Bullying Report: What is Love is Louder?

Posted By: Ashley W. (YDS Bullying Reporter)

Love is Louder is an organization founded by Brittany Snow – who was in Hairspray and John Tucker Must Die and Prom Night.
Love is Louder helps kids and teenagers who are getting bullied by branching out with the help of many celebs like Vanessa Hudgens and the cast of Jersey Shore and many more celeb figures.  Love is Louder posts quotes related to bullying on their Facebook and Twitter everyday. Below are the links to get connected with this great organization!

Love is Louder’s Facebook:

 http://www.facebook.com/joinloveislouder

Love is Louder’s Twitter:

 http://twitter.com/#!/LoveisLouder

Love is Louder’s Website:

 http://www.loveislouder.com/

- Remember Love is LOUDER,

Love Ashley (YDS Bullying Reporter)

Bullying Report: 7-Year-Old Dead in Apparent SUICIDE After Bullying at a Detroit Elementary School, The DPS School Speaks out *UPDATE*

Source: The Detroit News
Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

As you first saw, The Young Detroit Show brought you the news of the Detroit Police investigating the apparent suicide of a 7-year-old boy, Who was believed to be bullied at the Detroit elementary school that he attended. To see our first report on this tragic incident please click here. Here is an update to the first post on this story from earlier today.

UPDATE: 

The Detroit News is reporting school officials have been holding meetings with worried parents whose children attend the grade school where the 7-year-old boy reportedly committed suicide at his west side home Wednesday.

The youngster, whose name is being withheld by The News, attended University Academy Preparatory elementary school on Cass and Amsterdam near the campus of Wayne State University.

The mother of the boy told police the child hanged himself in his bedroom of the family’s home, in the 700 block of Pingree Street, from a bunk bed using a belt. She said her son was depressed over being separated from his dad and that the boy was bullied at school because he was being raised in a house full of women. The mom, who has four daughters, told police she sought counseling for her child from her pastor.

Parents picking up their children Friday said UPA officials sent home a letter with students on Thursday addressing the tragedy and also denying reports that the child was bullied by classmates.

On Friday, Geneva J. Williams, the interim CEO of University Preparatory Academy/University Preparatory Science & Math School Districts, released this statement: “All of us are heartbroken and shocked by the death of this young student …. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

Williams also said the charter school district has “a zero tolerance policy regarding bullying.”

“Our school policy conforms to State of Michigan anti-bully laws,” said Williams in the statement. “We continue to cooperate thoroughly with the Detroit Police Department as they investigate this tragedy.”

Parents picking up their children Friday said they did not believe the allegations that the child was a victim of bullying at the school because the school’s staff is very attentive and supportive of an atmosphere that would not tolerate bullying by other students or staff.

Dajuan Hayes, whose 5-year-old daughter attends the school, said his child has not had any problems or mentioned any problems.

“When she comes home, she doesn’t have any complaints,” said Hayes whose daughter, Nila, shares a class with the 7-year-old boy’s sister.

Like many parents with children at the school, Hayes said the school is an ideal one with a great staff concerned with giving students a great environment, such as smaller classrooms and very attentive teachers.

Attorney Todd Inniss, whose two sons attend the UPA elementary school, said “overall the atmosphere is very good,” at the school.

Inniss added while he cannot say whether the little boy was the victim of bullying, “this is not the kind of place where kids are bullied.”

The autopsy of youngster was completed Thursday, but the results are pending and the official cause of the death is not expected to be released until next week or possibly longer, said an official in the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office Friday.

Detroit Police Officials said the case is still being thoroughly investigated, although it has been reported to police as a suicide.

The Young Detroit Show will continue to bring you updates as more news and information on this story becomes available. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the little boys family and to everybody who knew him.

 

Bullying Report: 7-Year-Old Dead in Apparent SUICIDE After Bullying at a Detroit Elementary School

The house where the 7-year-old boy was found dead after apparently committing suicide, according to Detroit Police.

Source:  NY Daily News
Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

Detroit Police are investigating the apparent suicide of a 7-year-old boy, It is believed that the boy was bullied at his Detroit elementary school.

