Heartbreaking
THIS is so incredibly, profoundly sad - but very important to read!
THIS is so incredibly, profoundly sad - but very important to read!
THIS is so incredibly, profoundly sad - but very important to read!
THIS is so incredibly, profoundly sad - but very important to read!
THIS is so incredibly, profoundly sad - but very important to read!
THIS is so incredibly, profoundly sad - but very important to read!
11-Year-Old Hangs Himself after Enduring Daily Anti-Gay Bullying
GLSEN Calls on Schools, Nation to Embrace Solutions to Bullying Problem
NEW YORK, April 9, 2009 - An 11-year-old Massachusetts boy, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hung himself Monday after enduring bullying at school, including daily taunts of being gay, despite his mother’s weekly pleas to the school to address the problem. This is at least the fourth suicide of a middle-school aged child linked to bullying this year.
Carl, a junior at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield who did not identify as gay, would have turned 12 on April 17, the same day hundreds of thousands of students will participate in the 13th annual National Day of Silence by taking some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) bullying and harassment at school. The other three known cases of suicide among middle-school students took place in Chatham, Evanston and Chicago, Ill., in the month of February.
"Our hearts go out to Carl’s mother, Sirdeaner L. Walker, and other members of Carl's family, as well as to the community suffering from this loss," GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said. "As we mourn yet another tragedy involving bullying at school, we must heed Ms. Walker’s urgent call for real, systemic, effective responses to the endemic problem of bullying and harassment. Especially in this time of societal crisis, adults in schools must be alert to the heightened pressure children face, and take action to create safe learning environments for the students in their care. In order to do that effectively, as this case so tragically illustrates, schools must deal head-on with anti-gay language and behavior."
Two of the top three reasons students said their peers were most often bullied at school were actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression, according to From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, a 2005 report by GLSEN and Harris Interactive. The top reason was physical appearance.
"As was the case with Carl, you do not have to identify as gay to be attacked with anti-LGBT language," Byard said. "From their earliest years on the school playground, students learn to use anti-LGBT language as the ultimate weapon to degrade their peers. In many cases, schools and teachers either ignore the behavior or don’t know how to intervene."
Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT youth (86.2%) reported being verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation, nearly half (44.1%) reported being physically harassed and about a quarter (22.1%) reported being physically assaulted, according to GLSEN’s 2007 National School Climate Survey of more than 6,000 LGBT students.
In most cases, the harassment is unreported. Nearly two-thirds of LGBT students (60.8%) who experience harassment or assault never reported the incident to the school. The most common reason given was that they didn’t believe anything would be done to address the situation. Of those who did report the incident, nearly a third (31.1%) said the school staff did nothing in response. While LGBT youth face extreme victimization, bullying in general is also a widespread problem. More than a third of middle and high school students (37%) said that bullying, name-calling or harassment is a somewhat or very serious problem at their school, according to From Teasing to Torment. Bullying is even more severe in middle school. Two-thirds of middle school students (65%) reported being assaulted or harassed in the previous year and only 41% said they felt very safe at school.
Carl's suicide comes about a year after eighth-grader Lawrence King was shot and killed by a fellow student in a California classroom, allegedly because he was gay.
GLSEN recommends four simple approaches schools can take to begin addressing bullying now.
Said Walker in the Springfield Republican: "If anything can come of this, it's that another child doesn't have to suffer like this and there can be some justice for some other child. I don't want any other parent to go through this."
About GLSEN
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For information on GLSEN's research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, student organizing programs and educator training initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.
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effing parents of the bullying kids and effing school board and effing teachers and effing society! *mad* it is so true children are not born hating. it is their parents that teach them to hate.
Re: SheHasBigBoobs – Its people like YOU that are part of the problem. Ignornant. You're no better than the people that bullied that poor boy.
That is so horrible. 11 years old? Jeez.
IS SUCKS THAT SCHOOLS DONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS LIKE THE 3RD STORY I HEAR ABOUT KIDS COMMITTING SUICIDE BECAUSE OF THIS. I WAS BULLIED AND EVEN WHEN IS HARD I NEVER HAD THOSE SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. I JUST HOPE PEOPLE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SAD VERY SAD
This is heartbreaking. My heart goes out to his family and I pray that this will finally be the wakeup-call that Americans need to stop bashing and hating and judging others.
thats horrible. ..
i remember being bullied as a kid .. then i told my mom
im surprised the admin did not doing anything to help the situation. the admin sucks ! they shouldve done something, esp. if the mom tried to the admin.
