Bullied to Death

Some people believe that being bullied is a part of life. In almost every childhood cartoon about school there is at least one bully. For example, one of my favorite childhood cartoons is “Hey Arnold”. In the show, Arnold is constantly harassed by Helga who is relentless in her bullying. Another one of my favorite cartoons is “Recess,” about a group of six friends in elementary school. This show also features a school bully, Gelman. It seems as though society has accepted bullying and many people do not realize the potential harm that bullying can do.

Recently, a 15 year old girl, Phoebe Prince, in Massachusetts was literally bullied to death. Nine teenagers at the Phoebe’s school are said to be the reason she committed suicide. After Phoebe moved from Ireland to Massachusetts she was constantly harassed and called names by her new classmates. According to Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel, Phoebe’s classmates “conduct far exceeded the limits of normal teenage relationship-related quarrels. The investigation revealed relentless activity directed toward Phoebe designed to humiliate her and make it impossible for her to remain at school” (Franks 1).

This story begs the question: why didn’t the school step in and stop the harassment before it was too late?

Bullying can begin very early in a child’s school years. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers need to watch for bullying just as much as high school teachers. Not only can bullying lead to depression but it will inevitably lead to a child dreading each coming school day. As educators, we must make our classrooms a safe place for our students. Not only do we need to develop bonds between ourselves and our students, but also among the students themselves.

Schools have counselors for a reason. As teachers we should not hesitate to turn to them for help. School counselors have had training pertaining to school bullying and know best how to stop it from happening. At the first sign of a problem, take action; it may be a matter of life or death.

Franks, Lucinda. "Bullied to Death - Page 1." The Daily Beast. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. .

Miller, Maureen. "Anderson Cooper 360: Blog Archive - Evening Buzz: Teen Bullied to Death? « - Blogs from CNN.com." Anderson Cooper 360: - Blogs from CNN.com. 30 Mar. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. .

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