The boy was found by his 14-year-old sister on Wednesday evening, hanging from a bunk bed with a belt around his neck, cops told the CBS affiliate in Detroit.

The sister reportedly went to get help, and an adult family member tried to revive the boy.

Neighbor Harold Pleasant told WJBK Fox 2 News he witnessed the commotion from his own home.

“[The sister] was just laying there, crying and howling,” he said.

The boy was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Pleasant described him as a “cheerful young man.”

Police are waiting for a medical examination to be complete before ruling on an official cause of death, a Detroit Police spokesperson told the Daily News.

Fox reports that police believe bullying at school is what led to the boy’s death.

Police told the Daily News the investigation into motive for the apparent suicide is ongoing.

We will continue to update you on this Bullying Report story if and when more information becomes available.

Bullying Report: School Accepts Anti-Bullying Video That Got Girl Suspended

Photo Courtesy of: Examiner.com

Source: WPIX News (New York)
Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

Jessica Barba, a freshman from Longwood High School, was allowed back to school today after a five day suspension over an anti-bullying class project.

Barba wrote, edited and starred in an anti-bullying video project by playing a fictitious character, Hailey Bennett, and even created a fake Facebook page. The Bennet character was tormented and cyber-bullied in the video. In the end, the character commits suicide.

“I wanted to influence kids to do the right thing and not bully,” said Jessica.

Barba added there were several posts on the fake Facebook page and video indicated the Bennett character and all the events taking place were not real. A local parent, however, became alarmed after seeing the Facebook page and contacted school officials, leading to Barba’s one week suspension.

Neither the school or Barba’s family would comment on the exact reason for her suspension.

The Longwood Superintendent, Dr. Allan Gerstenlauder, released this statement today. “I assure you that the matter has been thoroughly investigated and dealt with following our normal district procedures. Our protocols are clearly outlined in our code of conduct, which is communicated annually to students, families and staff. We would like to shed more light on the situation, but are unable to release any details of the matter due to student privacy laws.”

Jessica will be graded on her video that originally got her suspended.

SOUND OFF: What are your thoughts on this story? Do you think Jessica deserved to get suspended for five days? Let us know by clicking on the white speech bubble located in the top-right hand corner of this article!

Bullying Report: New Jersey Legislation Are Aiming to Stop Teachers Bullying Students

Source: USA Today (News)
Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

Kids bullying other kids is a huge issue in schools all over the world and online, but teachers are also bullying students now and New Jersey legislation is aiming to stop teachers bullying students.

Secret school recordings posted on YouTube by a father, with an adult being caught calling the man’s 10-year-old autistic son “a bastard,” have helped spur an effort to speed the disciplinary process for teachers and other school employees who bully students.

New Jersey GOP Sen. Diane Allen introduced a bill Thursday to expand anti-bullying laws to cover incidents where teachers are the aggressors.

Allen said she was motivated by several recent publicized teacher bullying incidents, including the recordings made by Stuart Chaifetz, who documented what he says was torment of his son for at least six months by public-school special education teachers and support staff at the Horace Mann Elementary School.

“Schools are supposed to be fertile ground where our children can grow into healthy individuals. In those few places where staff members, for whatever reason, treat them with disrespect and disdain, like they did to my son, they can really destroy lives,” Chaifetz said at a State House news conference hosted by Allen.

Allen was also joined by 15-year-old Julio Artuz and his parents. Artuz last fall made a cellphone video of an incident where he said was bullied by a Bankbridge Regional School teacher.

Artuz said of the incident, “I really have a hard time talking about it, but I just want this to stop. I don’t want anybody else to feel the way it made me feel, the lowest I’d ever felt in my whole life.”

Allen said her legislation would speed the disciplinary process for teachers and other school officials, including those with tenure, found to have engaged in bullying, intimidation, or harassment of students.

Under the proposal, reported incidents of bullying by teachers must be investigated by the school’s anti-bullying specialist within 10 days.

New Jersey Education Association spokesman Steve Wollmer said Allen’s proposal eliminates due process rights, making it unlikely to survive a legal challenge, “because it would allow no more appeals to a neutral third party,” he said.

“We all agree bullying is unacceptable by a student or a school employee or anybody and should be dealt with immediately,” Wollmer said.

