R.I.P: Another Boy Kills Self Because of Bullying (577 hits)
Ok ya'll this one is serious. I am an old school parent and being such I wish there were more because this stuff would have been prevented. Me and the childrens momma's and daddy's would have had a talk and that would have resolved it. Our kids are losing out because the parents that are being parents are being outweighed by those who follow this current day belief that kids should rule.
It's a shame because it's not others killing our babies they're starting to kill themselves. I had a friend who did this in 5th or 6th grade not because of bullying (we knew better if our teachers didn't get us our parents and neighbors would) but because of gossiping (something that could be easily hidden and lethal especially amongst girls).
Anywho read and pray.
A crowd of about 60 gathered Tuesday night at the DeKalb home of Jaheem Herrera to remember the fifth-grader who committed suicide last week. The 11-year-old boy hanged himself at his home after — according to his family — relentless bullying at Dunaire Elementary School. Masika Bermudez, the boy’s mother, spoke briefly at the vigil that started about 7 p.m. After a short prayer, Bermudez told friends and parents to make sure their children understand that whatever problems they have “don’t be afraid to talk to your mother.”
As Bermudez spoke, she clung to two daughters — Ny’irah, 7 and Yerralis, 10. Yerralis discovered her brother’s body last Thursday after school. “His sister was screaming, ‘Get him down, get him down,’” said Norman Keene, Jaheem’s stepfather. When Keene got to the room, he saw Yerralis holding her brother, trying to remove the pressure of the noose her brother had fashioned with a fabric belt. “It’s heartbreaking,” said Jennifer Errion, assistant director of student support services, prevention-intervention for DeKalb schools. DeKalb County schools have programs in place to combat the types of bullying and violence that may have led to Jaheem’s death, but a Errion acknowledged the prevention program is “not a vaccine.” Two years ago, DeKalb public schools adopted an anti-bullying program called “No Place for Hate,” she said. The program, sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League, helps train faculty and students on accepting differences, promoting diversity and inclusion.
“We’ve created the idea that bullying is a rite of passage, and I don’t think it is,” said Errion. At the vigil, the mother of Jaheem’s best friend relayed a story from Jaheem’s last day. “Jaheem asked if anyone would miss him if he wasn’t here,” said Alice Brown, mother of Jaheem’s 10-year-old classmate A.J. “[A.J.] told him ‘He was his friend and he would miss him.’ “ Keene said the family knew the boy was a target of bullies, but until his death they didn’t understand the scope. “They called him gay and a snitch,” his stepfather said. “All the time they’d call him this.” Earlier this month the suicide of a Massachusetts boy, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover — who suffered taunts that he was gay — attracted national attention. He was also 11. His mother found him hanging from an extension cord in the family’s home. Bermudez also said her son was being bullied at school. She said she had complained to the school.
School officials won’t discuss allegations that bullying may have contributed to the boy’s suicide. Davis said Tuesday morning that officials are legally unable to comment on student-related records, such as whether the school had received complaints that Jaheem was being bullied.The family has hired an attorney.
I must add a comment. I wish they would institute prayer back in school. My elementary school (before I was bussed) was very diverse with christians, muslims, jehovah witnesses and atheists etc and we never had a problem. At lunch they would ask us to lower our heads in silence. We could pray, nap, silently think but whatever we did we had to be silent. This was before I was saved so I would usually think of sucking the necter out of these flowers that I would always pass when I would walk home with my mom and friends from school.
Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 at 2:43PM
crystal smith
Greetings Sister:
I posted the whole story of the fifth-grader who committed suicide due to school bullying on our syndication network, BlackInAmerica.com (an offshoot of the CNN miniseries). I have worked in the New Orleans Public Schools since 2002 and due to a confidentially agreement I singed I'm not to speak ill of the system, but the Truth is, these public school children (the majority of them) behave terribly. They have no manners, talk back, tease children, fight and curse teachers, smoke weed, gamble, have s*x out in the open, do all kinds of foul crap inside the schools, lie, steal, cheat, hate--they do everything. And some of this behavior is becoming present in the Catholic schools also. And where the hell is the leadership in the school? I've met several worthless principals who have not demonstrated leadership ability.
