Stop The Bullying In Schools
Tyler Clementi, Billy Lucas, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh: what do they have in common? They all committed suicide, last week, to end the torment of being bullied and harassed in school.
- Tyler Clementi (18): A brilliant violinist, in New Jersey, jumped off a bridge.
- Billy Lucas (15): Hanged himself in Greensburg.
- Asher Brown (13): Shot himself in the head in Houston.
- Seth Walsh (13): Hanged himself in their own backyard at Tehachapi, CA.
- Justin Aaberg (15) last July was found dead in his room; he hanged himself.
Is this what we have become as a society: intolerant and ignorant? Where kids harass and bully other weaker kids just because they are different?
Where do these kids get the sense that it is acceptable to bully others, and that it is acceptable to be prejudiced and discriminating? The answer is simple; they learn it from their parents or at school.
Bullying teenagers, especially gay teenagers or the ones that are still questioning their identity, is becoming an epidemic. Gay teenagers are called names regularly, and the worst part is that the teachers and the school don’t address these issues, or don’t know how to address these issues; sweeping them under the carpet will not make them disappear.
The poor teenagers are tormented, feel isolated, unloved, hated, not accepted, ridiculed and mostly shamed for who they are. They have no idea where to turn, how to look for help. Most school administrations don’t have any designed system in place to address the gay issue in schools, and teachers don’t know how, are scared to face these issues, or they feel documenting the bullying or harassing situations to the office is enough.
Some schools have anti-bullying programs mentioned on their curriculum, but it is just to be politically correct, and they don’t intervene to stop the bullying, as in the case of Walsh, where they were made aware of the torment he was going through.
This is also a wake-up for parents. Parents should realize that they are the first gate of knowledge for their kids, who absorb totally how they act, including their prejudice. In fact, children learn to discriminate in the same way they absorb a new language, learn to dress in a certain way, or to use a toy. Early child and family experiences shape children’s attitudes and behaviors. Bullying is a product of the home.
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