I refuse to read this. Why read something so upsetting when there's just nothing you can do about it? People are always going to find a way to fuck up with someone's happiness, or even lack there of. This is the world we live in Mario, get over it
Yeah, okay that was harsh. It just angers me that people are so … fuck
What if these little shitheads forced him to kill himself and made it looked like it was suicide. Yes I am so angry our society cares about the wrong issues and people always turn the other cheek when it's needed to be more concerned. It's so common to be a shitty person though really. All we care about is ourselves. Which is probably why children feel the need to bully other kids, neglect and I'm sure there is a list somewhere of issues these kids have….love and compassion really need to be taught as a subject in public schools. Songs that bring happiness and teachers who really care about students could be a step. Art and expanding your visions could be self healing to children who don't connect to other subjects.
so sad!! well blame the media, which makes kids think that violence is COOL!! and where were his parents?? they couldnt at least solve the problem with the bad's kids parents????
oh my gosh thats so sad,,
The School does nothing to contribute to the problem. I would sue the school.
I live in Springfield, MA. This city is a shyte-hole, but my dumb husband won't leave because his loser family lives here. The schools are terrible! Teachers have been stabbed in this school system. My oldest son was bullied from elementary school on, and it only stopped when I threatened to sue them for racism (I'm 1/2 hispanic, and accused them of ignoring the problem because of it, even though neither me or my son look PR). But even then, every year we were dealing with it. At one of the "good" schools, they got 2 6th graders having sex on a staircase. School administrators just don't give a f*ck in Springfield. I wish we never moved here!
Just like the bullies, the haters here make these outrageous comments, due to an inability to like themselves, (probably not much likable about them anyway) and appreciate the compassion in life. Just imagine how empty and loveless their lives are. They are in a prison and hell worse than this poor boy who's soul has been released. May he RIP while these assholes either try to change or rot in a cold, prison of loveless HELL.
HoleJigSaw- MAY U DIE IN HELL WHERE U BELONG for making such rude comments ASS-CRACK
This is so sad!! We live in a fucked up world!
My heart goes out to his family!
R.I.P. little angel. This makes me sick and it isn't just bullying because of sexual orientation…bullying happens to lots of kids for lots of reasons. I offered to do research and speak about it at my daughters school but the principal wasn't interested. My daughter hasn't been bullied but she has friends that have and she is quick to defend them and comes home angry telling me how these kids are tormented…one because he might be gay,one because he is disabled and another just because she doesn't fit in. This is the parents responsibilty at home too..they need to teach their children kindness and how to put the other shoe on the foot. What a tragedy.
Re: HoleJigSaw – Sick bastard.
Re: UrMajestyMsG – Sorry for your loss…my ex-husband died from suicide almost 4 years ago…I still can't get past it.
Damn thats so sad , I teach my children not to ever pick on people . QWere all human an were all different thats the beauty of it . My heart goes out to his ffamily . May he rest in peace :
That is tragic.
Kids can be so freaking stupid at times. And teachers see bullying going on and don't do shit about it.
Re: HoleJigSaw – GO FUCKIN KILL YOSELF BITCH . SORRY NO MONKEYS HERE . TAKE YO DUMB ASS BACK A CAVES HOE . I NO THE TRUTH . COME FROM UNDER YO ROCK AN READ A BOOK ! THIS IS A CHILD YOU TALKIN BOUT . IT'S CUZ OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT OR WORLD WILL NEVA BE RITE . YOU PROBABLY GOT SOME BLACK IN YOU !!!!! WE WERE HERE FIRST AN WILL BE HERE LAST ! LOL
We Needs HEP, We Needs HEP .. But they never HEPS anybody, not even their worthless selves? Move to Detroit dude your people run that city?
That's horrible. He looks so innocent and sweet in that picture. I know it's not his moms fault but if she pleaded with school officials every week she should have taken him out of the school. Children are so cruel and I know how bad bullying and teasing can affect someone.
That Is Not Even Cool.Kids These Days.Like At My School,I Dont Know That Many Gay People;Only My Really Good Guy Friend Dillon& Me I See Nothing Wrong With That.But We Come To Used The Term Gay Very Freely.Like If You Do Something Really Stupid We Would Say TO Like Anybodyy;GGGAAAAYYYe.In Our Definition I Dont Really Know Why We Do It.But Its Like A Normal Thing For Us&We Are All Very Open About It.Like I Get Called Gay At School All The Time,But Its Only As A Joke Cause They Know I Like Boys&Pull BOys.There Is Nothing Wrong With Someone Who Likes The Same Sex,I Dont Understand It;Nor Do I Have A Problem With It.
Re: HoleJigSaw – what the fuck is wrong with you
you sick fuck!
