Bullying: The price of being different
Bullying is an epidemic that has spiraled out of control—no longer constrained to playground taunts about physical attributes and cruel jokes about one's sexual orientation. Today's digital age is ushering an entirely new way for bullies to act out. Online, students are blurring the lines between public and private, and nothing is off limits, not even something so personal as a romantic encounter as college freshman Tyler Clementi cruelly learned.
Clementi, who had complained to Rutgers officials about his roommate's spying, committed suicide after his roommate recorded Clementi's sexual encounter with another man and broadcast it online. Clementi marked the fifth reported teenager to take his life last month after being mercilessly teased for being gay (McKay, 2010).
Gay kids are four times more likely than straight kids to commit suicide, according to a recent study, and nine out of 10 gay kids report being bullied (ABC World News, 2010).
While bullying in school isn't new, the rise in the number of teenagers seeing suicide as the only way to end the unbearable taunting—a phenomenon now referred to as "bullycides"—is garnering national attention.
Actions being taken
In the wake of Tyler Clementi's suicide, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., is proposing legislation that would require colleges and universities that receive federal student aid to institute polices prohibiting the harassment of any student. The bill would also provide funding for schools to establish programs to deter the harassment of students (2010).
Clementi's death has also spurred a number of celebrities to record public service announcements against anti-gay bullying, and prompted "Project Runway" mentor Tim Gunn, who is gay, to speak candidly about his own suicide attempt (McKay, 2010).
The spate of teen suicides has also raised national awareness of The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention hotline and website dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other youth who have questions about their sexuality.
Teens and young adults can also find support on the YouTube channel "It Gets Better." The site, created by "Savage Love" columnist Dan Savage, launched September 15th and is designed to provide an outlet for teens struggling with their identity. Featuring more than 200 videos with the personal anecdotes of gay and lesbian adults, the site illustrates that life gets easier over time.
Bring the conversation into the classroom
To engage students in a dialogue about tolerance and to combat anti-gay attitudes, a variety of resources are available to teachers.
The New York Times. The newspaper has put together a comprehensive lesson plan to discuss bullying and anti-gay attitudes on its blog The Learning Network.
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Its website offers a variety of resources including K-12 curricula and lesson plans, and training workshops for educators and community leaders.
Teaching Tolerance. The site, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, offers classroom activities that promote tolerance.
Rising above bullying is a challenge society must take on together. While small, the steps taken by many organizations and individuals outlined in this article are the first step toward universal tolerance.
To learn more about bullying, see the related article “Bullying in America: When even home isn’t safe.”
References
ABC World News. (2010). The Conversation: The 'It Gets Better' Project.
McKay, H. (2010). Celebrities share experiences with bullies in wake of teen suicides. FoxNews.com.
