The Boston Globe reviewed more than 100 accounts by adults who were victims of bullying in their childhoods and who shared their stories in interviews, e-mails to the Globe, and in public online forums
Childhood bullying is an old problem, one that has produced generations of victims. And while many of those bullied as children move past it and thrive in adulthood, a surprising number say they have been unable to leave the humiliating memories behind. Their accounts are supported by a growing body of research suggesting that the bullying experience stays with many victims into young adulthood, middle age, and even retirement, shaping their decisions and hindering them in nearly every aspect of life: education and career choices; social interactions and emotional well-being; even attitudes about having children. Curious?Continue reading
According to young people, individual traits are the main reasons for bullying.
Both the bully and the victim’s individual characteristics, rather than the wider social environment, explain why bullying occurs, according to Swedish teenagers. The new study, by Dr. Robert Thornberg and Sven Knutsen from Linköping University in Sweden, also shows that 42 percent of teenagers blamed the victim for the bullying. The study is published online in Springer’s journal, Child & Youth Care Forum.[continue reading…]
In the wake of several suicides by gay teens, Brittany McMillan a teenage girl from Canada sent out a call for a worldwide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Spirit Day. Posted and re-posted from blogs to Facebook to other social networking sites, her call for remembrance spread across the Internet in a matter of days.
With the use of her Tumblr account, the announcement asks people to wear purple on Oct. 20 in memory of those bullied and harassed for their sexual orientation.
“On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple in honor of the seven gay boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months, many of them due to homophobic abuse in their homes or at their schools,” Brittany McMillan said. “Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all of you to have with you: spirit. Please know that times will get better and that you will meet people who will love you and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality.” curious? link to read more
I am shocked and saddened and disgusted by the suicide of Tyler Clementi,the 18-year-old Rutgers University student who took his own life after his roommate allegedly posted a video of an intimate encounter between him and another man online.Its time to speak out against discrimination, homophobia and bullying. Source: ellen.warnerbros.com
