Cyberbullying, it's not a game! It's your Life!!!

CEOs, celebrities, sportsmen and ministers have formed an unlikely coalition – all in the name of a newly unveiled national campaign to stamp out bullying in the workplace and beyond.

(Reuters) - Weeks after the suicide of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer in western New York, school officials, police and lawmakers are grappling with ways to prevent the kind of schoolyard bullying being blamed for his death.

The openly gay teen's parents Tim and Tracy Rodemeyer are calling for changes in how New York schools handle the kind of chronic harassment that drove their son to kill himself outside their suburban Buffalo home on September 19.

Over the past several years, school districts in Kansas and across the country have faced lawsuits and paid hefty settlements in court cases involving bullying.

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'Bullycide’ bill would protect new Yorkers from cyberbullying

Albany — A bill introduced this week by Sen. David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Orange) would make “bullycide” a felony if adopted.

The bill would expand second-degree manslaughter to include death by cyberbullying when a perpetrator intentionally or recklessly causes a victim to commit suicide.

===> It would be punishable by up to 15 years in prison. <===

Assemblyman Mike Eng, who represents Arcadia and other local cities, joined fellow bullying victims and officials Thursday to encourage passage of a new bill requiring schools to specifically address bullying.

Bullying is clouded by a fog of silence.

Bullying and bullying behaviours are recognised as one of the more contributing factors in cases of non or diminished attendance at school. The stresses placed on the targets of bullying have far reaching effects on the emotional health and wellbeing, educational successes and subsequent life chances.

BulliesOut provides much needed help support and information to individuals, schools, youth and community settings affected by bullying. The charity was established in May 2006 and the determination and tireless work of its team ensures that thousands of young people are helped and supported through this cruel act each year.

Montclair and the rest of our society cannot accept malignantly aggressive behavior perpetrated by people, whether adults or juveniles.

For young people, who are physically, intellectually and psychologically developing, intolerable actions can cause both immediate and lasting damage.

Hurtful actions committed by youths against other youths are dangerous, destructive — and unacceptable.

Adults who bully and brutalize other adults or children face misdemeanor or felony charges. But our nation's laws are much less focused on abuse perpetrated by minors against other young people. Police officers and school officials generally are reluctant to levy consequential penalties on young people, legitimately noting that a wayward youth may have failed to recognize the consequence of her or his bad action.

Klein's bill says "harassing a child using electronic communication" would fall under 3rd Degree Stalking, punishable with up to a year in prison. If that harassment caused suicide, the bully could face 2nd Degree Manslaughter charges and up to 15 years in prison.

"Do something about your children, control your children," Klein said at the news conference outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. "Otherwise they're going to be punished under a very tough New York State statute."

Because bullies exist beyond New York State, others think federal legislation is needed.

Some children are good at hiding their feelings and the first you may know of the problem is when your child suddenly doesn't want to go to school, or says they are ill when PE lessons are on the agenda.

With kids back in school, officials say cyberbullying is a concern even more than before.

Bullying has been around for ages but with the internet and more teens having access to smart phones, an increased amount of harassment has become a concern for parents and teachers alike.

Now, various versions of software have been released to help beat cyberbullying altogether.

The heart-rending story of an 11-year-old who was
bullied so badly he chose to end his life hit home with
the mother of another Durham Region boy.

Discusses law enforcement perspectives and role in dealing with cyberbullying incidents.

The death of an 11-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy months after his assault by a bully has shined a spotlight on bullying in Canada's schools.

There are many opinions on the outrageous and desperate measures today’s youth take.

Children find no other alternative to impulsively do something, without thinking of the future consequences of their actions.

Perhaps many children find it necessary to escape the reality of living by thinking the world is better off without them. Their young minds have to be nurtured to accept that which is and truthfully realize change can not happen without their presence.

Bully Free: It Starts With Me," NEA's Campaign Against Bullying, has resources and information to put an end to bullying at your school.

It’s not the kind of letter you would think the secretary of education would get, but Arne Duncan said he gets them all the time.

“I’m being bullied at school and on the bus, and I’m afraid of telling somebody because they might hear about it and do something bad to me,” a girl from Texas wrote in a letter to the Obama administration’s top education official.

“I don’t really like telling on somebody, but I’ve told the principal and [he] didn’t do anything about it. I’ve considered suicide but that won’t help anything; that will only hurt my family. Please give me advice about what to do.”

Such things are happening in schools across the country, Duncan said during a Sept. 21 summit on bullying prevention.