Ignoring It Doesn't Make it Go Away

I read story after story, comment after comment about how some teen was bullied, they report the incident to the proper authorities, only to have it treated as it's a non-issue.  Too many suicides have resulted from this. 

In one high-profile case recently, a spokesman from the local Sheriff's department went on record as saying that despite media and online reports of the teen's suicide being a result of bullying, their "investigation" concluded that "that was not the case".  Yet, my own personal contact with someone very close to the family and the situation told me exactly the opposite.  And, of course, it was later made know that bullying was, indeed, at the root of the suicide.  This wasn't the first instance.  In the trailer for the controversial, and very necessary, movie, "Bully", a teacher foolishly goes on camera to say that she'd "ridden on that bus" where a young boy was allegedly bullied and the kids "...were as good as gold".  Ultimately, this boy committed suicide because of the bullying.

Sometimes, in some cases of bullying against LGBT teens, the victim is blamed for the bullying!!  In the case of one high-profile LGBT teen suicide from a couple years ago, the parents were told that if their son didn't act [gay], he wouldn't get bullied.  How is THAT acceptable?  That's not "not taking bullying seriously", that's turning a blind eye to what's going on.  Worse, that's essentially sanctioning the violence because this boy was simple being himself.  The sad end result was him taking matters into his own hands and ending his life.  

On my facebook blog page, read comment after comment from real-life people who were bullied, went to the authorities, and nothing was done about it. 

I was bullied in school for being "different","odd", and my school did nothing about it. Often, they ignored it cuz the kids who did bully me were kids of pta and parents who supported and gave alot of money to the school. My dad fought hard to get me help because other stuff was going on due to bullying, like my academics. I was not sent to a private charter school till I was a junior in high school, and that was due to case workers and an advocate, because i tried to commit suicide more then 3 times in less then 2 yrs. While being at that special school, they (the school) found out I have autism. Had the school I attended prior would have taken the time to listen to my father, I would of been put in the right classrooms and would have gotten the help I needed from day 1. Even when I was in 9th and 10th grade, people where horrible to me. I wonder, now that we are adults, how they would feel if they found out they bullied a girl with disabilities to the point of trying suicide.  I wonder how they would feel, especially if they had kids...bullying needs to stop on all levels.  I just wanted to share my story.

 That's one of the comments left recently on my facebook blog page.  This is but one example.  Unfortunately, there are more.

Problem with schools, I'm a senior in high school, and in all my years in middle school (6-8) I was bullied and fighting back each year leading me to get kicked off to a new school each year....kinda sucks how "they who purposely care" really don't.....well until until you're pushed too far.

"Until you're pushed too far" is 10 steps too late.  Bullying needs to be taken seriously, on all levels:  not only against LGBT teens, but against anyone who's perceived different, anyone who doesn't "fit in".  School officials, elected officials, adults in general!, all need to be re-educated.  And, part of that re-education process needs to be making them acutely aware that ignoring the bullying issue doesn't make it away.