He said the union has proposed that the state could provide better flexibility in disciplinary actions by borrowing from practices in Massachusetts, where action on dismissing a teacher is in the hands of outside employment arbitrators.

“Everyone has a right to due process, but that process must be timely in fairness to both the student and the school employee,” Allen said.

Artuz was allegedly bullied by teacher Steve Roth. Administrative Law Judge Jeff Masin said in a new ruling Roth had engaged in “conduct that was intimidating and bullying” but said that removal of his tenure wasn’t warranted, ordering instead that Roth should forfeit 120 days pay.

The local school board responded to the ruling Thursday, releasing a statement that it “respectfully disagrees with the recommendation of Judge Masin to permit Steven Roth to retain his job after serving a suspension for the remainder of the school year.”

The school board will file exceptions to the judge’s decision with state Education Department in a bid to terminate Roth’s employment.

Bullying Report: Indiana Mom Says Daughter Was Bullied Before Committing Suicide

Photo Courtesy of: Fox 59 News (Indiana)

Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)
Source:  Fox 59 News (Indiana)

The mother of a teenage girl from Bloomington, Indiana told Fox 59 News that her daughter was bullied at school. Tori Swoape, 15, was found dead in her Bloomington home Monday. Her mother, Lana Swoape, said she hung herself with a scarf.

Her mother Lana says “I never thought she could do this. I never thought she would,”  as tears dripped down her face.
Lana said Tori was the new girl at Bloomington North this school year and that title made her the target of teenage bullying.
“There was name calling. There was rumors. A lot of what Tori went through was rumors,” she explained.

She said she tried to intervene, but that her daughter begged her not to, promising she would handle it. Swoape said by Tori’s bubbly attitude at home and with friends, it seemed as if she had gotten a handle on things.

But on Monday, her worst fear would come true. She said she found her daughter hanging from a scarf in her bedroom.

“I had a feeling that I never had before. When I.. before I opened the door, I could feel it,” said Swoape. “It just never occurred to any of us… she held it in good.”

Swoape showed Fox59 Tori’s last Facebook post, which reads:

‘IM NOT TALKING TO NO ONE. so go ahead and spread that RUMOR around! Keep my name out of your mouth. LEAVE MY BUSINESS TO ME!’

However, Bloomington High School North Principal Jeffrey Henderson told Fox59 this was the first the administration had even heard that there was a problem. “At no point in time was the school ever aware that there were those concerns whatsoever,” said Henderson. “She seemed to be a happy lady, well-adjusted in school, very well-liked by peers.” 

Tori’s mother Lana doesn’t believe it. “I think if the kids at school know, then why shouldn’t them teachers see it?” she asked.
She said she now has a simple message to spread, one she believes could have saved her daughter’s life.
“People think ‘oh it’s just words, they can’t hurt.’ But to these kids, they do. They hurt more than you know.”
She hopes students at Bloomington North will listen to that message and choose not to gang up on other students as a result of Tori’s death.

Swoape plans to sit down with school officials once she takes care of Tori’s funeral arrangments, which she is still struggling with.

As you may know the Young Detroit Show and all of our staff members are AGAINST BULLYING. We bring you these tragic stories here on the Young Detroit Show not because we enjoy posting these stories, but because we believe that something NEEDS to get done to stop bullying immediately before things like this continue to happen. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Swoape family and everybody that knew Tori.

Bullying Report: Student Expelled for Bringing Stun Gun to School Because of Getting Bullied

Photo Courtesy of: Fox 59 News (Indiana)

Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)
Source:  Fox 59 News (Indiana)

Darnell Young, 17 from Indianapolis was tired of getting bullied so he took matters in his own hands and decided to bring a stun gun to school to confront his bullies has been expelled.

The Indianapolis Public Schools said they affirmed the decision to expel Darnell from Arsenal Technical High School for the remainder of the school year. Darnell said the teasing and bullying from other students because he is gay started on the first day of class. “They threw bottles at me,” said Young in an interview with Indiana’s Fox59. “They threw rocks at me when I was getting off the bus after school.  I feel disrespected, because I’m a nice person.”

