Another teenager committed suicide in response to homophobic bullying. The boy had previously made an "It Gets Better" video. See the NYTimes article, "Suicide Draws Attention to Gay Bullying."
Our schools should be safe for all of our children.
You know what REALLY chaps my hide in the article?
ReplyDeleteHis parents, "added that his school had intervened to help, and that Jamey appeared to be benefiting from counseling."
If the school had truly intervened to help, the bullies would have been handled, not Jamey.
Disgusting.
Yes, I wonder what the school is doing about the bullying? Not enough, clearly.
ReplyDeleteHere's a comment someone posted that agrees with CassyT's point:
ReplyDeleteWhy did Jamey receive counseling while the perpetrators were allowed to act with impunity? Were there no consequences for the bullies? Did they receive counseling? As long as bullies act with impunity, no amount of counseling and support for the target will counter the abuse they endure from perpetrators. As long as teachers and school officials do not confront bullies--i.e., do not hold them accountable; do not insist on informing and educating parents about their child's unacceptable bullying behavior; and do not enforce no-tolerance policies toward bullying at school--then these teachers and officials are complicit in bullying. Bullying in school is a human rights abuse directed at children and must be understood in those terms.