"48 Hours" focuses on bullying in the digital age

 

As a new school year begins across the country, more than 160,000 children will stay home every day because they are afraid of being bullied. That is just one of the startling facts in the CBS News/"48 Hours" presentation "Bullying: Words Can Kill."

Reported by correspondent Tracy Smith, the program airing Friday, Sept. 16 (8 p.m. ET/PT) reveals how the explosion in technology is only making bullying worse, as victims cannot find relief from their tormentors in a 24/7 digital world. The report will have important new information for parents, educators and legislators about how bullying affects children and how to address it.

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For six months, producers and camera crews were allowed in-depth access to the classrooms, cafeteria and gym at a Rhode Island middle school that is one of the few in the United States that has openly acknowledged it has a bullying problem and has taken action to address it. The "48 Hours" special documents the real lives of students at that particular school, and has the powerful stories of other young people and their families from around the country who have felt the impact of bullying firsthand.

One constantly harassed 14-year-old told Smith, "They got inside my head. They did it because they knew it would hurt." His mother said dropping him off at school was like "sending him off to war."

"If you have ever been bullied, harassed, tortured, which I hope you haven't, let me tell you, it is the worst. I mean, worst feeling ever," another 13-year-old bullying victim said. "You're laying in bed and you're just thinking, like... what would it be like if you're not here? Like... would it be better? Or, like, would people be happier - or just - just you wonder, you think a lot of questions."

Tragically, more than 150 children have taken their own lives in recent years because they were victims of harassment in school and online.

"We have principals in our schools and superintendents who don't want to acknowledge the problem. They don't want it to be their problem. I did as much as I could do as a parent, knowing as little as I did," says Cynthia Logan, a parent who lost her daughter because of bullying.

[ki24]

I watched the show and I could relate to everything because I went through the same thing, it all started in 5th grade. I was in a new country and in a new school not knowing english, Im adopted from Russia, and the girls in 5th grade started making fun of me because I was different. 6th grade was the same thing. 7th grade I still got bullied but not as bad. 8th grade, was really bad thats when i started looking for friends and trying to fit in but everyone was so mean to me and I always sat alone during lunch and other times. 9th grade got worse, I started doing drugs because I wanted to fit in with the crowd and I wanted friends and I felt that the only way I could do that is by doing something I would have never thought I would do. I went to a big high school and there were different kinds of groups but since I couldn't fit into a normal group of people I turned to druggies but all they did was teach me how to do drugs and cope with life like that. I still got bullied, girls were so mean to me they called me names non stop, laughed at me, pointed their fingers at me and told me that I was a disgusting fat ass. I cried everyday and I even thought about suicide. I got beat up at age 14 and no one helped me they all just stood there and watched and cheered on the girl that was hurting me, there were at least 30 people watching and none of them would call for help. I tried to talk to the resource officer but he blamed me for everything, he told me that if I would stay out of "high school drama" then no one would be picking on me. I started to skip school, doing drugs and doing dangerous things and on top of it all I tried to commit suicide over 5 or 6 times. I was sent to a treatment facility where I stayed for a year and when I got out I was in 11th grade and didnt know what I would do for school, while I was at the treatment facility there was school there so I passed half of my 9th grade year, and my 10th grade year. I did end up going to an alternative school that no one has ever heard of and I passed my 11th grade year there but I was still bullied and my parents didnt believe me when I tried to tell them. On June I graduated high school and now planning to attend college but Im so scared that all this could happen to me again and I dont think I could handle it. Ive gone through so much and Im always afraid no matter what. Im almost 19 years old and I want to make friends but Ive given up because no one wants to be my friend, they all treat me with no respect and bully me until I cant handle it. I really wish no one would have to go through that, it hurts so much and I dont understand how could anyone have the heart to do that.

[weenk09]

My parents moved several times when I was in HS & so I went to several different HS's. It's always hard to be the new kid. The worst experiences were at Sutton High School in Sutton MA and Coyle & Cassidy a private school in Taunton, MA. The schools did nothing about their bullies. The students in those schools just looked on & never came to my aid. And my parents never believed me. They thought it was just HS drama and all in my head.

