evidence helps people understand the consequences of their actions and relate to the author’s concerns. The fact that they are dying “innocently” suggest that they are victims of our careless actions. She also refers to an expert’s opinion, John Dee from Planet Ark, to state that this is a common incident. He is a reputable expert and is an environmental activist. He has knowledge about the environment and the wildlife and so his opinion adds credibility to Julie’s comments.
Tone: She adopts a critical tone and asks for urgent action.
Appeals: She appeals to duty of care and responsibility as well as moral values.
Purpose: She seeks to elicit the reader’s concern and care for animals and encourages them to show greater responsibility. She wants readers to recognise the consequences of their careless action.
TRENT SCOTT, PG 56.
Evidence: Trent relies on comparative facts to show that retailers in Europe and Asia have introduced measures to reduce the use of plastic bags. He appeals to the reader’s common sense by suggesting that if people have to pay for plastic bags they will use less.
Technique: rhetorical question: “Why are we so slow to act?” This question encourages people to think about the retailers’ lack of action and their indifference.
Technique: Attack: Trent discredits the Environment Minister. He implies that the Minister is short-sighted or narrow-minded. The fact that he seems to lack knowledge of the problem casts doubts on his reputation and credentials as a minister and makes it difficult for the public to trust him. This creates a distance between members of the public and those in the ministry.
Technique/ words: “pitter patter” approach: This alliterative phrase shows his lack of urgency; “the real iceberg lurking beneath the surface”: the metaphor suggests that there is a huge problem concealed beneath the surface and is threatening to disrupt the environment.
Technique: Further rhetorical questions again draw attention to his lack of knowledge.
Supporting reason: Trent suggests that people need a reason or an incentive to care.
Appeal: hip-pocket appeal and common sense/ cause-and-effect reasoning: he reasons that people are more likely to change their behaviour if they have to pay extra. The comparisons with Europe and Asia suggest that it is possible to change people’s behaviour through costs and refunds and that people need an incentive to act/care.
Purpose: Trent shames people into action. He dares people to care and to make changes to their behaviour.
Technique: repetitive phrases/ listing/ parallelism: “we’d be riding bikes…” A list highlights the complexity or extent of the problem; people can often relate to at least one of the real-life suggestions in the list, which helps them to identify with the others; the list is used as a comparative tool to prompt people to reflect upon the type of choices and decisions they have made to help the environment.
Exercise 43: HT Bank by Jonathon Tigfield (p. 58)
View: The author, Jonathon Tigfield, criticises the salary package received by the head of the HT Bank.
Tone: In a scathing (or indignant) tone, he expresses his disgust and feels “sick to the stomach” by the size of the package.
Characterisation of the bank executives
Technique (Attack): Mr Tigfield discredits the bank and its executives by exposing their hypocrisy that has led to the sacking of “hundreds, possibly thousands” of staff. This is also a moral appeal because the author draws attention to a situation of injustice and deceit.
Technique (Attack): The author uses idiomatic expressions such as “big wigs” and “fat cats”. The tone is cynical and criticises the attitude of the chiefs. In particular, the phrase “fat cats” carries negative connotations and characterises the bank chiefs as self-interested and greedy. It reinforces their shameful behaviour and anticipates that members of the public will share this author’s exasperation.
Techniques (Attack): The colloquial phrase “a million bucks” and the mock dialogue and statistics set up the bank chiefs for ridicule. The language also seeks to build hostility between members of the public and the bank chiefs. (The use of the survey and statistics also seeks to astound members of the public and further shames and isolates the executive directors.)
Reference to the employees
Technique: In contrast, Mr Tigfield uses emotive language and seeks to arouse sympathy for the victims such as the employees, who are “battling” to survive and “send kids to school”. The author also uses inclusive language and a cliché to refer to the workers who have to “tighten their belts”.
Impact: The inclusive language suggests that the plight of the workers is typical as they are the true victims of economic hardship. The author certainly expects us to feel sorry for their plight. This description also sets up a comparison to the “fat chiefs” and their luxurious lifestyle.
Challenge to the public
Technique: Mr Tigfield uses a rhetorical question to ask whether “anyone cares” and implies that people do not if they fail to pressure the government or banks for change.
Purpose: This question places the focus on the public whose indifference contributes indirectly to the shameful behavior of bank chiefs, which seems to “go on and on”. Accordingly, Mr Tigfield seems intent on challenging us to vent our frustration and display our dissatisfaction.
Technique: Mr Tigfield refers to the survey released by a respectable organisation such as the Australian Council of Super Investors to enhance his credibility. The survey shows that the salary of executives has more than doubled during the past six years and with bonuses this amounts to an unfair level of pay.
