In recent news there have been reports after reports of suicides of gay teens and young adults. Millions of facebook users gathered together to remember these lost children. Statues were dedicated, profile pictures changed with users wearing the chosen color purple. In show of support for gays teens around the country. And recently the Village Voice asked journalist around the world to recount their bullying experiences.
It just seems that somewhere along the way children got the idea that its better to just check out of life.
Bullies don't only pick on the gays. Bullies target anyone who doesn't confirm.
I was the first girl in middle school to come back after summer break with a C cup. So of course I was bullied, and then I put on a few extra pounds and I was bullied because of that. There were days I cried myself to sleep because of the torment. And I did sit and wonder if I should just end it all. Call it quits and end my suffering at the hands of a few jerks. But something always stopped me.
I wondered, is this it? Is there more to life than middle school, Tiger Beat and my bullies? And now I will admit I took the road less traveled and I started to fight back with my bullies. Verbally and physically. Now I am not condoning violence here, but I will say it was damn empowering to send my tormentors scurrying about under my verbal assault and well placed punches. It even brought a smile to my face when the mother of one of my bullies called my mother to rant about the beatdown I had laid on her daughter.
But that little shred of confidence gained when I stood up to my bullies changed my life. No longer did I have to suffer while others laughed at my expense. No longer did I have to hid in the library during lunch just so I didn't have to stand in the middle of the cafeteria pleading with my eyes for someone to let me sit at their table. I could walk into that school with my nose in the air and my C cups bouncing and my thick thighs swaying knowing I had just as much of a right to liberty as anyone else.
Now back to the matter at hand.
There have been developments in the political sphere to curb the practice of bullying,specially because of sexual orientation. In Oct of 2009 President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard Act into law. This Act is an expansion of the federal hate crime law. It included acts of hate motivated because of a victims perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or their disability. This is the first act to actually extend protection to transgendered individuals.
And many school systems across the country have adopted a below zero tolerance for bullying. But this is as far as I beleive politics and the law can take it.
There needs to be a shift in society for bullying to really be curbed. The federal government and the school system can't police thoughts and notions. And they certainly can't do anything if the victims don't report it. Often children feel ashamed because of their bullying or they think it will intensify if they speak out. So how can these wonderful laws that we worked so hard to bring to pass work if no one takes advantage of them? Or if instead of bringing the issues to light the child just jumps off a bridge? This journey is not just one lane. Victims have to speak out and stand up. We as adults and mentors have to foster open communication and safe environments with our youth. They have to know they can come to us about being bullied and something will be done and their tormentor will be swiftly dealt with.
We can not allow this trend to continue. How many more children have to take their own lives before something is done? When is enough enough?
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