Bill Cosby is right.
On a special anti-bullying segment on Larry King Live, Cosby lashed out at the bullies who tormented Phoebe Prince for months before she committed suicide. He also took on the teachers, principal and school administrators who said that they didn’t know what was going on.
For months, Prince was assaulted, pushed and shoved, called a “slut†and a “whore†and even had soft drink cans thrown at her – all in school.
The eight students involved are all being prosecuted. Already two students have been expelled from the school and other students will face felony charges in connection with their actions against Prince.
Among the charges against the teens are statutory rape, violation of civil rights, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly. Prosecutors accuse the students of tormenting Prince “relentlessly†online and in school, often in plain sight of school administrators, right up until the day Prince hanged herself.
On the day Phoebe Prince took her life, one of the bullies wrote the word “accomplished†on Phoebe’s Facebook page.
I also agree with parent Luke Gelinas, who says superintendent Gus A. Sayer, principal Daniel Smith and school committee chairman Edward J. Boisselle should go.
Of course, many failing principals, teachers and administrators hide behind the phrase, “We didn’t know.â€Â That shows why the most important thing you can do as a parent is often to document your contact with those supposedly responsible adults who actually won’t help you or your child.
Then they’ll hide behind the same plea that was given by the mother of one of the accused bullies, another girl, “Prince was not fully innocent and they’re teenagers. They call names.â€
Can you imagine if principal Smith, standing with the teachers, superintendent Sayer and school committee chairman Boisselle before the assembled parents of South Hadley High School in Massachusetts back in August had said:
- We’ll ignore this whole problem of bullying despite many studies showing that:
- At least 50 percent of high school students are bullied and over 75 percent of the kids in school know who the bullies are.
- When the first incidents of bullying aren’t punished, the number of bullies and bullying incidents grow hugely, and the severity of bullying increases tremendously.
- When we allow harassment, bullying and abuse the victims who are left unprotected by the responsible adults suffer from increased anxiety, stress, shame and depression, and low self-confidence and self-esteem for life.
- Bystanders and witnesses who don’t come forward or who aren’t supported by the authorities suffer from guilt and shame their whole lives.
- Bullies who get away with bullying in youth tend to become relentless adult bullies as adults, in their personal lives and at work.
- We’ll also ignore the many suicides that have occurred because of bullying in middle schools and high schools.
- We won’t have school policies that prohibit bullying or a program that trains us to recognize bullying in the school. We won’t patrol the classrooms, hallways, bathrooms or cafeteria to see if bullying is occurring. We won’t work with the police to do anything to the bullies. When incidents occur we’ll say later that we weren’t responsible because we didn’t know.
- We won’t involve students in recognizing and reporting bullying to us. If we accidently hear about any bullying, we’ll minimize it and pretend its just ‘kid stuff.’ If you tell us about your child being bullied, we’ll tell you that we’re too busy to do anything about it and we don’t want to violate the rights of the bullies.
- The bullies in our school are really good kids with anger and self-esteem issues of their own. They just haven’t had good enough parenting. That excuses their behavior. We have to be more sympathetic toward them than toward their targets.
And imagine him finishing with, “Now, parents, we’d like you to hire us, vote for us and pay increased taxes to support your local school and its staff. We’re going to be your top executives but we won’t know what’s going on.â€Â Do you imagine the parents at South Hadley High School leaping to their feet with wild applause because they thought that their children would be protected in the next academic year?
I think the lazy, uncaring cowards that are now finding justifications and asking us to excuse their behavior deserve the strongest consequences.
Of course I start with the bullies themselves and their parents, who turned a blind eye and will now protect their little darlings. They’ll blame Phoebe Prince for being a weakling. As if they think that what the teenagers did was okay and Phoebe should have taken it like a good victim because it was her fault.
I also say the same about the supposedly responsible adults at school who failed in their primary responsibility; creating a safe environment in which character and values are modeled by adults and in which academic learning can be maximized.
We do know what to do to easily stop 75-90 percent of school bullying. Are you holding your school administrators and legislators accountable for doing their share?
If you’re a parent of a teenager, do you know what to do to teach your child to be as bully-proof as possible and to hold your principal and staff accountable?