Young said students called him gay slurs and cursed at him. Young said he eventually reached a breaking point and contemplated suicide, which prompted his mother, Chelisa Grimes, to intervene.  Grimes told Indiana’s Fox59 News after complaining to the school several times with no results, she decided to send her son to school with an electrical self-protection device—commonly known as a stun gun.

On April 16, Young used it when he said a group of teenagers surrounded him in a school hallway.
“I raised it up, and then I pushed the button twice,” said Young. “I think I was going to be hospitalized, because they was going to jump me.”
Young was placed in handcuff and removed from class.

Indianapolis Public Schools Statement:
IPS released the following statement Tuesday regarding the expulsion of Young:

The Indianapolis Public Schools has affirmed the decision of the expulsion hearing examiner to expel Darnell Young from Arsenal Technical High School for the remainder of this school year through the first semester of the 2012-13 school year. He may return to school in IPS on Jan. 7, 2013.

Indianapolis Public Schools students participate in anti-bullying programs from kindergarten through 12th grade. IPS offers Gay Straight Alliance groups on multiple campuses, including Arsenal Technical High School. The district does not condone bullying – students who violate the rights of others through bullying behaviors are held accountable.

While the district does not condone bullying, it also does not allow weapons to be brought on our school campuses for any reason. Students who violate this rule will be held accountable. 

Indiana Youth Group responded to the expulsion by calling it the “latest example of the school administration’s failure to take the problem of bullying seriously.” 

“We must not cause further harm to Dynasty, and other victims of bullying, by denying them the opportunity to continue their education in a safe learning environment,” said IYG Executive Director Mary Byrne. “Instead we must prioritize creating a safe learning environment, rather than punishing students for actions that result out of our failure to do so.”

Bullying Report: Boy Expelled after Grandmother Says Bully Found Knife in His Pocket

Photo Courtesy of: WJBK FOX 2 News (Detroit)
Quinnell Alexander-Brown was expelled after bringing a Swiss army knife to school.

Source: WJBK Fox 2 News (Detroit)
Published By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

Quinnell Alexander-Brown (A seven-year-old student) brings a knife to school and gets expelled, but the family is saying it was a matter of self-defense. They said he was the victim of a bully and has a right to go to school.

“And then they started to hit me or hit me in the face,” said Quinnell Alexander-Brown.

Quinnell has been telling his family he’s been bullied at Golightly Educational Center in Detroit since he enrolled in first grade in January.

Quinnell said bigger boys punch him and go through his pockets and steal his snack money.

“They always trying to beat me up or something,” he explained.

Quinnell told his family. They said they reported the bullies to school security and that security said they would handle it.

“I actually think that they need to do something about the bullies in the school, actually get rid of the young men because we’ve been telling them too long that they are messing with this little boy,” said grandmother Leana Garner.

However, Quinnell said the bullies never stopped, so he went into his grandmother’s room at home and took her Swiss army knife.

“It’s mine. He took it from upstairs. He stole it out the house and he told them that his uncles gave it to him for protection,” Garner said.

With grandma’s Swiss army knife in his pocket, Quinnell went to school. He said one of the bullies went through his pockets.

“He came up to check my pants and then he found the pocket knife,” he told us. “I said, ‘Hey, give me that back.’”

“The bully dug in his pocket. He’s always frisking like he’s the police. He’ll check his pockets to see if he got candy money, anything, and so happened he found the knife, gave it to a grown up. The grown up took it to the security guard and he admitted that he had it,” said Garner.

Grandma’s Swiss army knife was confiscated by the school and Quinnell was expelled.

Detroit Public Schools administration told WJBK FOX 2 News (Detroit) the knife is a clear violation of the student code of conduct. A weapon like a knife is a violation of the Michigan School Code. State law reads no discretion, even a seven-year-old first grader who had been bullied. It makes no difference. The law required a 180 day expulsion and the student cannot enroll in any other Michigan public school for the next 180 days.

His family says Quinnell gets good grades and has never been disciplined.

The Detroit school system says they are following the law.

“Bullies are not supposed to pick on little bitty kids. That’s what making children this age and older do weird stuff like take weapons and stuff to school,” Garner said.

