Bullycide
Bullying in Schools and Workplaces
That Leads to Suicide Claims Lives Around the World
Failing to protect our children (or employees)
from bullying has very real and very deadly consequences.
The term 'Bullycide' was coined by journalist Neil
Marr in the book Bullycide:
Death at Playtime which was co-written by the late anti-bullying crusader
Tim Field. It draws on the real stories of torment
experienced by children at the hands of bullies. Driven
beyond their ability to cope with the systematic abuse
of bullying, and seeing no other way to escape, these
precious children took their own lives to end their
suffering.
Bullycide
in America:
Moms speak out about the bullying/suicide
connection.
This is a book
of real
stories about real kids.
Kids who took their own lives because
they thought it was their only way out of a
hopeless situation. It is about the tragic choices
they made in an effort to end the pain - when
they believed there was no other solution.
It is told by mothers
who are willing to share their own personal
pain as they watched their children suffer and
struggle. It is about their own efforts to advocate
for their children while they continue to deal
with their own devastating loss and the aftermath
of bullycide.
You
can find more information or order your copy
here. > |
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While it is now well known that bullying leads directly
to suicide, or bullycide, (with adults as
well as children) bullying is still not considered
to be an issue deserving of serious consideration.
Bullying is dismissed as a right-of-passage experienced
by all children while the victims of bullies are blamed
for having done something to be deserving of the bully's
hostile attentions.
They are told to "toughen up", "quit
being a whiner" or "get a thicker skin".
When a target of bullying tries to speak out about
the abuse they are betrayed and told that "nobody
likes a tattle-tale".
Bullying is far from harmless and needs to be recognized
for the very serious threat that it is. In addition
to physical assaults bullying has a devastating impact
on the emotional and psychological well being of victims.
Bullying is a relentless assault on the soul.
Suicide caused from bullying is something that principals,
teachers, parents, managers, human resources professionals,
EAP providers and union leaders need to begin taking
seriously - very seriously.
The bullying / suicide connection has been demonstrated
time and again. The consequences of bullying can be
lethal. Bullying is directly implicated in child and
teenage suicide. Addressing the issue of bullying
at school or even after school hours through stalking
or cyberbullying (web bullying) is an essential component
of teen suicide prevention.
Targets of bullying, whether they are children or
adults, are subjected to treatment which is designed
to eat away at their self esteem and drive them to
despair and to suicide.
In research conducted by Prof. Heinz Leymann in Sweden
into mobbing (an extreme form of workplace bullying)
he determined that approximately 12 percent of those
who had committed suicide had recently been bullied
at work.
Bullycide is able to fly under the radar as the bullying
/ suicide connection is rarely made. Suicides are
written off as the result of obviously troubled individuals
without a serious investigation into why they were so troubled. In this way bullies are let
off the hook.
In fact it gives bullies more ammunition and allows
them to justify their behavior saying, "see they
were mentally unstable, there was something wrong
with them", thus blaming the victim while abdicating
responsibility for their own reprehensible actions.
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Bullycide:
Death at Playtime
"Excellent
research. Well written work. So difficult
to read the torment these children suffered.
Bullycide is presented by writers Marr and Field
in a straight forward, non theatrical manner.
The facts of the cases speak for themselves.
Books such as Bullycide are a must read. This
book will help to enlighten readers to the terrible
torment children who are bullied endure.
Excellent work, highly
recommended for all teachers, parents and those
who work with children on any level."*
You
can find more information or order your copy
here. >
*Excerpts from review
by Molly Martin |
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From BullyOnline.org... "Bullycide:
Death at Playtime is a book by Neil Marr and Tim Field which exposes
the death toll of child suicide caused by bullying
at school. Every year, at least 16 families will experience
the nightmare of coming home to find the lifeless
body of their child (UK Statistics). They will then
discover that the bullying which drove their child
to suicide had been going on for months and that the
school knew all about it but had taken no effective
action. The moment parents start their investigation
they are likely to find themselves and their dead
child vilified and blamed.
This pioneering book reveals the main reason why
children are picked on: because they have a very low
propensity to violence and a mature understanding
of the need to resolve conflict with dialogue rather
than violence. Bullies exploits these values - which
society claims to cherish - and torment their prey
for weeks, months, or years until the anger built
up inside the target becomes uncontainable and explodes
into violence. Because of their moral integrity and
heightened emotional maturity, almost all targets
of bullying will direct the anger onto themselves
- which results in depression, self-harm or suicide.
This heroic act is in stark contrast to the cowardly
and thuggish nature of the bully who, when called
to account, will aggressively but plausibly deny everything.
The bully is often able to manipulate the perceptions
of the responsible adults so that they also now victimise
the target."
If we need further evidence of how deadly bullying
can be we need look no further than the heartrending
stories found in the book, compiled by Brenda High, Bullycide
in America: Moms speak out about the bullying/suicide
connection. >
From the point of view of mothers who have survived
their children who have been driven to suicide by
relentless physical abuse and/or psychological torture Bullycide in America paints a stark picture
of the torments faced by many students in todays schools.
In spite of their pain these mothers have come forward
to tell their story and the stories of their children
so that we may learn from the harsh lessons they have
endured.
Read this book with a view to comprehending the viciousness
our kids face at the hands of bullies, to understanding
how devastating the consequences in the lives of those
affected and perhaps most importantly, what you can
do to see the signs in your own child that they are
the victim of bullying - before it is too late.
Key to preventing bullycide is creating an environment
that encourages targets of bullying to come forward
and speak out about their abuse. Victims of bullying
and bystanders need to feel confident that they will
be heard and that their concerns about bullying will
be taken seriously by those in authority and will
be addressed with the urgency it deserves.
Often targets of bullying who come forward are dismissed,
even punished for doing so. They are also afraid of
being seen talking to a teacher (or manager in the
case of adult bullying) as this will likely lead to
reprisals from the bully. However, without accurate
reports of bullying activity and ongoing documentation
of continued bullying incidents even the best intentions
of administrators is thwarted.
What Can You Do About Bullycide?
Educate yourself about bullying. Know the warning
signs. Read books on the subject like Bullycide:
Death at Playtime and Bullycide
in America: Moms speak out about the bullying/suicide
connection to learn as much as you can.
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