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Resources Cited: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Bill-Cosby-lashes-out-at-Phoebe-Prince-bullies-90830324.html and http://www.examiner.com/x-33110-Mind-and-Body-Examiner~y2010m4d1-Fifteen-year-old-Phoebe-Prince-commits-suicide-after-being-bullied-Dr-Alvin-Poussaint-speaks-out
Ben Leichtling, Ph.D. is author of the books and CDs “How to Stop Bullies in Their Tracks,†“Parenting Bully-Proof Kids†and “Eliminate the High cost of Low Attitudes.†He is available for coaching, consulting and speaking. To find practical, real-world tactics to stop bullies and bullying at home, school, work and in relationships, see his web site (http://www.BulliesBeGone.com) and blog (http://www.BulliesBeGoneBlog.com).
39 users commented in " Bill Cosby Right about Phoebe Prince’s Principal, Teachers "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackWe’re finding out more and more each day that Phoebe Prince had underlying emotional and mental conditions that were ignored by her family. The latest bombshell: She was “a cutter”. She engaged in self-mutilation, a compulsive act performed to release emotional pain, anger, or anxiety. A severe mental disorder. Clearly, Phoebe did not belong in a social environment where even the slightest stresses were more than she could handle.
Which begs the question: Why would a District Attorney, knowing the severity of the mental illness suffered by a suicide victim, attempt to bring charges against so-called “bullies”? I think the answer is clear: The District Attorney herself , Elizabeth D. Scheibel, obviously either suffered or suffers from a similar form of mental illness.
Her profile at http://www.ndaa.org/ndaa/profile/elizabeth_d_scheibel_march_april_2004.html gives a few indicators:
“Yes,” admits Scheibel, DA of the two-county Northwest District of Massachusetts, “I was a real tomboy and loved all boys’ sports, but especially baseball. I played third base on a Little League-type boys’ team … and I played football with the boys in neighborhood pick-up games (preferring tackle football to touch football), and I also played softball and swam competitively in school.”
A clear statement that she felt uncomfortable around those of her own sex, seeking out the company of boys figuring that by playing their games she could garner their attention. Evidence of low self esteem.
Scheibel was 19 and attending Mount Holyoke College in her hometown, majoring in psychobiology and bent on a career in animal husbandry, when fate—and romance—intervened. She signed up for an introductory law course taught by a charismatic lawyer, Paul Boudreau, then 27. As a story on her in the Boston Globe recounts, she initially was more attracted to Boudreau than to the law, but “her interest in both, and her interest in pursuing them, grew.”
Here, the good DA is looking for love in all the wrong places – in this case a teacher. More evidence of low self esteem.
In the fall of 1996 Scheibel, at 40, faced a personal crisis. After a series of tests that followed a mammogram, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent surgery for removal of the tumor, followed by an energy-draining program of radiation and chemotherapy. During this difficult period, her antidote was devotion to her job. “Everyone reacts differently,” she told a reporter at the time, “but this worked for me.” She’s now fully recovered.
Here the good DA’s low self esteem comes out to blossom through complete avoidance of her health issues by drowning in “devotion to her job”.
Clearly, what we see in Phoebe is the sad outcome from mental illness untreated. I think we’re seeing the same in the Elizabeth D. Scheibel.
Yes, yes, let’s look at the DA and see what’s going on there, and we know something was going on with Phoebe because of her aunt reporting it to the school administration last summer, before school started. The DA is trying to make a statement, and that’s illegal. The new law is the proper statement. And Mommy didn’t leave this time. It was the right thing to do last time. She knew it was dangerous for Phoebe…
Oh Mickey,
You really are wrapped up in the defense of senseless and abomidable behavior. I trust you must be of the mind to bully yourself, either as a young person or an adult, or that you are a “friend” of one of these misguided, jealous and sadly insecure characters. Your ramblings show an incredible lack of insight into what we know about blaming the victim.
Whatever may or may not have “ailed” Phoebe Prince has no bearing on the behavior and consequences of these disturbed youngsters. It is irrelevent in their defense and relevent with regard to why harassment and hostile environment’s are dangerous and against the law. You need only to look at yourself in the mirror for a long, long time.
