Bullying

For days I have been following the story of Phoebe Price, the Freshman in Massachusetts who took her own life after being the victim of relentless bullying. This morning on the way into the office I cried as I listened yet again to some of the details. Phoebe dated a senior on the football team and there were other kids in the school who didn't like that...REALLY!!! As absurd as that sounds that is how it all started.

After months and months of continually being mistreated and bullied by other kids at school Phoebe went home one day and took her own life. How horrible must the bullying have been for her to feel she had no other choice???

This is a personal issue for me because our daughter, Danielle, who is only 10 now, was bullied in school last year. Her situation was somewhat different in that it was only one boy who was bullying her...but it took her weeks before she could tell Joe and I or the teacher what was going on because she feared what the boy would do if she told. This incident turned our home upside down...we had a child who would be in hysterics each night because she didn't feel safe enough in her own home to fall asleep. She needed (not wanted) to sleep with a parent. We went to family counseling for her and fought an uphill battle with the school administration regarding keeping the two of them in the same class. To be completely honest she still has setbacks and it is now 15 months later.

I have 3 nieces and 1 nephew who are in High School already and 2 more about to go to High School. The thought of something like this happening to them breaks my heart. They all are great kids with nice friends etc... to think that one thing they do could change their lives in this way just baffles me.

As parents we need to be SO SURE that we are open with our kids and that they feel comfortable to come to us with something like this...we also need to be their voice at the school and follow up as many times necessary and go as far up the chain of command as we have to. (We eventually went to the Districts Superintendent) Our kids need to see us going to great lengths for them and their safety.

On the flip side we also need to teach our kids to not be the bully. Everyone has a "story" and we may never really know what someones life is like outside of school so to judge, criticize or make fun of someone based on what we think we know is horrible.

At this point 10 kids and their families lives will be changed forever. One family lost their daughter forever...and the nine others are awaiting their fate with all of the legal charges that have now been brought against them.

Hold your kids tightly and let them know how much they are loved.