[/caption]When I was in school, we had our share of bullies. One of the quietest kids in school finally had enough of it one day and decked one of the beasts. He was a hero of sorts to those of us who were victims. Another reason we didn't feel as threatened by these kids was we knew our parents were in our corner.
I don't think anyone of my peers ever thought of suicide because we were bullied. Why do kids think they need to do that today?
Today's victims have a lot more going on and more places to be victimized. Today, kids don't just get shoved in the halls or get harassed in the showers, instead they can be attacked online or have their names sullied over everyone's cell phones. Getting attacked from all sides can lead to feelings of depression and helplessness. With no end in sight, the suicide route seems the only way out.
Sure, they are told to go to adults and authority figures, but many times they are either ignored or told it is all in their head. And if they happen to be a homosexual, many times the adults in the situation will make it worse. Another problem with being gay is they may not be out to their family yet, so that avenue is totally closed to them.
From the outset, bullying needs to be discouraged. Most of the time you can tell which ones will be bullies at an early age. It is during the formative years that kids need to learn that certain behaviors will not be tolerated. I'm all for preschoolers being arrested for assault, if they show a pattern of repetitive behavior.
While there is no real answer about why the suicides are on the rise, it is up to the adults to listen and help those who are victims before it is too late. And parents, if Tommy comes home with a fat lip, you better find out why. Be open-minded, they are our kids. We should love them no matter what.
Related articles
- Bullying: Suicide (socyberty.com)
- Is bullying on the rise? (education.com)
- Bullying and Depression (education.com)
- Dealing With a Bully (againstherbetterjudgement.wordpress.com)
- Equating bullying and suicide is too simplistic (haleybehre.wordpress.com)
- Bullying Hurts (eaglenewsblog.wordpress.com)
- Effects of Workplace Bullying (healthandsocialpublicinterest.wordpress.com)
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