The six charged all appear to have been instrumental in making Phoebe’s life on earth a hell but then to carry over with such mean comments after death is beyond disgusting. Shame on everyone of the six. The two males charged likely have very grim lives ahead of them if they are convicted and it seems there is enough evidence to prove statuatory rape. The years ahead of them will be a nightmare and will continue after they are released. They both will become some inmates’ wives and then traded for books of stamps. They will understand, clearly, the definition of rape.
The females charged were particularly vile to Phoebe. What did she ever do to them? I also think Sharon’s mother’s statement should be reassessed and perhaps also charge her. I believe she was driving the car the day Phoebe died and it was from that car the beverage can was thrown at Phoebe. The mother knew as she stated in an interview that the bullying was going on between her daughter and Phoebe.
All of the bullies parents need to be interviewed and perhaps charged. The superintendent, principal, vice principal should be re-visited in regard to what they failed to do. The D.A. has done a good job but has stopped short of obtaining full information. The other administrator’s that knew, maybe also those that should have known, need to be investigated thoroughly and charge every one of them where there is evidence that they failed to protect Phoebe.
I pray the parents, sister and extended family will remember all the good things and good memories with Phoebe. Perhaps when the criminal case is done they can take civil action against each of the six, their parents, the school, the school district and personally any other adult that did not stand up for Phoebe. Then use the money for a foundation to honor Phoebe and train counselors and other school personnel how to be effective in dealing with the bullies of the future.
Finally, we all need to apologize to Ireland for not taking better care of their precious Phoebe. I am so sorry for your loss.
Oh Mickey, there is no evidence she was a cutter, merely that she quoted Dr. Steven Levenkron. In what appears to be a book report. “From a personal point of view I can see that Levenkron does truly understand the concept of self- mutilation and how it’s not about suicide, in most cases it’s about trying to transfer the pain from emotional to physical pain which is a lot easier to deal with for most adolescents who most likely don’t even understand how they’re feeling.”
The 9 students who daily attacked Ms. Prince engaged in a criminal conspiracy to torment and abuse her. The school ignored the harassment and are taking the ostrich approach to solving their problems. Hopefully they will pull their head out of the sand and enact reforms to address the harassment problems their schools have. Otherwise, what family will want to move to an area with unsafe schools?
This tacit acceptance of personal responsibility it truly disturbing. Ultimately Phoebe Prince was responsible for hanging herself. No one else. No one put a gun to her head. No one tied a rope. Her responsibility pure and simple.
The fact that she was mentally unbalanced puts her family and friends second in line in responsibility? Why didn’t they see the signs? Why didn’t they do anything?
All this other crap that people are throwing into the situation, alleged bullies, school officials allegedly doing nothing to stop it, is all just that: Crap.
Sadly, a rogue prosecutor with obvious emotional problems, with an an agenda of acting out those emotional problems on defendants, now seems hellbent on destroying the lives of a bunch of high school kids. Throw into the mix a bunch of actual bullies, people hellbent on lynching those kids, and you get a real disturbing story.
It’s sad to see what has become of America. On 9/11 a handful of terrorists scratch the surface of the American psyche and out pops racism, perpetual wars, laws which strip Americans of liberties they’ve enjoyed for nearly 250 years – a quarter millenium.
Now, some sad emotionally distraught teen, one of many, kills herself and the lynch mobs line up.
America is truly sick.
I agree with this article and I think he knows what he is talking about. The behavior of the admin and the teachers was the real shocker, both while it was occuring and afterwards. What are they saying to the students and the world….you don’t do your job, deny knowing anything about anything and then plead to move on, forget about it, get back to business, bully a few more parents and be done with it. I think this is a major part of the problem.
Mickey has dropped the “dirt” bombshell that the administration and the lawyer has already eluded to. Where did he get his information? He is obviously a friend with the same exact mentality as the bullies. He is spreading some dirt, even attacking the DA. So this is what happens in the school as well…anyone who does something to stop this behavior becomes the next target. We should look into Mickey’s background and see what is wrong with him, something for sure.
