Bullying at Schools.

[Feren Silver]

Well, this is mainly thanks to 333 for the article.

Just wanted people's input:

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Eleven-year-old Jaheem Herrera woke up on April 16 acting strangely. He wasn't hungry and he didn't want to go to school.

Jaheem Herrera's mother thinks he hanged himself because he was perpetually bullied at school.
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But the outgoing fifth grader packed his bag and went to school at Dunaire Elementary School in DeKalb County, Georgia.

He came home much happier than when he left in the morning, smiling as he handed his mother, Masika Bermudez, a glowing report card full of A's and B's. She gave him a high-five and he went upstairs to his room as she prepared dinner.

A little later, when his younger sister called him to come down to eat, Jaheem didn't answer.

So mother and daughter climbed the stairs to Jaheem's room and opened the door.

Jaheem was hanging by his belt in the closet.

"I always used to see these things on TV, dead people on the news," says Bermudez. "I saw somebody die and to see this dead person is your son, hanging there, a young boy. ... To hang yourself like that, you've got to really be tired of something."

Bermudez says bullies at school pushed Jaheem over the edge. He complained about being called gay, ugly and "the virgin" because he was from the Virgin Islands, she said.

"He used to say Mom they keep telling me this ... this gay word, this gay, gay, gay. I'm tired of hearing it, they're telling me the same thing over and over," she told CNN, as she wiped away tears from her face.

But while she says her son complained about the bullying, she had no idea how bad it had gotten.

"He told me, but he just got to the point where he didn't want me to get involved anymore because nothing was done," she said.

Bermudez said she complained to the school about bullying seven or eight times, but it wasn't enough to save him.

"It [apparently] just got worse and worse and worse until Thursday," she said. "Just to walk up to that room and see your baby hanging there. My daughter saw this, my baby saw this, my kids are traumatized."

She said Jaheem was a shy boy just trying to get a good education and make friends.

"He was a nice little boy," Bermudez said through her tears. "He loved to dance. He loved to have fun. He loved to make friends. And all he made [at school] were enemies."

Bermudez said she thinks her son felt like nobody wanted to help him, that nobody stood up and stopped the bullies.

"Maybe he said 'You know what -- I'm tired of telling my mom, she's been trying so hard, but nobody wants to help me,' " says Bermudez.

After Jaheem's death, the school board expressed condolences, saying the school staff "works diligently to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all students."

Trying desperately to understand what went wrong, Bermudez asked her son's best friend to recount what happened on the day Jaheem killed himself.

"He [said he was] tired of complaining, tired of these guys messing with him," Bermudez said, recalling the conversation with Jaheem's best friend. "Tired of talking, I think to his teachers, counselors and nobody is doing anything -- and the best way out is death."

Allegations of such severe bullying surprises experts familiar with the school district. Its anti-bullying program was considered exemplary and includes programs to raise awareness and a specially trained liaison. Students are even asked to sign a no-bullying pledge. But other parents told CNN they have complained about bullying as well.

Despite recent strides towards preventing bullying in schools and increased awareness programs, a Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network study showed that 65 percent of teens are bullied each year and most believe adults can't help them.

Less than a month before Jaheem's death, a boy in Massachusetts killed himself after being bullied, harassed and called "gay."

Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, says to be effective, awareness programs need to include education about the harm that can be done by teasing someone about sexuality or perceived sexuality.

"Anti-gay language is really the ultimate weapon for a bully who wants to degrade his or her peers," she says. "And any effective response to bullying has to take that on."

Bermudez doesn't understand why the children at school couldn't learn to get along. Because of it, she'll never get to see her son grow up.

"My baby, that's my only boy, and I lost him now," says Bermudez. "He was my first child and ... to lose him 11 years after, he didn't live his life."

She hopes her son's death will result in positive changes that will help other kids being bullied.

"Those that are being bullied -- they need to talk to their parents, they need to not hold back," she says. "I lost my son and now something has to be done.

Full Article:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/23/bullying.suicide/index.html

 

[†Tysonâ€Â]

The strong survive while the weak perish.

