Gay taunts lead to suicide of 11 yo

Avatar for cmbren
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2000
Gay taunts lead to suicide of 11 yo
16
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 12:32pm

Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover was 11 when the taunts of schoolmates became too much for him to endure. Sirdeaner L. Walker, 43, found Carl hanging by an extension cord on the second floor of the family's home April 6, just minutes before she was going to a meeting to confront school authorities again.


Full story: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/Story?id=7328091&page=1


This is such a tragedy; my own son is that age and has seen much the same kind of harassment being hurled at students. It's really hard to get some school officials to see that bullying of any kind is not just "kids being kids"; they tend to ignore anything that is less than a physical altercation. Words can do a lot of harm, especially to young people who are in the stages of developing and building their self esteem.


CMBren
Sr. Community Moderator
Beauty & Style, Entertainment & Main
Email | iVillage.com
Beauty & Style Boards | Entertainment Boards | Main Boards
About our Boards | Customer Support | Tech Update


 
Andddd ... they're OFF!
Get Derby Ready!
May 2, Kentucky Derby!!

Register for your chance to win
the ultimate Kentucky Derby party package!
 

 
Save $$! Clip your coupons here!
Be Fashion Frugal

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2002
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 1:00pm

I have never understood why anyone would think that bullying is 'just kids being kids' or anything along that line!

 nwtreehugger  

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 1:40pm

My experience with public schools has not been good in the area of bullying. They seem to deny it, or minimize it. Actually holding a bully accountable seems beyond the scope of discussion.

No child should be forced to suffer a bully. Unfortunately our legal system tends to protect school officials and administrators financially from any civil consequence for their negligence. :(

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 2:11pm

It's not just public schools - it happens everywhere.


Avatar for cmbren
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2000
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 2:24pm

Sounds like your DD's school had a good system in place. Just curious; once she moved on to high school, was that same kind of policy enforced there? Looking back on my own pre-teen and teen years, I'd think the peer mediation would have been very effective and I'd

Avatar for cmbren
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2000
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 2:35pm
I've seen it happen in public, private and parochial schools. And, unfortunately, failure to hold offenders accountable for their behavior isn't always

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-01-2008
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 3:05pm

This is so sad... You always will have bullies in school. Kids most of the time repeat what their parents say. Parents that are homophobes, will transmit that belief to their children and their children will pass on the homophobia to their school... But the worse problem these children have to confront is the negativity of most church goers who declare homosexuality a sin. This is a huge problem! As long as there are people who follow a faith that states that being gay is a sin, there will be kids bullying other kids in school who are homosexuals.

pepper spray,mace,stun gun,taser,personal alarm,hidden safe,security camera,home protection,self defense products
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 3:11pm

Yes, her high school had peer mediation & it did help.


Avatar for cmbren
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2000
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 3:49pm

I don't see it so much as the faith

Avatar for cmbren
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2000
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 4:03pm

Definitely a hands on approach where you're at and that's wonderful.


CMBren
Sr. Community Moderator
Beauty & Style, Entertainment & Main
Email | iVillage.com
Beauty & Style Boards | Entertainment Boards | Main Boards
About our Boards | Customer Support | Tech Update


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 04-14-2009 - 4:46pm

They try awfully hard.


Pages