It doesn’t matter what problems this 15 yr old girl had….it’s the bullying that is on trial and the lack of supervision at this school, everything else is irrelevent. What are you saying? Anyone with problems can not attend “your” school because you won’t allow it. Are people with problems your targets? Does this excuse the behavior in any way? NO
It is frightening to hear these inhumane feelings of one so young or from anyone really. These people are walking among our kids at school and there is no supervision, sounds like a timebomb to me.
I hate to break it to you but the behavior of the bullies was actually illegal. As for the suicide if they casued emotional anguish to help exacerbate Ms. Prince’s “condition” (it has yet to be proven or allowed) then they are liable in both civil and criminal respects. The US Supreme Court has already ruled that ignorance is not a legal defense. If any one of us did to anything like what was done to Phoebe Prince we would be held accountable by a court of law whether we knew of her “condition” or not. If is established that she had a “condition” the penaties might even be worse. The law does have a tendancy to protect the “weak”. Its time to discuss holding the bullies accountable becasue we already failed them buy not disciplining them when the opportunity presented itself. By prosecuting the bullies we force them to take responsiblity for thier action but we also take responsiblity for our lack of action as adults who failed provide guidance to the children. By not holding them accountable their behavior will just get worse. The ier crimes might even become more extreme. Fewer people will believe in the leagal system and the “mobs” will only get worse becasue that will be the only way that the people can get any perceived justice. So for the sake of all involved the bullies need to be punished criminally and civily to the fullest extent of the law or we will decay even further then you think.
The Phoebe Prince story is so sad. If you are a child, or teen, and you are in the care of adults you should be able to count on those adults to watch over you.
A minor thing that happened to me is this boy when I was in the 7th grade would try to touch my beasts. We both sat right in from of the teacher. She would see what was going on and look on with this “I don’t give a care” glance. Finally, I wacked him up side the head with my notebook. She finally told him to stop, but it was in this monotone suck voice.
Also, a lot of parents don’t take advantage of the “parents meet the teachers” events or become involved in their child’s school in anyway. This is important for parents to do because they may get to see potential problems in school. I’m not judging Phoebe’s mom. I have no idea how whether or not she was involved in her child’s school.
How can anyone be absolutely sure that she took her own life? Obviously, these bullies were relentless and would not stop. Look at what was written on her memorial page on FB – “Accomplished”? WTF! Really folks this goes well beyond “kid stuff”. If nothing is done to punish these kids, they will continue on to their next victim(s). I must say that I am really shocked that nowadays the girls are far worse than the boys when it comes to violence. Scary! Everything about this case sickens me. It is absolutely disgusting that the parent who drove the car involved in the last perpetuated act of violence against this poor girl did not find anything wrong with this. IMO, he/she needs to be charged as well.
Mickey, how very ignorant you are… Many of the charges against these eight individuals would apply even if Phoebe Prince were alive today. Statutory rape, violation of civil rights and criminal harassment are all illegal behaviors! If you are determined to lay the sole blame on Phoebe for her own death then so be it. But your smoke and mirrors can’t hide the fact that these kids participated in illegal acts that are, and should be, punishable by the law. Oh, and by the way, the constant harrassment and energy these kids put into torturing Phoebe could almost be called… oh, I don’t know… OBSESSION. Also a mental illness
Mickey, how very ignorant you are… Many of the charges against these eight individuals would apply even if Phoebe Prince were alive today. Statutory rape, violation of civil rights and criminal harassment are all illegal behaviors! If you are determined to lay the sole blame on Phoebe for her own death then so be it. But your smoke and mirrors can’t hide the fact that these kids participated in illegal acts that are, and should be, punishable by the law. Oh, and by the way, the constant harrassment and energy these kids put into torturing Phoebe could almost be called… oh, I don’t know… OBSESSION. Also a mental illness
Mickey, how very ignorant you are… Many of the charges against these eight individuals would apply even if Phoebe Prince were alive today. Statutory rape, violation of civil rights and criminal harassment are all illegal behaviors! If you are determined to lay the sole blame on Phoebe for her own death then so be it. But your smoke and mirrors can’t hide the fact that these kids participated in illegal acts that are, and should be, punishable by the law. Oh, and by the way, the constant harassment and energy these kids put into torturing Phoebe could almost be called… oh, I don’t know… OBSESSION. Also a mental illness
Opinion said,
in April 19th, 2010 at 11:09 am
“Mickey has dropped the “dirt” bombshell that the administration and the lawyer has already eluded to. Where did he get his information? He is obviously a friend with the same exact mentality as the bullies. He is spreading some dirt, even attacking the DA. So this is what happens in the school as well…anyone who does something to stop this behavior becomes the next target. We should look into Mickey’s background and see what is wrong with him, something for sure.”
