Award-winning journalist with over 12 years in the business as a news, features and editorial writer. Degrees from U of Michigan, Emory and Princeton with two first place awards for feature writing by Chicago Association of Black Journalist. Writing is my passion. Newest projects include J'Adore Magazine and National Black MBA Magazine. By: D. Kevin McNeir
In the popular fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs," the big bad wolf "huffs and puffs and blows the house down." But in the real world, the wolf seems to have donned the costume of a young boy (or girl), verbally and physically harassing his victims with malice and premeditated thought. Now, with a sudden increase in suicides among children nationwide, concern has grown about the reasons for the rise in bullying and the assumed lack of support for and intervention on behalf of those who continue to be terrorized.
| The sudden rash of middle-school students who have taken their own lives, presumably as their only perceived means of escape, began in February in three cities in the state of Illinois: Chatham, Evanston and Chicago. Then on Monday, April 9th, as was previously reported by GBM News, an 11-year-old Massachusetts boy, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hung himself after enduring bullying at school, including accusations that he was gay - despite his mother's pleas to the school to address the problem. Now, with the most recent suicide of yet another 11-year-old boy, Jaheem Herrera, a fifth-grader at Dunaire Elementary School in Atlanta's DeKalb County, more parents are coming forward reporting cases of their own children being bullied as well, and along with community leaders, teachers, and principals, all are asking what can be done to stem the tide. In the case involving Herrera, it has been reported that his mother, Masika Bermudez, has hired an attorney to address what she says was an inadequate response from school officials. She reportedly had complained several times about the bullying her son had endured, including one incident during which he was allegedly choked in the boy's bathroom. Herrera had been accused by his peers of being "gay" and a "snitch." | ||||||
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| These cases appear to the expression of one person seeking to express power over another. Both the bully and the bullied child need adult support and help. And it has been proven that bullying has long term effects on both parties in terms of academic outcomes, emotional well-being and future life prospects - and it thus requires our attention."
It would be presumptuous for readers to jump to any conclusions or to pass judgment on the parents or school officials involved in the cases cited above. But what does seem to be crystal clear is that there is an increasing problem that will surely only grow worse unless rational minds come together in a concerted effort to provide solutions. |
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By: D. Kevin McNeir
In the popular fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs," the big bad wolf "huffs and puffs and blows the house down." But in the real world, the wolf seems to have donned the costume of a young boy (or girl), verbally and physically harassing his victims with malice and premeditated thought. Now, with a sudden increase in suicides among children nationwide, concern has grown about the reasons for the rise in bullying and the assumed lack of support for and intervention on behalf of those who continue to be terrorized.
| The sudden rash of middle-school students who have taken their own lives, presumably as their only perceived means of escape, began in February in three cities in the state of Illinois: Chatham, Evanston and Chicago. Then on Monday, April 9th, as was previously reported by GBM News, an 11-year-old Massachusetts boy, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hung himself after enduring bullying at school, including accusations that he was gay - despite his mother's pleas to the school to address the problem. Now, with the most recent suicide of yet another 11-year-old boy, Jaheem Herrera, a fifth-grader at Dunaire Elementary School in Atlanta's DeKalb County, more parents are coming forward reporting cases of their own children being bullied as well, and along with community leaders, teachers, and principals, all are asking what can be done to stem the tide. In the case involving Herrera, it has been reported that his mother, Masika Bermudez, has hired an attorney to address what she says was an inadequate response from school officials. She reportedly had complained several times about the bullying her son had endured, including one incident during which he was allegedly choked in the boy's bathroom. Herrera had been accused by his peers of being "gay" and a "snitch." | ||||||
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| These cases appear to the expression of one person seeking to express power over another. Both the bully and the bullied child need adult support and help. And it has been proven that bullying has long term effects on both parties in terms of academic outcomes, emotional well-being and future life prospects - and it thus requires our attention."
It would be presumptuous for readers to jump to any conclusions or to pass judgment on the parents or school officials involved in the cases cited above. But what does seem to be crystal clear is that there is an increasing problem that will surely only grow worse unless rational minds come together in a concerted effort to provide solutions. | ||||||
| Byard points to a 2005 report, "From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America," published jointly by GLSEN and Harris Interactive which indicates that while physical appearance is listed as the number one reason that students say their peers were bullied, close behind were actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression. And while it has been reported that neither Walker-Hoover nor Herrera made any claims to being gay, both were constantly barraged with anti-gay slurs and verbal attacks. "If we are interested in examining and changing the current policies, the key is to develop a list of reasons that our children are being bullied that is comprehensive and enumerated," Byard said. "We have to list all of the unaccepted bullying behavior and be specific in naming issues of sexual orientation. One problem we face is that in many schools, some are still uncomfortable about the language, but it is still part of the whole bullying behavior and is therefore part of the controversy. We will not solve the problem until we deal with the place of anti-gay language in the bullying part." Charles Stephens, the facilitator of a gay men's support and advocacy group at AID Atlanta, recently convened a meeting of the group's members and visitors to share their own stories of being bullied and to brainstorm as to how they could lend their support to young boys in their community. Because of the issue of privacy, the following remarks are a summary of the meeting and are not attributed to any individual. | ||||||
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| Perhaps the comments of one Black gay man who was present at the meeting illustrates what many of our young people are feeling and what unfortunately lead some to end their lives at a time when they should be enjoying themselves the most - isolation. "I grew up in a very religious home but I always knew that I was gay. I certainly couldn't tell my parents and I didn't have anyone to talk to and so, felt completely alone throughout my years in elementary school, junior high and high school. I wish we had something like 100 Gay Black Men - a group that showed that they were positive members of the community who were also proud same gender loving men - some even with children. Now, despite being almost 30-years-old, I still find it hard to fit in and still suffer from loneliness. I didn't ask for this [being gay] but it's who I am." Look for part two to this story as details continue to unfold. We will also highlight data related to youth suicide and provide information about how adults can look for signs that might suggest that a child is bent towards ending their own lives. It goes without saying that our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those children who have found no other recourse then to end potentially brilliant futures.
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