Opinion: Bullied to Death -- A National Fix Needed

(April 19) -- No child should think the solution to a conflict with his peers lies in tying an extension cord around his neck.

Sadly, on April 6, 2009, that's what 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover saw as the answer to his ongoing battle with bullies. After constantly being referred to as a "faggot" and receiving death threats from his classmates, Walker-Hoover decided to cut off the air and whatever fight he had left in him.

A year later, a similar fate met 15-year-old Phoebe Prince.

Like Walker-Hoover, Prince -- an Irish immigrant who had only recently come to America -- was subjected to incessant bullying from classmates devoid of any common decency and seemingly decent parenting.

Prince was threatened, insulted and ostracized by her bullies both in class and after school via text messages and Facebook.

Like Walker-Hoover, Prince endured this day after day. Like Walker-Hoover, Prince opted for certain death versus continuing to lead a life that felt like perpetual punishment.

Following Prince's death, one of her bullies wrote "accomplished" on her Facebook page.

Earlier this year, 9-year-old Montana Lance hung himself inside a school bathroom. His parents have recently stepped forward to discuss how bullying lead to their son's suicide.

Some parents are doing more than just talking.

William and Janis Mohat of Mentor, Ohio, made headlines after filing a suit in federal court over the suicide of their 17-year-old son, Eric Mohat.

In the suit, the Mohats say that their son was called "gay," "fag," "queer" and "homo" -- often in front of his teachers.

The verbal attacks became so vile that at one point a student publicly asked Eric in class, "Why don't you go home and shoot yourself, no one will miss you?"

Ultimately, he did, and now parents are accusing one teacher -- an athletic coach -- of failing to protect their son.

This is not the first time school officials have been accused of ignoring the cries of bullying victims.

In 2006, five female students sued their Kentucky high school alleging that school officials ignored their reports of mental, physical and verbal abuse.

More recently, parents in Delaware expressed anger at school officials about their daughter being cyber-bullied by peers from her middle school.

There's a growing cruelty in the hearts and minds of students across the country. As evidenced by recent headlines, that venom, anger and disrespect are now costing an increasing number of young lives.

At this very moment, there are children out there feeling lost in their battle with bullies. What are we doing to help them?

The mother of Carl Walker-Hoover has joined the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network to launch a petition drive calling on Congress to act on the Safe Schools Improvement Act.

Currently, select state legislators in Massachusetts, New York and Michigan are pushing anti-bullying legislation. Already such laws have recently passed in Georgia.

Though anti-bullying-law supporters are encouraged by some states finally pushing forward with bills after years of lagging, a federal bill is the best way to effectively make sure school environments remain safe havens for children.

As Sirdeaner L. Walker explained to AOL Black Voices: "It's about giving schools the tools they need: training staff, having lessons about respecting each other and peer motivation techniques."

She notes the legislation is "about being proactive, not always reactive."

We've seen how bullying can cause victims enough sadness to the point where they hurt themselves. The Columbine High School massacre will forever serve as a reminder of how far victims may go to retaliate against their offenders.

Legislation may not completely curtail bullying, but it just may save someone's life.


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