Police address problem of bullying

PINELLAS PARK – Pinellas Park Police are going into schools to talk with administrators, teachers and students about the ever-growing problem of bullying.

Pinellas Park Police Chief Dorene Thomas said the problem exists mainly in elementary and especially in middle schools. She said by the time students reach high school level they have more important things to do like participating in sports and other school events.

So great is the problem that at least two students, though not local ones, committed suicide in Florida schools rather than face the wrath of their confrontational peers.

“Bullying knows no boundaries and it has worsened in recent years because of the Internet,” Thomas said.

Pinellas County schools have launched their own efforts to stem the browbeating that often begins with name calling and can end in actual assaults and outright beatings.

Parents can do a lot to end the problem simply by paying more attention to what their children are saying or experiencing while in class. They can then determine what triggered the problem. Those with children who are the aggressors can help offspring channel their feelings in more socially acceptable ways.

Thomas said the worse thing a parent can do is punish a bullying child by resorting to physical punishment. That often leads youthful bullies to become even more aggressive in school and in the neighborhood.

Thomas said the Internet with its social sites such as My Space and Facebook often can be a launching pad for trouble. Children leave disparaging remarks on these sites that lead to actual confrontations in the schools.

“Kids get picked on,” she said. “Kids have their lunch money stolen, their books and other property damaged or taken.”

The behavior often leads to more aggression and retaliation. Bullying, Thomas said, knows no social or economical boundaries. The problem exists among poor children, middle class and rich students.

“Most bullies have personal demons and use aggression toward others to make up for their own shortcomings,” Thomas said. “They often suffer from low self-esteem, come from violent backgrounds or themselves were the target of bullies in their earlier years.”

To cope with the problem schools have put in place a variety of anti-bullying programs. Police, too, now are taking a more active interest in the problem and even the city has a mentorship program where city employees volunteer to help troubled students.


“We must deal with the bullying problem head-on,” Thomas said. “It’s not something that will go away by ignoring it.”

Source - http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/pinellas_park_beacon/content_articles/052010_par-02.txt

Colin Farrell's Thoughts on Bullying (video)

While chatting with Colin Farrell, Ellen took the time to thank him for the statement he recently wrote regarding bullying.

Read more: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2010/05/colin_farrells_thoughts_on_bullying_0526.php#ixzz0pQw3sQgd

Girl Have Hanged Self Because Of Bullying

Port St. Lucie police spokesman Tom Nichols said the girl hanged herself Thursday evening at her Tradition home. He said a diary found at her home indicated she had been bullied at school.

The girl was a fifth-grade student at St. Anastasia Catholic School in Fort Pierce.

Nichols said detectives would be interviewing classmates, teachers and friends to determine why she committed suicide.

"There was no suicide note found at the scene other than the diary, and inside the diary there were some entries made of her being bullied at school," Nichols said. "To the extent of what she was being bullied about is unknown at this time."

Nichols said it wasn't clear how recent the entries were.

"They could have been as early as last night and, you know, they could have been as late as six weeks ago," Nichols said.

A letter was sent home with students informing parents about the incident. The school's principal wouldn't comment, and referred all inquiries to the Diocese of Palm Beach.

A statement from the Diocese of Palm Beach read:

"The Diocese of Palm Beach is saddened to learn of the untimely death of one of our students from St. Anastasia School in Ft. Pierce. We grieve with the school community of St. Anastasia and ask for prayers for the student’s family as well as the school community. Administration at St. Anastasia is currently in the process of notifying school parents about this devastating loss, and members of the Diocese of Palm Beach Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team are available at the school to minister support to the students, teachers, administrators, and parents who are coping with news of this tragic loss of life."

Several parents told WPBF 25 News they had complained to the principal about bullying since last year, but he never responded.

"It's not common for an 11-year-old to commit suicide," Nichols said.