Bullying: A Dark Secret No One Wants to Face

It’s the first day of school and you’re ecstatic to be back for a fresh school year. You’ll see your friends every day now and you are inquisitive about the new challenges in your classes. In honor of your first day of school, you shop the entire week prior to locate an immaculate outfit that will surely get the attention of everyone at school. Only, it wouldn’t the type of attention you desired. Everyone hates it and one boy leads the pack with his never-ending taunting. It’s vulgar and scurrilous throughout the day at school. However, you arrive home to see numerous photos on Facebook and Twitter detailing each portion of your outfit in a horrifying light. You’re embarrassed, hurt, and shocked. It’s there forever right? In your eyes, your life is truly over.

Does the above scenario sound familiar? Even if it’s never happened to you, you've been a spectator of this treatment before right? Bullying has been occurring for years, but with prevalent technologies, it can change from a “sticks and stones” situation to something far more sinister.

According to NBC News, teen Angel Green wrote these haunting words prior to her death: “It’s bullying that killed me. Please get justice.” Could there be a more direct message to us all? So, what can be done to help prevent another suicide with a direct correlation to bullying? Maybe a law will help.

An Indiana legislator doesn't think so. Presumably, right at the cusp of an anti-bullying bill, the legislator rescinded a good portion of the content involved within the bill itself.  The legislation was initially powered by thousands of signatures within an online petition.  Angel Green’s mother, Danielle, was astonished at the rescission after there was such a hard push with the petition to make strides to prevent what happened to her daughter from happening to another child. Angel hung herself from a tree before leaving the message mentioned earlier.

Senator Pete Miller seems to feel that the outrage is premature. He conceded that there will be future amendments to the bill. Still, one attorney exclaims that the topic of bullying is already highlighted in federal anti-discrimination laws that have been in place for years. He feels it is a waste of time to pursue additional legislation regarding the issue.

One thing is for sure, until there is a more stabilized bill brought forth, bullying will continue to be an issue that can only be cured from within. 

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