New Law Aims To Curb Bullying
Teacher's Son Commits Suicide After Being Bullied
POSTED: Tuesday, November 11, 2008
UPDATED: 9:12 am EST November 13,
2008
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Public schools in Florida have until Dec. 1 to implement a uniformed anti-bullying policy after a bill was signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist thanks to a three-year effort from a teacher whose son committed suicide after being bullied.Debbie Johnston, whose 15-year-old son Jeffery committed suicide, consulted with parents, teachers and other victims of bullies, and the "Jeffery Johnston Stand Up For All Students Act" was signed into law this year.All 67 school districts in Florida have to adopt a uniform anti-bullying policy that mandates schools keep track of every incident and take immediate action, whether the abuse is verbal, mental or cyberbullying. Penalties range from expulsion to jail time."It wasn't against the law to kill a child with a computer in the state of Florida, and now that's changed," Johnston said.She said her son was hounded, degraded and false things were posted about him on the Web until he couldn't take it anymore."That is what Jeff wrote in his note, was that the world couldn't change no matter how hard you tried. And he just couldn't live with that," Johnston said. "Now teachers like me -- and everyone in the public school -- not only has the power to change that, they have the legal obligation to change that."Local 6 News reporter Donald Forbes said that bullying usually starts at an early age."One out of every four children who is an established bully by the age in third grade is convicted of a violent crime by the age of 24," Forbes said.Bullying is the No. 1 health concern for parents, according to the national PTA, Forbes said.Curiosity Johnson, 12, said five girls recently bullied her at Westridge Middle School. Johnson said she was beaten by the girls outside the school."It makes you feel like you don't even want to live anymore. Like, why is this happening to me?" Johnson said.Johnson's mother, Shurerhonda Sweeney Ligon, said she warned the school months before the attack that her daughter was being verbally assaulted and threatened but nothing happened."Somebody has to step up, because if a child dies, then what do you say to that parent? What do you say to that parent?" Ligon said. "Well, now the child's grade have dropped, well, now the child's behavior has changed, well, now the child is going to school at 6:30 in the morning and they live two minutes away from school to hide.""What about them being put out of that school where you wouldn't have to face them anymore, would that be a big relief?" Forbes asked Johnson."No it would not be a relief because if they go to another school, it's going to happen to another person and it's just going to continue," Johnson said."Why should she be protected, put to the side and hidden when they don't do anything about the bullies?" Ligon said. "It scares me. It scares me because I only have one child. Who's going to bring her back?"The girls accused in Johnson's attack were suspended for five days, but Johnson said she's scared of retaliation.
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