At Sutton HS there was this bully named Peggy. She and her friends terrorized me. The school - the principal & the teachers - was aware that she & her friends were bullies and did nothing about it. The other kids never came to my aid. My locker was behind a swinging door. One of the things that Peggy would do was go out of her way to slam the door on me - crush me between my locker and the door. One day I had enough and when she slammed me in the door I turned around and punched her in the face. It was the first time I ever hit anybody.

The worst was Coyle & Cassidy in Taunton (private school) the bully there THREATENED MY LIFE! Sherry was the bully and her big giant basketball playing sidekick/thug was Elizabeth. Izzy. The school knew they were bullies and never did anything about it. The other kids never came to my aid. I took the bus home. When I got dropped off I saw the bullies, the two girls followed me/the bus home in Sherry's car. I tried to run but Izzy jumped out of the car and caught me. She had me pinned to the ground. Sherry came over and pulled a knife on me, held it against my neck, and threatened to kill me.

Bullies.
The school did nothing.
Parents did nothing.
Fellow students did nothing.

Bullies are everywhere. There is no escaping them. After HS you will find them in college and after college you will find them in the workplace. And they're always online - being anonymous makes it very easy to be an online bully.

[rambo1263]

One problem we have in today's society is education has faced monetary cutbacks; therefore our children are the ones who are suffering. Case in point: kids with ADD, ADHD, OCD, etc. (i.e. "resource" kids) are put in overcrowded classrooms where the student/teacher ratio is 20+/teacher. There is NO way these kids are getting the education they need to survive in today's society. OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR NATION'S FUTURE! Another problem, and more than likely a root cause of bullying and other issues in today's schools, is that DISCIPLINE has been taken out of educator's hands! I can remember as a child that if I got in trouble at school, whether it was elementary, junior high, or high school, I got licks at school; God forbid if my parents found out, which they often did. Discipline MUST be put back in our educator's hands, because parents cannot be with their children 24/7! PUT A 12-INCH LONG PADDLE TO THESE BULLIES BUTT'S AND THEN IF THEY STILL WANT TO BE BULLIES, KICK THEM OUT OF SCHOOL! THEN IF THEY STILL WANT TO BE TROUBLE-MAKERS, PUT THEM IN JAIL FOR A FEW NIGHTS WITH OTHER CRIMINALS, AND SEE HOW THEY LIKE THAT!

[jlothian]

Excellent show, I dealt with this back about 5 - 10 years ago and didn't/couldn't get any help from the school system. Hope programs like this help. Wish other schools would get more involved to stop bullying.

[ahampton3132]

Im going through alot with my son right now with being bullied. We live in a small town called Germantown Ohio and my son who is 11 has been going through this for several years now. He has ADHD- ODD- and PDD so children are constantly making fun of him cause hes in special classes and isnt at the same level as the other children.I have been dealing with the principal and he says hes having talks with the children but its not doing anything.He has a talk to them a hour before school let out yesterday and the children knowing I pick my son up at the hill by the school were waiting at the bottom of the hill in a group of about 6-8 boys just taunting at him.I was sitting on my friends porch thats where I park at when the kids were doing this.Talking isnt doing anything and I dont know what to do from here because Im affraid something bad will happen.This is really affecting my family and im scared for my sons saftey.We only live about 4 blocks from the school and I cant even let him walk. I drove him to school this morning to kids standing at the drop off in from of the school throwing there hands up at us! Last year I went through this and the only thing the school could come up with was for me to pick my son up after everyone had cleared out from the school.Now I dont understand why my son has to acomodate these bullies! I dont know where to go from here it seems as if its just making it worse on my son that the principal has now talked to the children. Last year he was beat up after school and walked down the hill to where i was parked and got in the car and said Mom sometimes I just wish I wasnt even hear.I almost lost it I couldnt imagine my son doing something like this and I would love someone to talk to for support. This has to be stopped!

