Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Backlash Against Bullies: Public Awareness Grows With Each Case

This video shocked me as I never considered the possibility of this happening in today’s school systems.

Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. The thing they all have in common is a desire to dominate others for their pleasure. Bullies are cowards, no matter how big they are. This video is the most recent example of bullies at work in the school system. But with a twist. The bullies are the teachers!

I received a very touching e-mail this morning from a reader:

“Thank you for your wonderful article on bullying. I have a response that I would love to get into the paper. Is there a possibility that this could be published in the Times Standard and how can I go about doing this?

Thank you,  The article is attached.”

Debra Patton-Hagan

           I told Debra how to get the following article printed in the T-S. Here it is:

After reading Dave Stancliff’s editorial in the Times Standard April 15th I felt compelled to write on the effects of bullying on entire families. Growing up I was taught that to say “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” is basically all that was needed to protect myself from the school yard bullies. That saying is furthest from the truth. Words stick like a stake to the heart. In families physical abuse may not be present but words can have a more lasting effect. These words, verbal transactions between parents or parent to child, then are passed down to the child’s peers.

Stancliff discussed a recent suicide of a Corpus Christi, Texas high School freshman, Teddy Molina, part Korean and part Hispanic who was bullied to death. Where do these children learn this from?  Parents, teachers, media are all part of it.

Schools need to take more action in ways of in-service education for their teachers, counselors, and parents on the warning signs of bullying and depression.  Some signs of bullying may not be as obvious as transactions in hallways or play grounds. Some signs may be in emails or social networking. Others may be in the writings or art work that a student turns in as part as an English journal or art assignment.

I found my son’s English journal after the funeral. Aaron received an “A+ Excellent and Very Creative!” as a grade. Nothing was ever pointed out or discussed about the topic. Reading the poems tears streamed down my face. How could they not see the pain he was enduring and why was no one called? Parents and teachers need to work together to combat bullying and help prevent suicide of these sensitive children. Now 12 years later our family still mourns on April 26th and everyday for all the Aaron’s.

I AM

I am all alone and crave the answers,

I wonder why everyone leaves me,

I hear the lone crickets at night,

I want to be loved by a young maiden,

I am alone and crave the answers.

I pretend it doesn’t bother me at all,

I feel like breaking down inside,

I touch the hearts of so many individuals,

I worry about the lives of others,

I cry when they laugh at me,

I am alone and crave the answers.

I understand outer beauty counts,

I say the inner is more important,

I dream everyone will set aside their bias attitude,

I try to explain my feelings to people,

I hope the world will change but until then,

I am alone and crave the answers.

-Aaron Hagan-

June 17, 1982 – April 26, 2000

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