Wow… Someone such as myself looks at the case with eyebrows raised, does a little homework, finds out the DA is a borderline mental case for even pursuing this, and suddenly I’m a victim of bullying. Maybe you ought to stare at yourself in the mirror. You’re a pretty sick individual. Maybe you should go get yourself checked out with a psychiatrist.
cocogee said,
in April 19th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
“Mickey, how very ignorant you are…”
Another bully. Why don’t you go stare at yourself in the mirror. You’re the ignorant one.
Lets play Mickey’s game.
Austen Renaud was charged yesterday with underaged drinking and driving. This could only mean that Austin is highly self-destructive, a severe mental disorder.
Clearly, Austin did not belong in a social environment where even the slightest stresses were more than he could handle. And quite obviously since the state has taken away his ability to vent his pain by bullying, he has become an extreme danger to himself and society at large.
My take on this case is that Phoebe was a outsider she came into this school where some of the kids are well know and have lived there,god forbid she dated a football guy that i feel the girls were jealous of that relationship,gee we all know kids can be cruel,it happens everyday,you can only take so much put down and bullying
I was bully at school by a girl,walking home minding my own business and she would come out of nowhere and pinch me and pulled my hair,this went on for sometime,never understood why she had it in for me,but it hurt me deeply
Lets play Big Tom’s game.
Austen Renaud was charged yesterday with underaged drinking and driving. The young man was obviously driven to drinking and driving by the relentless bully he’s received by the DA, the press and total strangers in forum hellbent on destroying the young man’s life.
Thank you Mickey.
You just proved my point that bullying is as bad for Austen as it was for Phoebe.
Bullying, bad. Blaming the victim, stupid.
Mickey, please look up NAMI on the internet and educate yourself about mental illness. Millions of people suffer from differant forms and it is NOT in any way a character flaw or “weakness”. Many suffer in silence because of people with your attitude and misconceptions about their abilities to function and contribute to society at large.
Also, please respond to posters’ comments by stating your opionion in a rational manner rather than crying “bully”. My understanding is that in your opinion these eight kids did absolutely nothing wrong… at all. Please respond to the following questions… Do you truly believe their behavior should be tolerated and condoned? Do you truly believe their actions were acceptable?
Geeze… looks like I’m gonna be bullied here. What a bunch of sick people. But that’s been the story of this Phoebe Prince story from the start – attack anyone who voices the opinion that Phoebe Prince is ultimately guilty of her own demise.
America really is sick.
To the poster named Mickey — You poor, confused dear. You seem a bit slow on the uptake. So let me spell it out for you, as an attorney myself. The type of behavior perpetrated by the bullies was in fact, illegal and criminally actionable. Wouldn’t be tolerated for a hot minute in any workplace. Wakeup call: The supposed mindset of the victim doesn’t matter. End of story. Doesn’t matter whether her parents were “not involved enough,” as you allege. Nor does your silly, uninformed opinion. What matters is that they broke the law. I have to wonder, do you make apologies for child molesters and murderers, too? I’ve seen your type way too many times in my career.
To the poster named Mickey — You poor, silly dear. You seem a bit slow on the uptake. Perhaps your emotions are overruling your capacity for analytical thought. So let me spell it out in simple terms, as an attorney myself. The type of behavior perpetrated by the bullies was in fact, illegal and criminally actionable. Wouldn’t be tolerated for a hot minute in any workplace. Wakeup call: The supposed mindset of the victim doesn’t matter. End of story. Your opinions, while entertaining, have no bearing. Since you seem to have a lot of time on your hands, I suggest you put your self-professed investigative skills to work on the defendants and let us know what you dig up — that we’d be very interested in knowing. Tell us Mickey! Put that keen, critical eye to work sleuthing and report back to us with your psuedointellectual opinions so we can all have a good laugh.