[AntiBullying]

Hello concerned mother,
I can't say that I've been through this, I'm only 16, and I have no idea what your son is going through. But I did watch the 48 Hour episode on Bullying, and I saw their was obviously a problem not only locally, but nationally. I would suggest switching your son's schools, but you don't want him growing up running away from situations, not to be telling you what to do, of course. But facing the problem is obviously a trouble for him. Has your son spoke up about it? Has he told them how bad they're hurting them? And what consequences their actions can do to people with special needs? It's wrong, and I hope you reading this can help a bit. Try having him be active in different activities at school or outside of school to keep him busy, maybe. And maybe it'll be easy for him to make friends and hang out with people that share the same interests as him. Hope this helps.
Toodles,
Becca.

[Livinawake]

I am glad this is finally being addressed but needs more media attention.
I am glad schools are coming up with programs to help those being bullied.
they should all know they are not alone and those that are the bully's are just scared social cowards anyway. They too need help. To bad they are to young to believe they will reap what they sow. Fact of life. Your choices follow you.

But what needs to also happen is to not allow hateful behavior. It should be no tolerance even if they are athletes. Yes help the victims but you have to stop the bully's and not reward them by ignoring it because it is not the popular thing to do as a school leader.
It has to start with the behavior of the adults they learn it from in society. HATE IS NOT OK!

[target7467]

We need more programs like this on a regular basis. I am an adult that is bullied daily as well. I read a very interesting book called "The Bully at Work". Employers react the same as School administrators and blame the target. The effects on a persons health as a result of bullying are horrible. Young bullies become adult bullies because the system condones the behavior. Europe has laws against these episodes, why doesn't our culture stand up? Please do an online survey and find out how many adults are targets.

[ahampton3132]

Im going through alot with my son right now with being bullied. We live in a small town called Germantown Ohio and my son who is 11 has been going through this for several years now. He has ADHD- ODD- and PDD so children are constantly making fun of him cause hes in special classes and isnt at the same level as the other children.I have been dealing with the principal and he says hes having talks with the children but its not doing anything.He has a talk to them a hour before school let out yesterday and the children knowing I pick my son up at the hill by the school were waiting at the bottom of the hill in a group of about 6-8 boys just taunting at him.I was sitting on my friends porch thats where I park at when the kids were doing this.Talking isnt doing anything and I dont know what to do from here because Im affraid something bad will happen.This is really affecting my family and im scared for my sons saftey.We only live about 4 blocks from the school and I cant even let him walk. I drove him to school this morning to kids standing at the drop off in from of the school throwing there hands up at us! Last year I went through this and the only thing the school could come up with was for me to pick my son up after everyone had cleared out from the school.Now I dont understand why my son has to acomodate these bullies! I dont know where to go from here it seems as if its just making it worse on my son that the principal has now talked to the children. Last year he was beat up after school and walked down the hill to where i was parked and got in the car and said Mom sometimes I just wish I wasnt even hear.I almost lost it I couldnt imagine my son doing something like this and I would love someone to talk to for support. This has to be stopped!

[ekerin]

Is a copy of the play "Bullycide" available for drama department school use? I would love to see this being produced in every school district. Something has to be done to get the message across.

[AntiBullying]

This sounds like a GREAT idea! I would love to see people in public/private schools see what we saw, and have such interest to help students that are being bullied like we have!

[pjtoday]

Youth Performance Company, Minneapolis, MN tackles the tough subject of bullying and much more in its original drama, MEAN. It follows three students, a young woman being teased about her physical appearance, a young man being harassed for his perceived sexual orientation, and a young Muslim woman being tormented by her peers because of her faith. Each provides stories highlighting the cruel effects of bullying.

MEAN serves as a powerful tool to raise awareness on the issue of bullying and highlight the harm that it can cause.

I highly recommend seeing this performance!

Paula Anderson
[e-mail]