What Can We Do About Bullying In Colorado Schools?
A 9-year-old boy took his own life in Denver because of bullying.
How do we let it come to this? How do we, as loving, caring people allow something like this to go on?
Is it that we don't have enough adults in school? Is it the kids aren't being raised properly? Or do we simply not care, shake our heads and say "poor kid"?
The State of Colorado has an anti-bullying law, but what effect is it having? The young man comes out to his friends about his sexual orientation and for four days is harassed and bullied until he saw no other way to go but to end his life.
Stories like this come out of schools across the country and yet all we seem to do is shake our heads and throw up our hands.
What, as parents, can we do to stop bullying? How do we recognize it? Bullying is defined by Webster Dictionary as; "abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger or more powerful." The persistent hounding of a child by another child or group of children should be noticeable by someone. Kids are afraid to say anything out of fear that they will be next.
That leaves adults. We, as adults have to come together and find a way to get bullying out of our schools. Identify repeat offenders of bullying, offer to counsel. keep the hallways staffed with adults, whether teachers or community volunteers and let's put an end to this.
How many more kids have to die at their own hand before we get busy on this issue?