Tag Archives: suicide

Bullying can be Worse Than it Sounds

 

Bullying is a big topic in most schools. It could be cyber or personal bullying. Cyber bullying is when someone bullies another person online. Most of the time when cyber bullying happens it’s through social media. Personal bullying is when it happens at school, work, the playground, or even at a friends house. The definition of bullying is “Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.  A bully could be anyone anywhere.

Every time I hear about bullying its normally at an annual school assembly. When I hear the teachers talk about bullying I don’t actually pay attention until they start to tell us about the stories about some bully victims. Some of the stories you hear really will break your heart. Most of them are about students who attempted suicide or who have actually commited it. Did you know that there are 4,400 deaths every year from suicide caused by bullying? Also that there are at least 100 suicide attempts every year? Next time you see someone getting bullied please stick up for them so that they aren’t added to the statistics.

~Cecilia

Mindy McCready, Gone With Her Ten Thousand Angels

On February 17th, 2013, famous country singer, Mindy McCready, was found dead at her home in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Just last month, her former boyfriend, music producer, David Wilson, was found dead in the EXACT SAME PLACE as her. Both suffered a single gunshot wound to head. Coincidence, right? The officials have ruled both deaths as suicide. David’s dog was also found dead with Mindy. It’s concluded that she shot the dog before taking her own life. I know. I know. Poor puppy. McCready’s close family and friends were not surprised by her suicide. They said she was dealing with drugs and alcohol abuse and “had demons she wasn’t beating.”

Honestly, I was very saddened by both deaths. Well, who’s happy about people taking their own lives? They left their one year old, Zayne, and Mindy also left her other son, Zander. Now they’re in foster care and all alone. Poor kids. They had a drug and alcohol addict mother whose love for them wasn’t enough. I think they had it worse than the puppy. But I just don’t get why McCready killed herself. She was only 37-young, pretty, and talented. She had loving family and friends and two beautiful sons. I bet if only she didn’t let her troubles and griefs drag her down, she could persevere through the hard times. From rock bottom, you can only go up. Sadly, not even her ten thousand angels can help her now.

~ Panru Jing

Change, One Step at a Time

Bullying is obviously a bad and growing problem in schools. it could be about how you look, dress, your race, religion, gender, or ability to do certain things. While people are bullying their peers, they are not thinking it’s going to affect them in anyway other than make them feel a little bit bad about themselves. But, it could be so much more than that. Making a mean remark about someone can not only make them self conscious, but can cost them their life. Bullying can and has made people commit suicide, which is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Different kinds of bullying consist of physical bullying, verbal bullying, indirect bullying, social alienation, intimidation and cyber bullying. All of these things are equally hurtful, and can all lead to bad results. After being bullied, someone could become depressed, have an anxiety disorder, thoughts or attempted suicide, harming of themselves or others, etc.
In my opinion, bullying is one of the number one problems in schools and the community. To get the word out about bullying, there have been many songs, articles, videos and clubs made to make people aware of bullying. In this video they express what happened to one girl named Phoebe after she was bullied. Also, in this website, it shows peoples opinions and their thoughts on how to stop and/or prevent bullying. It’s as simple as saying one nice thing to a bullied peer. If you try to prevent bullying, others will follow in  your footsteps! So be a leader and try to make a change!!

~Krista Sbordone

Without Warning

http://strengthdisciple.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/55-junior-seau.jpg

Junior Seau, a homegrown superstar who was the fist-pumping, emotional leader of the San Diego Chargers for 13 years, was found shot to death at his home Wednesday morning. He was 43. Police Chief Frank McCoy said Seau’s girlfriend reported finding him unconscious with a gunshot wound to the chest and lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. After further investigation it was deemed that he committed suicide.

Seau, who played in the NFL for parts of 20 seasons, is the eighth member of San Diego’s lone Super Bowl team who has died, all before the age of 45. Lew Bush, Shawn Lee, David Griggs, Rodney Culver, Doug Miller, Curtis Whitley and Chris Mims are the others. Causes of death ranged from heart attacks to a plane crash to a lightning strike. Handsome, vibrant and caring, Seau was the perfect role model. He was San diego’s shining star.

It’s a sad thing. It’s hard to understand,” said Bobby Beathard, who as Chargers general manager took Seau out of Southern California with the fifth pick overall in the 1990 draft. “He was really just a great guy. If you drew up a player you’d love to have the opportunity to draft and have on the team and as a teammate, Junior and Rodney (Harrison), they’d be the kind of guys you’d like to have.” While the NFL reacts to this tragic loss many questions have to be asked about football and head trauma.

    Football is a very physical sport and many people are holding it accountable for  Seau’s death. As I mentioned before we have to address many unanswered questions. I think its time we stop blaming football. In the first place why his suicide being linked to head trauma before further investigation. There has to be substantial proof that the trauma caused depression which, in turn led to suicide. It is highly debatable that the doctors did not check him for symptoms of depression while treating him. Had his family been aware of any signs of depression? It now remains for a post mortem investigation to assess the damage of his brain before it can be conclusively proved that trauma caused the suicide. However, as much as I want to know the effects of a life in football, I want to stop short of blaming the game for what happened to Seau. Ultimately, you have to give just as much credit to football for what he became and how he got to live his life. Football provided Seu the segway to become a legend and be an influential character in his community. Seau loved football with all his heart. He related it to the traditions of his Samoan family that played rugby. In his mind, football, was the measure of a man.

However, the NFL has to take proper steps to protects its players from serious head trauma.  Seau’s suicide is at least the third former NFL player to have killed himself in the span of 15 months, joining Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling. Additionally, Andre Waters killed himself in 2006. This is very disturbing.Though this trend might lead some people to think that there has been a definite trend medical evidence is definitely necessary.

In the end football was very good to Seau. He achieved glory, wealth, and respect through his playing days in the NFL. Football was his platform to make someone iconic and respected just like in Seau’s case. So lets wait a little before we start making wild accusations at the game for costing the life of hero.

~ Sid Subramani