I currently work as a student registration clerk, however at one point during my employment in the public school system I was recruited to work as a teacher assistant in a middle school for a year. There was a total of 30 students assigned to each class, and every month parent conferences were held. Can you believe that out of those 30 students that I worked with, only ONE parent showed up!!! ONE PARENT!!! I ask where are the other 29 parents, or should I say, the other 29 so-called parents. They will not come out to support the school, but let their child fail a grade or get suspended/expelled, and you can swear on a stack of Bibles that there will be chaos.
There was a student who misbehaved in the classroom every day, I attempted to break up a fight and this child bit me on my wrist. It took all of my God-given power not to give him an a** whupping that day (LOL). And yes, I pressed charges. All along we complained to the parent and the principal that his behavior will not be tolerated. We even went as far as setting up a video camera in class to tape his behavior, the parent still denied it. (And keep in mind that she's a school security guard!!)
It is the parent’s job to make sure their child comes to school in the right frame of mind. Parents are altogether different from what they were back then. Where I come from, if a neighbor saw you doing something out of order, that neighbor had permission to discipline you. Nowadays, if you discipline a child that is not yours, you can expect the cops coming to your house accusing you of disturbing the peace (this happened in my neighboorhood once and the parties had to go to court because of it). It's no longer about taking a village to raise a child. The parents making these children are no more than kids themselves.
And when will the administrators stop focusing on the standardized testing in public schools and focus on these children? I mean all of the children. Not just the quiet ones, but the bullies too. Someone needs to call out these parents as well.
I totally agree with that this public school madness will only STOP when the parents, the community, the voters stop projecting what they are to blame for what is going on in their community, their schools, their homes.
They must start asking themselves why do they vote these people into office and then continue to help these people DO/ not do the very jobs that they"PAY" time to do?
Amen sister Siebra. You are absolutely right and back in my day you would have been able to hit that child. People today don't know the difference between abuse and discipline as such our kids have no boundaries. Kids raisings kids grandparents raisig grandkids instead of nurturing and guiding them. Kids are confused because parents are confused. Parents are confused because schools teach kids that discipline is abuse and a parent can't parent. Teachers can't force structure without discipline and I'm sorry but time outs and johnny be quiet don't always work. If it did your job would look a lot different than it does now. I give it to all of ya'll that gotta mess with the snotty bratty kids. As far as parent conferences I was guilty of that only because I'm not a stay at home mom and the school would always hold the conferences during the day. I'm sorry but not all of us can always take time off of work to attend and I think schools should be more understanding.
When I was young we had 100% participation because our teachers and school admin would hold all programs and conferences after 6:00pm. It seems as if some schools don't wanna do that anymore. The schools my girls go to know do and I am always there.
Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 at 4:17PM
crystal smith
...I must add a comment. I wish they would institute prayer back in school...
Girl what you talking bout!!
...but the Truth is, these public school children (the majority of them) behave terribly. They have no manners...
I agree Siebra... no home training or a lack there of. It's scary at times when you see some of these people who are suppose to be parents and how badly they behave. I blogged on another unrelated site, "Some People Shouldn't Be Parents" and you should have seen the comments of some of the fools that were attacking me when I spoke about manners.
My prayers go out to the family and loved ones of Jaheem.
Thursday, April 23rd 2009 at 12:06AM
Jen Fad
You're right Fad but alot of the structure and just silent meditation that was used to calm us don't exist today. It's obvious what is being tried now isn't working. I wouldn't even call it prayer (but thats what we called it) I would call it a moment of silence. If children were forced to reflect on their actions more it may help them calm down. Also taking out all the candy and soda machines would help too. They're pumping these kids up with all this sugar and highly processed food that is known to cause hyperactivity and behavioral problems. Our lunches used to be fresh and freshly made. That may help too. Parents are a big problem but many of these parents are kids who themselves are growing up - as Siebra pointed out. Our kids are suffering badly.
Thursday, April 23rd 2009 at 12:52AM
crystal smith
