From the staff at The Post:
We at the North Platte Post rarely take sides on issues, but when it comes to bullying, we stand firm behind those who are bullied. In recent weeks, children as young as 12-years-old have committed suicide publicly using social media outlets like Facebook Live. We would recommend you Google these videos and watch them. We don’t encourage you to watch the end result, but we do encourage you to listen to the pain that these children are experiencing because of their peers. One 12-year-old girl recently posted a two-hour video describing her pain before taking her own life online. The problem is that most people don’t watch them and prefer to shove this epidemic to the back of their mind. Teachers, administrators, parents and law enforcement, our children are killing themselves! We have to stop this now! We know it’s not an easy job but if we stand together and ensure that bullies will have consequences, we can make a difference. The letter below was written to us from a parent of a student at a Lincoln County School. In order to protect them, we have removed their names. We hear too many stories like this. If the schools or police won’t tell your story, we will. Please message us on Facebook or email [email protected].
Received by The Post on January 28, 2017
My name is — and my son — goes to school in Hershey, NE. He is not a “Popular kid”. He is not an athlete. He is just your run of the mill average kid except for one thing. He is bullied.
There isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t come home from school upset. His fellow students may not think they are causing any harm or that they are just kidding, but the fact is that this so-called “kidding” is harmful. We have had numerous conversations with the administration about this problem but the problem continues and he gets a backlash if he reports a student about the harassment. Not only does this harm his self-esteem but it is affecting his grades as well.
As a parent, you try your hardest to shield your children from harm but as it sits, my hands are tied. I myself can not stop “Your Children” from hurting my child within the grounds of our public school system. That’s why I am posting this. I need everyone’s help to stomp out bullying. I’m sure there are many parents out there that are aware that their children are bullies but refuse to step in and teach them that this is not right. I have heard teachers say that my son needs to toughen up. Well, maybe you teachers need to toughen up and be aware that you are part of the problem.
These episodes not only happen in the hallways, on the playground or off campus, but right under your nose in the classroom. What you are teaching my son is not going to make a difference if he quits school or worse yet, commits suicide because of the constant bullying?
To all the students that may happen to read this, [my son] is a great kid. He is supportive and a loyal friend. He has some pretty amazing talents. Get to know him, give him a chance. Don’t contribute to him possibly becoming one of the statistics