By Hayley Wielgus
TYLER, TX (KYTX)
Bullying at school has recently driven some students to take their own lives, including a 13-year-old boy in North Texas just this past weekend. The behavior can cause more than just physical pain, it can emotionally scar a child.
"He was very quiet; he would get in the car after school and I would ask him about his day and he wouldn't say anything," Tyler mom Jessica Spier said. "There was no excitement; he would cry at home."
As a 4th grader, Spier's son was picked on, pushed and was once shoved to the ground.
"We're Christians and we pray, and he would pray that he wouldn't be scared to go to school the next day," Spier said.
Signs of bullying include changes in grades and behavior, not wanting to go to school or asking to take a different route to and from school to avoid a bully.
"They get real tense, you can tell it when they get home and get off the bus, you can immediately see it on their faces," Whitehouse mother of three Patti Carpenter said.
Kim Paetzel of Tyler Independent School District said cyber bullying is becoming increasingly common, so parents need to monitor their child's online activity, too. She said contact your child's school if you suspect they're being bullied.
"Parents need to talk to campus administrators and teachers," Paetzel said. "Those are the people who need to work as a team to address the issue."
Even after talking to administrators, Spier's son continued to be bullied, so she moved him to a different school. But when that's not an option, she encourages parents to be persistent.
"When they tell you about being bullied, I think you need to go to the school and talk to administrators and keep going back as many times as it takes," Spier said.
A study by the Department of Justice shows bullying can have long-term effects. Victims are more likely to contemplate suicide, skip school and have feelings of depression and low self esteem that last for years. Bullies are more likely to develop a criminal record.
The DOJ has prepared a publication that helps schools better identify bullying and reduce the behavior on campus:
www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/RIC/Publications/e07063414-guide.pdf
http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/HHS_PSA/pdfs/SBN_Tip_21.pdf
http://www.parentingbookmark.com/pages/articleMB03.htm