Mickey, please don’t use tactics such as calling me a bully to avoid answering my two very pointed questions.
Again…
Do you truly believe their behavior should be tolerated and condoned? Do you truly believe their actions were acceptable?
Perhaps your silence and refusal to answer these questions speaks volumes. Is your stance on the subject hard to defend when put so bluntly?
It’s hard to imagine why anyone reading Mickey’s comments would engage in a debate with him. He’s lavishing in all your attention. The story isn’t about Mickey. This is about Phoebe Prince and the kids facing criminal charges. Kids develop at a rapid rate. Some develop slower and some have emotional problems. The governance and structure of that development is a collaborative effort between the parents, the schools, and people in your community. Somehow, the structure broke down on all sides for Phoebe and her tormentors. Phoebe Prince should be a lesson to every parent. Be an involved parent – stay in your kid’s business, and make sure their friends know you’re involved. Be their best advocate, listen closely, and don’t relent if you become aware of issues at the school.
Mickey provides excellent insight into bullylogic.
They don’t seem to have an understanding of common laws and rules and cannot debate from such a baseline. It is okay for a bully to smear victims and their defenders, but as soon as you judge the bully they cry “persecution!” like little toddlers. And since bullies always attack the weak, they see no irony in their smearing of dead Phoebe to be even weaker than she already was. Fascinating. The prosecutor is not simply doing her job, she’s “weak” like Phoebe and should be attacked. Bill Cosby has a PhD in education? Completely irrelevant if he is not on their side.
They appear to have a purely one sided, childlike, egocentric, even psychopathic view of things. Deny, blame, and if all else fails, cry.
Yep… a bunch of bullies unable to handle other people’s opinions. Rather sickening lot too.
Well, if as you say, Phoebe is responsible for her own life, then take responsibilty for your views. Why do you need to put down others ie. the prosecuting DA or calling others who challenge your opinions as “bullies”, and stating “America is really sick” because they challenge your viewpoint. If this is what you really believe in then stand on it and take the criticisms as a challenge to your own. This comes with the territory on the specific opinions you hold. No need to try to put others down who don’t share your opinions. Remember,the standards you want others to abide by will be the same standards that will apply to you.
I am a high school teacher with a deep love for all my students. I go to their games, talk with them about their day, share life stories with them, and treat them like fellow human beings with hearts like my own. I’m connected to them and aware. In fact, we just added a novel called Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, a story of a girl who commits suicide, to our curriculum so we can have discussions about how our words and actions affect others. We also brought the program Rachel’s Challenge to our school and followed up with interaction and discussion.
I am very saddened and discouraged that people are so quick to blame teachers, administrators, and schools when we see symptoms that our society is sick. People don’t assume they can be a dentist because they have sat in a dentist’s chair. Why then do people presume they have teaching all figured out because they have sat in a desk in a classroom? There is so much more to being a teacher than most everyone could know without personal experience. It is arrogant and ignorant to believe you can blame teachers and schools for problems faced by teens in our society.
There is no way I can be aware of everything going on in my classroom at a given moment. My focus is on engaging students, keeping students on task, helping students feel they belong, interacting positively with students, and so much more. I work with one small group, read aloud, help an individual student. There have been countless times when students ask if I saw or heard something, and I have been oblivious. It is not possible to do all that teachers do and be aware of everything.
We stand in our doorways between classes, and address what we see that is inappropriate. But there is no way we can see it all. We try anyway, but we cannot.
It’s time society stops blaming teachers and schools for what happens in society. Let’s start looking at the true sources of these problems and creating solutions.
In my world potential bullies are very easy to spot. Why is this so difficult for caring teachers?
I think Mickey is a parent or a friend of one of the accused bullies. There is no way anyone could have his views on this tragedy unless he were. It’s insane!!