Purpose: The reference to the survey encourages ordinary members of the public to feel angry and frustrated. It is designed to shame and isolate the chief executives.
Technique: Repetitive phrases (“forget about their performance”) enable the author to conclude forcefully and leave a strong impression in our minds that this is unacceptable behaviour.
Technique: The cartoon takes a straightforward, literal view of the “fat cats”. It portrays two men who are presumably in an executive position. Their enlarged stomachs draw attention to people who are accustomed to an indulged lifestyle, probably at the expense of their employees. The cartoon ridicules the chief executives and suggests that are too selfish to “tighten their belts”.
Equality rules the day:
View: Dr Fiona Smither, who is the recruitment officer, advocates that women should have the opportunity to go to war. She works in the personnel industry and is likely to support the right of women to have access to the same jobs as men. As an expert, she also has first-hand experience of women’s capabilities.
Tone: Adopting a sensible and rational tone, Dr Smither believes that women should have equal opportunity in all areas of life. The rhetorical question, ‘why should a woman’s death …?”, is stated provocatively to make us question the difference why we treat a woman’s death differently than a man’s.
Words/technique: Dr Smither is critical of those people who make a “fuss” and insinuates that they are irrational and narrow-minded. She repeats words such as “equally tragic, equally honourable …” to reinforce her point that men’s and women’s deaths are equally sad. The figurative reference to the “man-made obstacle” implies that there is no real reason for the obstacle apart and that it arises from an outdated and traditional belief in a man’s role to fight.
Appeals:
Dr Smither appeals to concepts such as justice and equal opportunity believing that women should have the same rights as men. She encourages readers to acknowledge that death in war is tragic for both men and women. Dr Smither also appeals to logic and common sense when she places the issue in perspective. She states that only a “small proportion of men’ are able to satisfy the criteria and it will be difficult for women.
GIVE THE PUPPIES A CHANCE
View: Ms Snare maintains that the Government should regulate puppy factories.
She depicts the puppies as desperate and in need of protection. Tone: Ms Snare adopts a blunt and forthright tone when she states that “this is a disgrace”.
Technique: The author uses first-hand anecdotal experience to show that puppies are being abandoned and are wandering the streets.
Purpose: The author seeks to arouse our sympathy for the puppies who are abandoned by families. She uses emotive language to show that they are vulnerable and often end up on “death row” or are “churned out for profit” and then killed. Her evidence also seeks to build trust among her readers because she states that she has personally witnessed the suffering.
Technique: The author also refers to statistics and expert opinion to reinforce her own experiences and to show that this is not an isolated case. The statistics show the size of the problem with up to 300,000 dogs and cats being killed. Purpose: The use of such evidence is likely to provoke the public’s anger towards the puppy factories.
Technique: The author uses figurative language to compare the puppies with “disposable commodities” and “homeless tramps”. Purpose: This again seeks to arouse our sympathy for the puppies and ensure that we pressure the government to place bans upon the puppy factories.
Ms Snare criticises the puppy factories and believes that they are exploiting the sad plight of the puppies.
Attack: The author attacks/ discredits the “profiteering puppy factory” owners. The cynical reference to commercial profit as well as the rhetorical question focus our attention on the desperate plight of the puppies and the heartlessness of the owners.
Purpose: By characterising the owners as “hard-hearted”, Ms Snare attempts to spark anger at their motives and make it difficult for us to trust them.
Technique: Ms Snare also questions the morals of the families who do not provide adequate care and who abandon the puppies. The author also appeals to morals when she states that with the “right controls and political will”.
Purpose: This statement encourages people to show goodwill towards the people who are seeking to regulate the industry. She also shames those who are exploiting the puppies or who fail to care for them, as well as the government who is failing to act and controls the factories.
Technique: The author also refers to statistics and expert opinion to reinforce her own experiences and to show that this is not an isolated case. The statistics show the size of the problem with up to 300,000 dogs and cats being killed. Purpose: The use of such evidence is likely to provoke the public’s anger towards the puppy factories.
PROSE PASSAGE
Adopting an indignant tone throughout her letter, Ms Snare contends that there should be stricter controls placed on puppy factories. Using a combination of evidence, the author seeks to arouse our sympathy for the “forlorn” puppies while directing our anger towards the “profiteering puppy factories.”
Specifically, Ms Snare’s reference to her own first-hand experience clearly depicts the sorry plight of the animals who are abandoned. Figurative terms such as “like homeless tramps” and “like disposable commodities” reinforce her view that the puppies are treated shamefully. These terms also encourage people to think about their own treatment of animals. The statistics as quoted by the RSDA present Mr Jeff Tomlinson help to depict the extent of the problem and prove a need for regulation.
