National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week
October 3-9 is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week. It has now been extended through the month of October. I think it should have no end date.
The topic of bullying has become a national dialogue, sparked by the suicide of Tyler Clementi. He was the 18 year old Rutgers student who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after learning his roommate had secretly posted a live videostream of him being intimate with another man.
You don’t have to look very hard to find another horrific story about someone being bullied.
Here are two I read just today. Both are from the perspective of the fathers of bullied children. These stories will put a lump in your throat – and make you mad as hell.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39497339/ns/today-parenting/
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/04/bullying.causes.suicide/index.html?hpt=C1
What can you do? Check out this link. As I’d mentioned in Friday’s post, we have a few books that might help. I also asked readers to write in if they know of any good books, videos or other resources that address ANY kind of bullying. In no time at all I heard from BriMeetsBooks who suggests Dan Savage's Youtube channel against gay teen suicide.
These are videos from gay and lesbian folks from all walks of life telling gay teens that despite the bullying and harassment they may face, it does get better. Thank you, Bri.
I hope I hear from more readers. If you don’t know of any resources but just want to write something about the topic of bullying, please do. Share what you know.
Thanks so much.
-Virginia
