Assignment- Depression, Stress, Suicide News articles

Bullying leads to Suicide


Teen Commits Suicide Due to Bullying: Parents Sue School for Son's Death. By: Susan Donaldson James.

Source: ABC news, online article : http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/story?id=7228335

Date : April 2, 2009

Summary:

This Article is about Eric Mohat, a school boy who committed suicide at the age of 17. He was bullied continuously throughout his school years, being called names (such as “queer”, “gay” and other words) in front of his peers and school teachers, because of the after school activities he chose to take part in. The pressure and depression he was in became too great and one day took the advice of one of the boys at school and shot himself. The parents of the boy sued the school, not for compensation for their lose, but for an anti-bullying system to be place in the school.

The Big picture:

There are many suicidal and depression cases from school bullying today. If you look at the big picture from this news article, it not only expresses the seriousness of name calling at schools, but also the importance of an educational system, and an anti-bullying system, educating students in this growing and largely important problem they see happening every day. Naturally students feel the need to tease and pick on students that are ‘weaker than them’. Without an educational system in place some of these children will have no idea the level of seriousness of the problems they are causing. The responsibility of stopping bullying is not only one that the students should have to deal with, but the responsible adults in the situation should the responsibility as well.

The personal meaning:

For me this article really shows the seriousness of the problems I am faced at most days at school. As a student at any school you witness bullying many times in your educational program but never really think that a few words can so greatly harm someone that they will take their own life. I also find it very interesting that teachers do not get involved with bullying situation they see around them. I have been in a few situations where teachers are subconsciously telling their students that “nerds” are meant to be teased or picked on. This article really gives me the knowledge and confidence that next time I am in a situation of bullying I will be more pressured into reporting it or stopping it.