A rash of teen suicides has recently plagued our country, alarming families and educators and even catching the attention of President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The suicides, which now number close to 10, began with the start of the 2010-2011 scholastic year and the most recent occurred just last week. The victims are predominately males between the ages of 10 and 21 and the majority of them identified themselves as gay or non-heterosexual.
The families of the deceased teens claim that bullying was the driving force behind their children’s death. Most of the parents believe that their children were the targets of hateful teasing, taunting, and physical harassment. They claim that their children suffered relentlessly at the mercy of their peers simply for being different from the norm.
The case of Tyler Clementi is perhaps one of the most publicized out of all the stories. Clementi, a former student at Rutgers University in New Jersey, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in late September after learning that his roommate had secretly recorded and distributed video footage of him engaging in a sexual encounter with another man. Clementi’s final post on Facebook read, “jumping off the GW bridge sorry.” Unfortunately Clementi’s story is not unique. All of the other victims allegedly suffered from similar tormenting, ranging from teasing and name calling to physical violence and brutality.
The issue hits particularly close to home due to the death of Asher Brown, a 13-year-old former Cypress, TX, resident and student at Hamilton Middle School. Brown tragically shot himself in the head at his parents’ home after being “bullied to death,” according to his mother Amy Truong. These tragedies have even transcended national borders; two Canadian lesbian teenagers recently ended their lives because of the animosity they felt around their peers.
Thanks to the massive amount of media coverage, the suicides have generated a substantial amount of grassroots anti-bullying efforts. School district all across the nation have begun to crack down on bullying, implementing new policies and enforcing those policies that may have previously been more lax. Parents are more adamantly voicing their concerns, demanding that schools take responsibility for these incidents. The tragedies have even inspired social projects like columnist Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better.” Savage’s project consists of a compilation of videos (hosted on YouTube) made by LGBT supporters in order to show struggling and marginalized youth that they have value in society and that life does in fact get better in time.
This September, a reader wrote to Savage Love columnist Dan Savage with the news that another gay teenager from an isolated environment, Billy Lucas from Indiana, had killed himself after being verbally harassed in school. Savage responded with a call for action:
“I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes. I wish I could have told Billy that it gets better. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things were, however isolated and alone he was, it gets better. […] Many LGBT youth can’t picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can’t imagine a future for themselves. So let’s show them what our lives are like, let’s show them what the future may hold in store for them.”
This was the beginning of the It Gets Better Project. Savage created a Youtube.com channel for LGBT adults to upload videos directed at LGBT teens with the aim of giving them hope for a better future. The Youtube channel reached the 650 video cap the week after its creation and has since gotten its own website (www.itgetsbetterproject.com). Although Savage initially intended for LGBT adults to post videos, many teens and straight adults, as well as some celebrities, have uploaded their own videos offering support and encouragement. President Barack Obama, who uploaded a video of his own on Friday, is one of the latest to add his name to a diverse list of supporters that includes Vinny from MTV’s Jersey Shore, the singer Ke$ha, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the employees of Google, and the cast of the musical Wicked.
We encourage everyone to learn more about this project and the tremendous struggles of many LGBT teens, especially those in small towns or with unsupportive families and peers. Help prevent teen suicides and show that bullying and prejudice are never acceptable by uploading a video or signing the pledge on the It Gets Better website.
Here are some statistics from the website:
– 9 out of 10 LGBT students have experienced harassment at school.
– LGBT teens are bullied 2 to 3 times as much as straight teens.
– More than 1/3 of LGBT kids have attempted to commit suicide.
– LGBT kids are 4 times as likely to attempt suicide [as their] straight peers.
– LGBT youth with “highly rejecting” families are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than those whose families accept them.
These teens may not receive any support from their families, schools, or communities, but there’s no reason we can’t offer them a hand. The ones we don’t reach might not survive long to learn that it gets better.
Your Editors-in-Chief,
Kieran Lyons and Nick Morales
Related links:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=5253730