On the other hand, Ms Snare agitates for change and tighter controls by directing our anger towards the “profiteering puppy factory” owners. She characterises them as “hard hearted” and shames them for their apparent disregard of the plight of the puppies. (She also suggests that families are also irresponsible because they fail to provide appropriate care.)
Through her word choice and appeals, Ms Snare expects concerned members of the public to agitate and pressure the authorities to implement greater control.
A bully’s paradise
by Dr Abe Carmichael
A girl committed suicide after she was taunted and teased by her neighbour. Apparently her neighbour had told one of the witnesses that the girl had concocted a false online identity “to mess with” the victim.
She knew, too, that the girl was suicidal, but it all became a bit of a game, and a deadly one at that.
Cyberbullying can take many forms, including sending emails or SMS threats, spreading rumours and nasty comments in internet chat rooms or on blogs. Even degrading (doctored) photos and mobile-phone videos can be easily posted on the internet or sent by phone or email.
For the victim there’s no escape. The abuse never switches off.
Studies of cyberbullying victims reveal that it changes their lives forever. The effect is mind-altering and mind-boggling. It robs them of their self-esteem and kindles a deep-seated feeling of angst and insecurity, leading to withdrawal, depression and paranoia.
A 2006 survey by the Child Health Promotion Research Centre at Edith Cowan University found 17 per cent of people engaged in online bullying “to act mean to people and get away with it”.
So what’s the answer?
It’s important that children learn strategies to recognise and combat such bullying. They need to be able to talk about their fears, and know that the bullying is not justified. That bullies are gutless, masked sissies and poisonous vipers jeering at the slightest indication of acknowledgement or “success”. Victims must also keep any incriminating evidence and share it with parents.
For parents, it’s important to establish lines of communication and monitor closely your child’s online life. Don’t let them lock themselves away for hours in darkened rooms.
Find meaningful ways to communicate. Not just, “what are you doing?” or “what’s that message?” Your child’s moods are also a useful barometer. Beware of sullen and uncharacteristic behaviour that goes beyond the usual adolescent blues.
Every child has the right to live in a safe and harmonious environment, free from the threat of abuse. It is the parent’s duty to ensure such an environment.
(Dr Abe Carmichael is Head of Psychology, Coolabar University)
View: Dr Carmichael seeks to draw attention to the terrible consequences of cyberbullying and urges parents to be more attentive to its symptoms.
Technique: Dr Carmichael introduces his article with a real-life experience of the girl who committed suicide. The girl is portrayed as a sorry and sad victim who became extremely depressed because of the taunts aimed at her. The purpose is to provoke sympathy for the girl whose life was so miserable. Also, the anecdote helps to establish the author’s credibility and show that he cares for the victims of cyberbullying. Im so doing, he challenges us to show the same amount of care. Also another purpose of the real-life story is to alarm parents at the terrible consequences and show that it can happen to anyone.
View: Dr Abe Carmichael states that the bullies are deliberately mean and seek to harm their victims in very spiteful ways.
(Tone/ technique): In a judgemental tone, Dr Carmichael uses negative words to attack the bullies and to depict (portray/characterise) them as cowards and as people who lack moral values. They are “gutless, masked sissies and poisonous vipers”. The purpose is to provoke the public’s anger and to show just how mean these people can be. Accordingly, the author seeks to isolate these bullies and to encourage parents to take action to protect their children. Parents are likely to be receptive to (listen to) his advice that they should communicate more openly with their children.
Appeals and purpose:
Emotive words such as “taunted and teased” increase our sympathy
The author’s reference to the fact that “the abuse never switches off” shows the reader how difficult it is for the victim to withstand the stress of the taunts.
The author encourages us to feel sympathy by describing the girl who has been “taunted and teased”
The fact that the neighbour “concocted a false online identity” reveals that such people are manipulative and mean.
The fact that it became a “bit of a game” for the neighbour reveals her flippant nature and desire to be mean.
The reference to the suicide is also bound to raise parent’s anxiety.
Dr Carmichael seeks to isolate and shame the bullies by portraying them as particularly mean and cowardly.
He describes them using emotively negative words such as “gutless, masked sissies and poisonous vipers” to show their mean-spirit.
The author also fosters ill-will (directs the reader’s indignation) towards the bullies by suggesting that they are deliberately manipulative, and simply want to “mess with” their victims. They are depicted as people who enjoy taunting and disturbing others.
Although the effect is “mind altering and mind boggling” the bullies seem to escape unharmed.
The author appeals to parents to show responsibility when he states that “every child…
The author appeals to the child’s right to a safe environment and encourages parents to provide a “safe and harmonious environment”