Absolutely it is horrible that these fellow students were bullying this poor girl. Absolutely it is horrible that the school administrators did nothing to help. The bullying Students, their Parents AND the school administrators should ALL be held accountable. One question I have – is Where were Phoebe’s parents during all this bullying ? Everyone wants the schools to be responsible for the children in it and they are to a degree – but just when did it stop being a parent’s responsibility to know what is happening in their childrens’ lives and to know when to step in if necessary ? I keep hearing that the school is responsible for this….the bullying students are responsible for this….but the nagging question I’ve had with this particular case is Why does no one talk about this girls parents? And what about the parents of the bulliers ? They should be held accountable for their juvenile delinquent insensitive, nasty offspring ! If the bullier is underage – their parent is to be held accountable. Period.
Food for thought …. If a child throws a baseball and it goes through Your kitchen window, doesn’t the responsibility of replacing that window fall on the parents of the child who threw the ball ? Hello ! It’s called being a responsible parent / or taking responsibility FOR your child. Perhaps it’s a crazy analagy but one nontheless.
I don’t catch much news and have been researching this story today. I’m sorry for Phoebe’s family, and sorry for Phoebe. I’m so sorry that she felt she had no other options but to take her own life. I’m sick that those parents didn’t have more of a grasp on what was going on with their children. Really? They had no idea about the relentless torture their child was inflicting on another? Ashamed. That’s what those parents should be. What’s even more frightening is the fact that even after her death, their hatred continues. Where is thier sense or right and wrong? Since thier parents won’t step in, our society must. I certainly don’t want my children going to school with these morally reprehensible children. They need someone to help them suffer consequences for their actions. Obviously they never have before.
It’s a sad thing when it is now up to the Gov’t to step in to teach our children how to be empathetic toward one another. ( re: that anti bullying law )
Mickey,
You are right that Pheobe hung herself; no one else did that to her. All I can say to you is, be grateful you have never been targeted by people who torment you to the point that you feel there is no place in the world for you. I was just like Pheobe but fortunately, when I tried to kill myself I wasn’t as good at it as Pheobe was. You can never understand that kind of hell unless you lived through it so just be thankful you didn’t have to. The DA did the right thing to charge those bastards. Whether or not Pheobe was mentally unstable is irrelevant.
QKimberley: While I doubt YOU would let anyone get away with bullying, there is ample evidence that the teachers a.) were told about the bullying and did nothing and b.) saw the Pheobe being bullied and ignored it. THEY could have done something.
Do you know what the difference between Columbine and Pheobe Prince was? Pheobe was bullied and she turned the anger inward. The kids responsible for Columbine and the other school shootings were bullied and they turned their anger toward others. Anti-bullying laws might not eliminate all bullying but I bet it will save a lot of anguish for those chidren who are being bullied.
Message
Subject: RE: School Bullying
Posted By: jessie tompkins
Comment:
as an employee of the Montgomery Alabama Board of Education, I reported gang bullying and threats against me and other students and nothing was done. Actually the Board voted to fire me after I filed a police report, I further went to the media after the police report went missing. To complicate things, the Alabama Education Association (AEA) the states teacher union quit during my hearing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=457KMceLrxw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR00UGh1j_k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIVSW2n2Bno&feature=related
I am joining this blog a little late, but I have gone through several such blogs, and in every single one of them there is an idiot like Mickey. Don’t bother trying to bring rational, valid, lucid points to convince him. His thrill is saying things that will obviously make people angry. Others will read his inflammatory textual diarrhea, and they will continue to respond. He will return every so often to read what kind of anger his swill has inspired, then he will reinforce what he said previously, probably giggling at the controversy he is causing. Don’t bother trying to reason with him, or trying to get an answer that makes sense. For the dozens of individuals like Mickey, this kind of manipulation makes them feel important and empowered. If he ever does come back to read this, he will no doubt respond by taking my comments out of context and try to throw them back at me with his pseudo existential gibberish written in childish prose. My advice would be to ignore him, and like a bad headache he will go away. Oh, and one final thing Mickey, nobody is bulleying you, or trying to prevent someone with a differing point of view. You are just a childish attention thief.
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