Any article about suicide is sad to read, but some like this one just makes me angry. The story details the purposeful and sustained bullying by teen peers at a high school in Massachusetts.
I wonder if it's possible to have enough self-esteem at age 15 to fend off this campaign of hatefulness? We will discuss in class the research that indicates that self-esteem in adolescent females tends to diminish over the four years of high school.
- What was the preceding event that triggered the bullying?
- What might have been some of the recent changes for Phoebe that might have contributed to her sense of isolation?
- What needed to happen to protect Phoebe, and why didn't it happen?
- What do you think is the sociological function of bullying? Why do you think it is so difficult to control?
Nine teens charged in bullying that led to girl's suicidePlease work to help curb bullying in your community.
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-Jeff
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2 comments:
It is sad to hear that a young life is lost due to a sens less bullying. The kids who are bulling other kids I think they need to be schooled together, and their school be called Bulling high school. This will make these bullies taste their own medicine.
Again I question why the school staff did not intervene? The school needs to be held accountable for this incident. When the child is school her/his safety is the responsibility of the school. I disagree with the article when it says there is no criminal involvement by the faculty. Student: NICKY SONTEY
It appears that Phoebe had similar problems back in Ireland according to an article I read in: http://www.slate.com/id/2263470, it mentions that her school in Ireland might have turned a blind eye to early warnings of her troubles. Before Phoebe started school at South Hadley High her aunt warned and urged school official to look out for her vulnerable niece according to another article I read in: http://www.irishcentral.com/news. OK, so we see a concerned aunt, where was she when the harassing and two rapes happened. If I were the mother or Aunt, I would have pulled her out of school and transferred her elsewhere and looked to get her professional counseling. In the Irish Jounal of Medical Science Volume 174, Number 4, 17-22, DOI: 10.1007/BF03168976 it states that females of a single parent family are susceptible to depression and low self esteem. Since we see, Phoebe had problems in Ireland and in the US we can conclude to say she had mental health issues. What made her different and vulnerable? Why didn’t she get help from her parents or school staff? Why did the teachers, administrators and other students throw out ethical and moral standards out the window? Wow, “Phoebe’s Law” a national anti-bullying legislation, wouldn’t you say it’s a bit too late. Why does the government have to wait until something grave happens before they propose laws to prevent tragedies? Teachers and parents as well as people who interact or are involved with students or the youth have to be sensitive to their problems and needs, so that we can identify other children like her and help them better. We need to give the youth of today hope and a sense of direction so that they will develop a good level of self–esteem in order for them to make it through difficult times.
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