Bullying News: Stand 4 Change Day 2012

Sources: Stand4Change.org
Posted By: Tyler B. (YDS Host)

 ENOUGH is enough. I am sick and tired of seeing people getting picked on whether it’s in my high school, in the community or even online. Social networking sites like Facebook & Twitter have made it very easily accessible to simply click and say something mean about somebody else. Majority of schools claim they are fighting against bullying but they really don’t do anything. SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE!

Enough is enough. Now is the time to stand up against bullying. Join myself and the entire Young Detroit Show staff on Stand 4 Change Day and be a part of this historic rallying point for the anti-bullying movement.

Imagine millions of students and teachers across North America “Stand 4 Change” to demonstrate their commitment to putting an end to bullying. On May 4, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. EST, that image will become a reality as we all stop, stand and let the world know that we will no longer tolerate bullying in our schools and our communities. Your participation in this continent-wide community action will show people across the globe that it is not only okay to stand up to bullying, it is the right thing to do. Together, we can improve the lives of millions of young people, and help to save lives in the process.

IS YOUR SCHOOL SIGNED UP YET?: Over 5,000 schools have signed up! (At LEAST one school from ALL 50 states in the United States) as well as 36 different countries! That is over A MILLION KIDS! Has your school signed up to Stand 4 Change? To learn how you can talk to your schools administration and get your school apart of this epic day please visit http://stand4change.org/students.php.

Please also visit Defeat The Label on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DefeatTheLabel!

BULLY (Movie) : A Sad and Powerful Message…Something HAS to be DONE!

Photo Courtesy of : http://www.Facebook.com/bullymovie

Sources: The Bully Project, Bully Official Facebook Page,

Did you know every 7 minutes a child is bullied? (According to The U.S. Department of Justice) 
Did you know 1 in 7 students is either a bully or a victim of bullying? (According to http://www.education.com)
Did you know 160,000 students stay home from school every day for fear of bullying? (According to the National Association of School Psychologists) 

Bully is a 2011 documentary film about bullying in U.S. schools. The film is directed by Lee Hirsch, the film ullyfollows the lives of five students who face bullying on a daily basis. The documentary follows high schools in Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma during the school year of 2009 to 2012; the movie also follows the students’ families.

Rest In Peace Tyler Long

Rest In Peace Ty Smalley

The film’s main focus is on the deaths of Tyler Long and Ty Smalley, victims of bullying who took their own lives. The film greatly describes in detail how the average American school kid can’t defend himself against ridicule.

Tyler’s Thoughts…I watched the preview to this movie online the night before the day I went to go and see it, As I watched the preview I thought to myself “I already know I’m going to cry when I go and see this movie tomorrow.” So, I continued to watch the movie preview…I began to cry…:(
I went to go see this movie with my good friend Ashley (YDS Bullying Reporter) on Tuesday, April 10th in Birmingham, Michigan. We had the opportunity to see this movie in the Rated R version. This movie is very, very, very sad but it gives you a very POWERFUL message that something NEEDS and HAS to be done about bullying before it is too late. Bullying can happen in many forms such as the following :

1. VERBAL
2. PHYSICAL 
3. SOCIAL 
4. PSYCHOLOGICAL / MENTAL
5. CYBER

    This movie really raises awareness to students, staff and parents that bullying is an epidemic and at a very high level, especially with all of the social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, ect.  I feel that this movie should HAVE to be shown in all schools across the United States and America. If teachers, students, victims of bullying or even bullies themselves see this movie it will totally change their life around. We can’t just sit around and let this epidemic continue. One too many are killing themselves because of the way they are treated – whether it be at school or outside of school. When you walk in your school doors you are suppose to feel safe and secure and protected, many people will admit that they don’t feel safe at their school. Schools should be forced to take action against ANY FORMS OF BULLYING and not just avoid bullying and let it go. I definitely reccomend everybody to go and see this movie and be sure to bring tissue because you will probably end up crying your eyes out like I did.

Singer Justin Bieber even is supporting the movie! Check out his Tweet below!

We are inviting all of you to STAND together and help end  bullying across the world. Let us know what your thoughts are on this movie by commenting with your thoughts and opinion by clicking on the white speech bubble located in the top-right hand corner. Please be appropriate with your comments otherwise they will be deleted.