Bullycide Articles

Bullycide: Suicide from Bullying

By Mandy-Jane Clarke

Losing a child is devastating. There are no words that can adequately describe a parent’s pain when a child is lost by self-inflicted suicide.  Bullycide, suicide from bullying, has become a pandemic in most schools. 

The tragedies at Columbine and Virginia Tech are a testament to the fact that bullies not only exist, but are part of a growing population of emotionally disturbed kids who attend schools throughout the US and the world.

Bullies who torment their peers are the catalysts for bullycide becoming a startling statistic among our youth.  While Columbine drew much attention to the problems associated with bullies, it wasn’t until Virginia Tech that school officials, parents, and students began to understand the full impact of bullying and bullycide.

Bullycide is an act committed by someone who has been the victim of bullies.  Thus, suicide prevention should not only be implemented for children and teens that exhibit depression or suffer other emotional issues caused by inner conflict, but should also include the tools and resources needed to recognize, stop, and deter all children and kids who are thinking of suicide caused by bullying as well as putting into place rules and regulations to deal with the bullies themselves.

Where does the education and suicide prevention begin?  First, suicide from bullying has to be recognized as a full-fledged pandemic.  Second, procedures must be put into place in the schools so that the students will understand any behavior contrary to the rules will have severe consequences.  Third, parents have to keep an ongoing dialogue with their children about any events that occur in school that has caused them to feel bad or humiliated.  Finally, there are signs which every parent must become aware of when their child is contemplating suicide.  They may be subtle; but they are there.  Researching bullycide and understanding the signs are the first line of defense.

No one knows your child better than you.  Therefore, if your child is acting distant, staying in his or her room, stopped socializing with friends, has trouble sleeping, eating, or cannot complete even the most mundane task, it is incumbent upon you to investigate the situation, talk to your child, and find the root cause of the problem.

While depression among adults is the leading cause of suicide, depression in a child is a bit more subtle.  Teens, especially, are hard to read because they are going through specific phases and you can’t easily determine if the signs are serious or not. 

Bullycide, suicide from bullying, has become a subject which is now part of the schools safety plan.  Teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators are being given the tools and resources to spot children and teens that may be undergoing bullying from peers.  Once recognized, the school-based support team which houses psychologists and social workers are meeting with parents, seeking counseling for the child being bullied, and giving parents the necessary information to cope with this potentially devastating problem.

In a world where conflict among adults seems to emanate from everywhere, it seems as if we have forgotten about the children and their conflict.  Remember, they spend most of their day in school, an environment where bullying is the norm.  While you can’t be with them 24 hours a day, you depend upon the educational system to guard your child against any unforeseen problem. 

Bullycide has to be addressed both in school and at home.  Steps must be taken wherein meetings on bullycide are held for parents with a professional there to advise and answer questions about the effects of bullying and the tragedies that could occur.  Suicide prevention must also be taken a step further; it must include bullycide education and treatment among children and teens.  It is the least we can do for these children; the innocent among us.

This article is courtesy of http://www.Stop-Bullies.com Stop-Bullies.com is a resource site covering specific areas of Bullying including Bullycide: Suicide from Bullying .