KellyHatcher.com

Sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you…WHAT A LIE!!  Do you know someone who has been hurt by somebody else’s words?   What the heck…you may have been hurt by those words!  Or maybe you were the one using the hurtful words!  This is the biggest type of bullying around.  Cyber Bullying is all over Facebook and of course all over some kid’s text messages. Spreading rumors, sexual lies, harassment, teasing and so much more are causing kids to have anxiety, depression, ulcers and of course the worst…. suicide.

Facebook lawsuit

They actually have come up with a name for this type of suicide…bullycide.  How horribly sad is that!  I just read a fact that every 100 minutes a teen commits suicide.  Teens go through a vulnerable period at this stage in their lives. No matter how small or big their problems, their troubles may feel unbearable or overwhelming.  That is a fact given for every teenager across the world, now add someone harassing or teasing them over the internet.

I know as a mom of two boys, I have to keep my eyes open to what they are watching, texting and Facebooking.  To me, this is my job as a parent.  I have to trust my kids until they give me reason to question them…I know this BUT I also know that it is my job to keep them safe from everyone else out there.  Don’t mess with the Mama bear!  I know some parents who are not even a Facebook friend of their own child!  That is CRAZY! Please, please pay attention to who your child is texting, talking to and Facebooking.  Just to let you all know…my own child said something on Facebook about one of his so called “friends” that was rude and hurtful.  The worst part…another parent caught it before I did!  Dang it!  He lost Facebook for over a year! (yes, I was ticked off at him!) He has now regained his Facebook privileges and yes, I am one of his friends.  I do believe he learned his lesson but I will still be checking out his posts, pictures and his friends comments.  One last comment…there are software programs out there that help parents monitor their child’s Facebook accounts.  Check out www.knowdiss.com

Have you ever been a target for bullying?  I know this is one of the hottest topics around in elementary, middle and high schools.  We are even seeing bullies at the college level and in the work place! Bullying has truly been around forever.  The difference…now a days kids aren’t just beating each other up, now they are committing suicide because they do not know how to handle the stress brought on by other kids. Why has this changed so drastically?  I grew up in Hawaii as the “Haole Girl” all through middle and high school.  At first, it was a nightmare!  The girls were brutal.  I was teased about being so tall, having blonde hair, talking funny (uhhh…did they hear themselves?).  I tried so hard to fit in from the clothes to the makeup to learning how to talk “pidgin”.  I finally started to fit in my 8^th grade year but to tell you the truth, I saw many kids get picked on.  I had a big mouth and was much taller than many of these girls so I learned to stand up for myself.  I didn’t allow myself to get picked on.

Why do you think kids are allowing this to happen to them?  I think it has gotten much worse from 20 to 30 years ago when I was in school (yes, I am very old)! Girls and guys have always said mean things to each other but today…it is unbelievable what kids do and say across the internet and texting.  This has become a place of security for bullies.  They can post the nastiest comments you could ever imagine.  Kids are so graphic and sexual on Facebook it blows my mind.

I want to help these kids.  What kids do you think I’m talking about??  Well…all of them! Not just the victims, the ones who are being tortured with words and pictures. I also think the kids that are doing the bullying are in great need of help too. I believe many kids are struggling with self esteem issues and don’t know where to go for help.  Do they feel comfortable telling their parents?  Well, some do but most…no way!  What about school personnel?  Once again, there are a few teachers or counselors that truly listen and help based on the demands of teacher and the training (which is none) at this level.  I am a teacher and a school counselor and I have heard the stories over and over again.  It breaks my heart to see so many kids hurting.  As adults…we need to recognize that our kids are more educated, tech savvy, and sneaky when it comes to our computers and phones.  Please be aware!

Suicide from bullying is at an all time high.  I want to help parents, teachers and mostly students who need to talk and be heard. I want to offer suggestions on where to go or what to do.  The link below will show you some of the statics on teen suicide.  This blog will be my start….

Teacher Vision Article