Thats my motto.

 

[Magic Arrow]

Sorry but I think the mother is to blame in all of this. She is kissing her own hand when she said her son had thought ''my mother has been trying so hard''. What a naive and selfish woman.

 

[syrianska]

i dont know what to say about this...

 

[natin1337]

he wouldn't make it in the buisness world, better now then then imo

 

[The Myspace Whore]

i stand up for everyone at my school....i don't approve of bullying

 

[rsaddictguy]

It isn't his fault but maybe it's the parents fault for not doing anything more...

 

[.Pot Head.]

if someone bullys me i shove my foot up there ass

 

[333]

When did I show you this lol?

 

[Feren Silver]

he wouldn't make it in the buisness world, better now then then imo

It's easy to sit there and say that about someone you didn't know. Imagine that was your best friend. Tell me you'd say the same thing.

When did I show you this lol?

Like about 22 hours and 43 minutes ago.

 

[account seller11]

hanging your self for being called gay sad.

you know your not gay why the fuck would you listen to it.

bully bullie's that's what i do.

11 year's old that's primary school right? lol how do these little kid's know the word gay lesbian what parent's and friend's do they have.

 

[r 0w12]

Bullying alone can not cause someone to kill themselves in my opinion. There has to be something wrong with the kid. I mean killing yourself is the last choice you want and just because your getting bullied? I mean if the kid had any brains he would just go to the school and just beat the crap out of the kid who was bullying him then surely no one would mess with him anymore.

 

[Solidddd]

I've always thought people commiting suicide is a selfish act, I mean the pain it causes on others.

One of my friends older brother killed himself, and I know the family has been having a very very hard time getting over it.

 

[letzgokill2]

He sounded like a smart kid, he should have realized that he was better than those bullies.
Pretty sad thing to deal with.

 

[ilikepie1]

Why is everyone being so harsh? It's an 11 year old boy and you expect him to not be depressed when he thinks the world is against him? Yes, bullying does cause major damage to a person, and no, I doubt he would have the strength, let alone will, to kick his bullies' asses.

 

[Infernal Dave]

you know your not gay why the fuck would you listen to it.

Shy people take things differently. Think about it; you're being bullied by probably 10+ different kids everyday, nobody is doing anything about it, and your shy nature doesn't help.

He probably knew that he wasn't gay, but it would still hurt him because he knows that he is looked down on.

 

[HAHAHAHAHAHA]

i stand up for everyone at my school....i don't approve of bullying

You make it worse.

 

[TDD]

People seriously need to harden the fuck up. Enough with the "woe is me" attitude, how the hell do you people expect to survive out in the business world with the adults, who are far more ingenious and hurtful in their tactics for bullying?

I'm fat, and had the shit teased out of me for it from Year 4-Year 8... Yeah, it sucks, but you just need to stand up for yourself; first time I was teased in Year 8, I punched the shit out of the guy, and continued to do this until people no longer teased me - you'll always get the odd person attempting to pick on your weakness, so don't give them one, don't put up with shit, so what if they're bigger then you? So what if there's five of them and one of you, PUNCH THE FUCKER! Show him you're not afraid of his shit.

 

[HAHAHAHAHAHA]

People seriously need to harden the fuck up. Enough with the "woe is me" attitude, how the hell do you people expect to survive out in the business world with the adults, who are far more ingenious and hurtful in their tactics for bullying?

I'm fat, and had the shit teased out of me for it from Year 4-Year 8... Yeah, it sucks, but you just need to stand up for yourself; first time I was teased in Year 8, I punched the shit out of the guy, and continued to do this until people no longer teased me - you'll always get the odd person attempting to pick on your weakness, so don't give them one, don't put up with shit, so what if they're bigger then you? So what if there's five of them and one of you, PUNCH THE FUCKER! Show him you're not afraid of his shit.

Why the fuck were you fat?

 

[kingthi]

If only he made it a little longer, in my opinion a lot more bullying happens in elementary and junior high but once they hit high school it goes down.