Thats some sad shit,, poor kid
Re: HoleJigSaw –
I don't believe in hell, but if it existed you'd be the first person I'd throw in. How can you be so insensitive to one of the worst things that could happen; the suicide of a child? If you ever have a child, I hope you remember what you said about this boy and realize that every life is precious. You're despicable.
rest in peace. and let all prayers be with his family
that is sad. I mean if I were those bullies i woud feel pretty bad because no one deserves that treatment, I hope those bullies die! we should hang thm jkjjk i wont kill people
that is so, so terribly sad. i can't believe how many kids undergo this every day.
I'm crying for this kid and his family
I was bullied in 7th and 8th grade… I managed to get through it… but it was hell on earth at the time. I luckily went on to a private high school, when the bullies went to public. It took years to get over, my self-esteem was horrible… but now, I'm a confident adult and can tell you - things do get better! Nobody helped me, but I implore any kids out there who are being bullied to ask for help… from anyone and everyone! You only get this ONE life! You deserve better!
oh my god. that is horrible. so sad. RIP
this is so sad. i think parents should teach their kids to have respect for other people and they dont. they just spoil them. dumb people should not have kids, but they do most of the breeding
i feel so bad for his mother father entire amily because those kidz who waz teasin him still alive an they should b a d*** shamed of them selves an trust if i find out who waz one u bettr hope i dont seeu in da street middle skewl is the tuffest timez fo kidz the last thing they need is some insecure kid teasin to the point were he/she killz thereself thayz ridiculas:* p3@c3
wow. my heart goes out to his family, we need to promote love and understanding, and make it so that this does not happen again. this should not have happened.
wow! he was just a little kid. this world has issues i tell you.
this is soooo sad. and if i were the mother i would look into taking legal action against the board of education. she begged the school weekly to address what was going on in the school and they didnt. that is gross neglegence and someone can be held accountable. i hope she sues the shit outta them and wins.
it will not bring back her son. but it will let them know that this will not be tolerated!!!! may god bless her and her family.
I found my sixth grade son hanging from the bunk bed in his room. I thank God he was unharmed. I had been in the school regularly because of bullying. I immediately took him out of school and home schooled him for several years before sending him to a private high school. He has a diagnosis of Aspergers and ADHD. He is very smart, but different. One does not have to be gay to be bullied into suicide. He is now a college student and doing okay.
Rebecca um people don"t call blacks names? Okay you are living in a cave if you believe that, people call everyone despite race,religion,sexual orientation. All you have to do is read and ye shall seek!! It's disgusting that no one could stop these creatures from picking on this child, what about the creatures parents what kind of people are they? I shudder to think of what the conversations at dinner are like( if they in fact get together and have a family sit down dinner, chances are they don't) Instead of blaming society as a whole for our nation's youth how about each and everyone of us parents begin by checking ourselves when we talk to and in front of our children let's stop with the off color jokes and remarks about those who are different from us, let's show compassion towards those that have less than us, let's find what we have in common with those who worship different than us, let's try to learn the words I love you in different languages, let's discover together that just because someone likes a person of the same sex is just like you and me and lastly let's make it clear that underneath it all we all bleed the same color RED and we all shed the same TEARS!! peace be with those who are trying to make the world a better place and to those who have lost a love one/friend to due to ignorance………….
Thats messed up.
:(
my thoughts and prayers are to the family and friends
of this boy
this is so fucking unfair!!!
poor boy he should be alive
That is terrible.
May this little kid enjoy his life in paradise. It is a very terrible thing that he choose to do what he did. This world is so different than anyone of earlier times would have thought. My thoughts and prayers go to him and his family. In MY opinion, only mine, I feel mixed about the fact that not only did the story of the boy get pushed aside and GLSEN got to represent. I don't know why there wasn't more about the boy. How does a little kid know what he feels. Who should he be? I grew up with 4 sisters, dad left at 11(not abandument, but work over fam, he's still in my life otherwise.), and my mom became pops and sister became my bros. I wasn't sure what was attraction and what wasn't.
WHAT THE HELL that is so horrible ***TEARS UP*** That poor baby he was just a baby how sad.
Bulling is the worst, I've delt with the whole your gay thing. I embrassed what I learn from my female pillars. I am so straight. But what the F. Kids get bullied in many different lights of life. Non-whites have dealt with this for so long, sorry non-hetero community that you just the more rescently abused. What about Mexicans, Guatamalens that work harder than my cracker ass. I hate the fact when people as a whole try to make it so against them. If you aren't like those bullied and don't like it speak up. No group affiliation, as a person. All these groups defending certain people don't get anywhere, be non-affiliated, get people to realize, as an individual you have feelings.
