need to add title here

Jacob addresses lawmakers

September 15, 2011 3:39 PM

Jacob Kaufman appears before a special Rhode Island Senate Commission to study bullying and cyberbullying in December 2010.

Special section: Bullying: Words Can Kill
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by humin32 September 17, 2011 8:42 AM EDT
The audio track on this is screwed up. A lot of buzz about this piece, suggest yall make it a priority to fix it.
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by OzCharley September 17, 2011 2:59 AM EDT
Jacob is so composed, calm and articulate - what an amazing fellow he is! And what an incredible opportunity for him to be able to directly address folks at this Senate Commission. What Jacob says is so true - bullying in this day and age is different to how it used to be.

There's no respite for children in this electronic, interconnected, cyber world we live in. Bullies can harass kids on their email accts, on social networking sites, on their cel phones via text or voice, they can find out which house they live in on Google StreetView if they want, they can beat kids up & film the vision on their i-phone then upload it anonymously to youtube ... I mean, it is relentless.

The extraordinary physiological stress that kids are put under by bullies is a very serious problem. Jacob's suggestion of a single law that is applicable to everyone is good one. I hope the lawmakers took notes.

Go Team Jacob!
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by kath111 September 16, 2011 10:15 PM EDT
Bully's should be seen as who they are. They should be made to realize that if they have a need to bully, there is something wrong with them. They are telling the world that they have low self esteem, that they don't have confidence in who they are. Anyone who has confidence and a good self esteem has no need to put others down. It's only the weak who have to lash out to make themselves feel better. The bully should be confronted and asked why he feels so inadequate that he has to put others down. Why do they have to put someone else down before they can feel good about themselves.
I think that is what the focus of the schools should be. Any time a bully presents themselves they should be counseled to find out what is missing in their lives that they feel they need to put someone else down. The kids should be made to understand that those who bully are weak.. Anyone who bullies has problems. All of the adults know this. If you follow a bully, you are showing all of the adults that you are weak also.
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by michlee530 September 16, 2011 7:37 PM EDT
My son is going threw his worst nightmare now because of a bullier. This girl was cyber bullying him and his girlfriend on facebook and also in the real world. She lives in the same town. My sons girlfriend mother finally went to the police about it. Well they talked to the girl who in turn told the police my son and his girlfriend had sex so they questioned his girlfriend then my son to whom both admitted they did but just 1 time well our cyber bullier walks free from all her death threats and everything and my son gets charged with rape of a minor to whom he is only 14 but his girlfriend was 12 1/2 at the time and also charged with aggravated assault of a minor and assault of a minor. So my legal fee's begin. Come to find out the cyber bullier is known by our local police dept and our county's DA's dept. A good friend of mine mother works for the DA's office and told me this and she also told me well she's had a rough life so what it is they all feel sorry for her and what they did was spin all this off her and onto us to keep her out of trouble. She got a slap on the hand and has to go psychotherapist. Now my son is fighting the battle of his life because of this girl and my sons girlfriend is beside herself because they think the world of my son and none of us knew this was gonna happen. My son was told to plead guilty to the assault charge in order to drop the 2 major charges. Well he is very depressed and would rather be dead he tells me then plead to something he didnt do. The polise are the ones who brought this charge upon him because who knew there is a law on what age u can have sex as a minor. My son is now medicated for severe depression but as court approaches he is getting worse and my biggest fear is im gonna find him dead one morning because of it all.
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by pammie7 September 16, 2011 12:47 PM EDT
I was bullied when I was a kid. It sticks with you throughout life. I still have dreams about those same girls who were so mean to me and others at school. I never understood why they did it.
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