Posted on 04/09/2010 1:41:13 PM PDT by Patriot777
DALLAS — A 13-year-old hangs himself in a Johnson County, Texas, barn. An 8-year-old jumps out of a two-story school building in Houston. Nine Massachusetts teenagers face jail time after allegedly harassing a girl so mercilessly that she killed herself. These incidents, all of which took place in one week, reframe the age-old phenomenon of the schoolyard bully.
Students are turning to suicide, experts say, as an escape from taunts that now continue beyond the school day through cyberspace.
Such drastic responses, they say, reveal how an action once considered a rite of passage has turned into a public health issue.
"You used to get a reprieve every time you went home," said Beaux Wellborn, who helps lead the Bully Suicide Project, a Dallas effort started in November to address the surge in suicides. "Kids today don't get a reprieve. It's a constant cycle. Imagine waking up and getting a text message that someone hates you, then dealing with it at school and getting home to face it on Facebook and Instant Messenger."
(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...
It’s no longer about teasing, it’s stalking and nonstop harassment. And rape, as is the case with the monsters in Mass. It’s more feral. It used to be about paper throwing and spitballs and name calling, but that was tame. Back then bullies were dealt with swiftly and the bully was punished, not the victim for retaliating.
It hurt their self-esteem, they couldn’t take it.
Uh, no, this isn’t about ‘not being able to take it.’ This is about stalking, rape, harassment, writing “Mission Accomplished” on a Facebook page, tormenting a grieving family. This is feral, neanderthal behavior.
Good points. I hate bullies. We have our own bullies here on FR who daily attack and make fun of people of a certain religion. I think there is a national anti-bullying wave happening right now, and I would not want to be a documented bully in the near future.
I would truly hate to be a kid today.
Publik skool products, just acting the way they have been taught I would bet.
#1 the girl in Massachusetts wasnt raped. The boy was charged with statutory rape, its obvious the sex was consensual and she had sex with more than one boy. As far as the internet goes, turn the damn computer off and take the cellphone away.
I feel sorry for any kid who has to go through bullying, but I have to say, why don’t kids fight back? I was bullied all through 6th grade, 7th grade started and the bullying started again, in the middle of class 1 day I had enough, got out of my seat and proceeded to beat the girl up who was bullying me, the teacher accidently got punched by me trying to get me off of the bully. I’m not a violent person but I knew the bullying had to stop and I had to stand up for myself for it to stop.
Let it all come out. Put the bullying filth in juvie and let the decent students have a chance.
Oh, and I forgot to add, I was never bullied again.
I don’t get it. All these bullies had futures that were bright and these idiots ruin their own future over something this trivial. What evil made them do this? It’s not about public school, just parents who are teaching their kids this wohle illogical “win at all costs” mentality. It’s great if directed professionally, but these people turned it inward.
Hell, we ALL had/put up with/knew bullies when we went to school...some of us, 45 years ago or so. But I don’t recall any of my friends killing themselves over it! These aren’t bullies today. They’re thugs who need the shite kicked out of them, just for a START!
Exactly..No charges, just beat their asses..
More of a lose at all costs mentality these days.
I don’t know, the LDS crowd gives as good as they take and the Catholic Freepers are no slouches in defending themselves about the only religion I see really harrassed is Islam and may it always be so!
7th grade started and the bullying started again, in the middle of class 1 day I had enough, got out of my seat and proceeded to beat the girl up who was bullying me, the teacher accidently got punched by me trying to get me off of the bully.
Bingo. You don’t even have to physically win the fight, just physically retaliate. Preferably in front of the admin or teachers. While I feel for the kids, they ultimately have to learn to defend themselves mentally as well as physically. I am not sure the teachers or admin can really stop it, they can certainly punish it. I would recommend long suspensions of bullies with many truant officer visits to the home during school hours to punish the parents.
I think the internet adds to it for kids.
Kids form a family feeling around forums and different things on the net, we do similar here on FR.
They get teased at school like we did but many now come home to find comfort on the internet instead of their real family.
Some on the net aren’t who they say they are or they play cruel games to entertain themselves and others.
Think about the teen who tricked young boys into sending embarrassing photos of themselves (he pretended to be female), then blackmailed them into sex.
That sort of thing happens VERY often on the net and not just to kids, but most adults are more emotionally equipped to cope.
I’m not blaming the net as much as the break-down of the family.
Kids have come to seek comfort and approval on the net instead of their family, and many once caught into something they feel ashamed of, are too embarrassed to seek their parents help by that point.
Here’s another sad, very sad story...
http://www.prefixmag.com/forum/prefix-forum/3703/
Change the cell phone number; obviously the target might need the phone for an emergency.
Decent children shouldn’t have to attempt to kill others in order to simply be left alone. If the government school system can’t prevent this crap, it should be abolished, period.
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