Allow the masses to know without defining yourself to onething you think people treat people like shit. I have many views liberal and conservative. I would never get behind someone who has motives other than how I feel. Help people cause you want to. You'll find you won't fit in any group cause you just like people and want to help people. Everyone is unique, special, and important. We all have meaning. We all were the best in a million, ride for all people. Look to the East and see if you care or get angry. It will tell you if you care for everyone.
Re: DDizzle – Read on I most def feel for this innocent life, I know he is in a far better place and it was to soon for him to be there.
Disgusting. Do something about your schools, America. How you can you hope to create and feed brains of future leaders and functional members of a society when you don't lay the foundations while they are young? Not doing anything about the bullying when a mother pleads to the teachers to make it stop. Shame on you.
Re: Susan2 – I am SO happy your story turned out good!!!
This is terrible.
Re: Feathers – Big up, to you. Thank you for being so blunt!
for whoever wrote he wasnt even gay so the people that did it are idots… does that mean that if he were gay they wouldnt be idiots. your the idiot
I feel for Carl and his family. I think things are worse today. Back in the mid 1970's when I was in grade school I began to face name calling (gay, gay boy, fag, fairy)and bullying.
This continued through High School. Sometimes I would say something back
but for the most part I would hardly say anything being afraid of retaliation. Sometimes I would not say anything and let on like it didn't bother me. I don't remember saying anything to my teachers again out of fear of retribution. It was very hard going through it and being centered out especially being young. Even though I had a couple good friends in High School I grew up thinking I was one of the least liked people in all my High School years. Being older now it wouldn't bother me I would say who gives a fuck if I was. This screwed me up with quite a bit of insecurities. To this day I still don't know who I am. One positive thing that I think came of this is at an early age it me more careful what I say or do in anger as I know how I felt when people
would say hurtful things to me. My father on the other hand I would say things to make him hurt back.
God Bless his family, this is incredibly sad. Things like this make me want to cry. I can't stand school systems who claim to take bullying seriously, but in the end, they let things like this happen. I can't imagine what that family is going through and I'll pray for them tonight. People are so cruel, why can't they show some compassion? Just because someone is different, it doesn't make them any less of a person.
It's not about Gay rights!!! This is about the whole messed up system of the education of teenagers in the USA and messed up life of American people… example: getting married just to get divorce again for the 5th time in 2 years, bringing kids to a psychologist or rehab instead of having the time to solve problems together with them, allowing the possession of guns, fat american burger, and hypocrites who makes stereotypes, Sick plastic surgery world, getting pregnant before 17, murder of their own family, and lots of other mess! Almost every American children are born from parents who have either this kind of problems i mention above, no wonder this kind of thing happens everyday! seriously i'm ashamed to be an American. The world is watching when America is gonna fall.
I hope his momn sues the HELL out of that school!!! Come on people its fucking 2009!
Re: Butterscotchbeauti – Heart felt condolences to you and family.
Re: MarleyRai – #140 !Work it out, MarlyRai!
!
HATE is not INATE; It's A SOCIAL TRAIT
!
HATE is not INATE; It's A SOCIAL TRAIT
!
Re: edymond – so true
R.I.P Carl.
"Charter School" huh?
Probably had some kinda "anger management/conflict resolution" program in place to help the little angels to work out their differences "in an environment of openness and honesty without judgementalism" or some such.
Carl should have kicked the living shit out of 2-3 of his tormentors. He'd be alive today and they would be better citizens.
omg 11 years old!?!?
see this is what Homophobic Cretins do to Senstive people..
Just proof some schools really arent doing enough..
It's sad, all those bullies should be ashamed of themselves is so stupid how we live in a world where you can get the piss taken out of you for your seuxality, race, gender even! Something needs to be done!
I positively detest intolerant people. There is no place in our society for them. It is a shame that it was not the bullies who killed themselves. RIP in peace lil dude!
This story truly is heartbreaking. I can barely believe it. That school should be punished and his bullies should be expelled. Some kind of justice should be done.
man poor kid.
I got bullied a lot as a kid - it sucks. My dad told me to tough it out and study hard and someday those little bastards would be mowing my lawn.
I didn't stick around this dump of a town long enough to get the satisfaction.
Poor, poor kid. SO sad.
This is so sad! I cant believe today in this era that after all people have gone through that the hate never stops. A poor child has lost his life because of hate.. I think it is so sick that the child's mother complained to the school about the bullying and they did nothing about it. I hope that she sues them because this is the schools fault just as much as it is the kids who bullied him. What good is it to have the National Day of Silence if they don't even teach the kids what it is about?! They need to speak up and tell them that hate is wrong and what the consequences are for their hateful actions.
