When Bullying Leads to Death…
I have to commend People magazine for its May 18th issue which featured the article Bullied to Death? : Two Boys, Two Towns, Two Tragedies. The article detailed how two boys, Carl Walker-Hoover, 11 and Jaheem Herrera, 11 both committed suicided within 10 days of each other. The common factor in both of their suicides is that they both had been bullied at school and both had been called ‘gay’ by bullies.
As I read the article, it seems that both boys were counseled at their schools about how to feel and react when they were bullied, but the article doesn’t seem to indicate that the bullies received any counseling at all. That’s like telling the victim to get stitches every time an attacker cuts them, but you never tell the attacker to stop cutting them.
The situations involving these boys–one lived in Springfield, Mass and the other lived in Decatur, GA– is an example of the homophobia that exists in schools across the US. And, it also points to the fact that we as a society are not doing enough by counseling those who are getting bullied and then we say little or nothing to the actual bullies. Furthermore, it seems that the parents of bullies don’t have enough empathy for the kids who are being bullied–until their own child becomes the victim.
Let me give you an example: If you know your child is bullying someone and you do nothing to prevent it, you need to take more responsibility and look into the future. Say the kid who is getting bullied, one day gets angry and decides to strike back. Maybe he/she brings a knife or a gun to school and when your kid bullies him as he’s done countless times before, your child gets shot or your child gets stabbed… to death. Then what? All of a sudden, the parent of the bully is now the parent of the victim.
Parents, we should do all that we can for our children not to become bullies. And think about it for a minute. If you think bullying is okay because your kid isn’t being bullied, wait until the victim strikes back. It won’t be so cool then.
Resources:
National Youth Violence Prevention – http://www.safeyouth.org
The Megan Meier Foundation – Preventing Bullying & Cyberbullying
Tags: bullying, Carl-Walker Hoover, gay, Jaheem Herrerra, middle school, pre-teens, suicide, youth
About the Author
Yasmin Shiraz is the President of Still Eye Rise Films, an independent production company which films educational and thought provoking documentaries that chronicle the lives, traumas and experiences of youth. Her first production, Can She Be Saved?, a documentary that examines violence among middle school girls, was an official selection of the 2009 Roxbury Film Festival and recently won a 2009 Indie Award of Merit from IndieFest.
Yasmin Shiraz is the Award winning Author of Retaliation a novel about a community’s response to youth violence. In 2009, it was selected as one of the top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the American Library Association. She is the author of The Blueprint for My Girls: How To Build A Life Full of Courage, Determination & Self Love (Simon and Schuster) and five other books. Her best selling “Blueprint” empowerment series is utilized as a self esteem, motivational, and educational tool at middle and high schools, after school programs, non-profit youth centers, as well as Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the country. 
Socialize with Me!
Contact Details