How sad, i know heaps of ppl have said this but my heart really does go out to this boys family and friends and even to those who bullied him… on the whole issue of sexuality i myself am bisexual and i guess being female i dont get ridiculed for it as much as if i were male, but honestly how is someone elses sexuality anyone elses business? Its not like you have to be gay just because they are… i think its just sad when will ppl wake up and how many more innocent lives will be lost before it all ends?
Re: Rebecca- – idk where you live but black ppl get ragged on over here all the time
THIS IS SOOOO SAD…I WOULD PRESS CHARGES AGAINST THE SCHOOL…PRINCIPAL…COUNSELOR…TEACHER…ALL INCLUDING THE BULLIE…I WOULD PRESS CHARGES AND WOULD NOT DROP THEM UNTIL THEY PAY FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE…IS JUST A SHAME HOW PARENTS DO NOT TEACH THEIR CHILDREN TO BEHAVE PROPERLY…THESE BULLIES ARE THE ONES WHO LAUGH IF THEY SEE A HANDICAP PERSON OR AN ELDER THESE ARE THE FUTURE…FUTURE CRIMINALS….I WOULD HAVE NO MERCY…NO CHILD SHOULD GO THROUGH THIS FROM FEAR…INTIMIDATION & RETALIATION…EVERY SINGLE CHILD TO BE FREE TO BE A CHILD WITHOUT BEING AFRAID OR BEING BULLIED AROUND BY SOMEONE WHO HAS BIG TIME HANG UPS & THEY TAKE IT OUT ON OTHERS…MAYBE THAT BULLY WHO BOTHERED HIM SO MUCH IS WAY MORE GAY THAN WHAT THIS KID WAS…SHAME…SHAME
this is just so fucking sick!
he was 11!
people needa learn to respect other people for who they are and mind their own goddamn business!
I can't believe something like this happened around here. People in Massachusetts usually are so diverse and accepting off every race, religion and sexual orientation. This is truely heartbreaking. The word needs to be spread that this is unacceptable!
I hate gay bashers! We live in a sick world!
This shit makes me so mad.
Of course we have to realize that people think differently in this world and we should "accept it" but what about the people who don't?
I fucking hate people! RIP little boy!
My thoughts are with his family, and freinds sick just sick thet it takes a lil boy to go throw this for something to change.
This is just wrong. Just this school year at my son school there was a young boy who took his life because he couldn't deal with kids constantly picking on him. It breaks my heart.
So so sad, Its pretty bad it takes something like this to happend for change. My heart stopped for a min. My thoughts are with his family and freinds. SAD
How awful. When are people going to wake up at these schools. Bullying is a REAL problem and causes such suffering. So many teachers and parents have the attitude that it's a part of growing up and no big deal, that is such a lazy and unresponsible point of view. Our children learn how to respect people from watching us and the examples that we set.
My heart goes out to this boy and his family. This should have never happened, especially because his Mother had taken the steps with the school to stop the problem. I hope these school officials that decided to look the other way hang their heads in shame. This Mother will never get her son back.
Kids these days in school are incredibly cruel. I'm a girl and I did get called "gay" sometimes by bullies who really didn't know what to say about me to hurt me so they just made up rumors about me being gay. Honestly, if parents were to teach their children that what they are doing is wrong,then the world would be a better place but parents don't care. Once,a parent even participated in the bullying,saying that she thought I needed help because her daughter said I had an "lesbian obsession" with her, which obviously,was very far from the truth.
I was Carl's 3rd grade teacher…. I am absolutely devestated…
Kids can be so cruel. This is one of the few recent news stories that has made me cry. RIP Carl, and God bless.
Heartbreaking!! So terrible — what a tragic loss of life!
To all the adolescents out there — hang in there, kids! It WILL get better - I can promise you that! It may seem like there will be no end to the bullying, no hope for the future but that's just not true. LIFE goes on — you will find the friends you need and want — there is HOPE. There is so much more out there — so many wonderful people — don't let the bullies of world keep you down - they're not worth it but YOU ARE!!!
As an adult now, I still remember what it felt like to be in grade school - to be made fun of - to be so sad & lonely. To have those horrible thoughts run through your mind — but don't give in to those thoughts! Stay strong - remember that life will go on and YOU WILL BE OKAY! YOU WILL BE HAPPY - YOU WON'T BE SAD & LONELY FOREVER - THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE JUST LIKE YOU - THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO LOVE YOU (for who you are) - THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO NEED YOU!!!