In New York City, 15-year-old girl Amanda Cummings jumped in front of a city bus, clutching a suicide note, just two days after Christmas, a NYPD spokesman said.
Cummings was critically hurt in the collision and eventually died to her serious injuries after six days.
Cummings' death comes just weeks after revealing posts on her Facebook page, in which she talks about "feeling depressed" and asks "what did I do to deserve this?"
In one disturbing post on December 1, 2011, she writes: "I'll go kill myself."
Her uncle Keith Cummings told the Staten Island Advance that bullying was the ultimate cause of her tragic death. He claims that she was being tormented by bullies who picked on her at school, mocked her and took her phone, shoes and jacket.
Keith Cummings, who plans to use the law to hold her tormentors to account, also said that there were cruel posts and inappropriate comments being put on Amanda's Facebook wall while she was fighting for her life in hospital.
"I'm not going to tolerate this. I'm gonna go full force. Kids can't do this to each other," Keith Cummings said.
The funeral of the New Dorp High School sophomore, who would have celebrated her 16th birthday party in September, is expected to take place this week.
Amanda’s mother has decided to donate her young daughter's organs to save the life of another.
For more info about anxiety and depression, please go to LivingWithAnxiety.com.
What do we expect? Look at our politicians, look at our CEOs, look at the book of the Bible, the Koran, look at our childrens coaches and how some of their rich and famous idols/athletes act, look at what laws are being passed. The American culture of "Gimmie Gimmie, Mine Mine, Me Me" is eventually going to be our downfall. It effects us in the USA, and around the world. This selfish, self-centered culture is based not on humanity but on greed. The Romans, some say fell because of their heathenism, lavish life styles, while when looking at the USA, people dont see, it is the same, just with different toys and people. History will repeat itself, and religion and politics cannot change it for the better, just worse.
ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY… Can you say communist?
I fought that system through (not thru…) six children all the way from (kindergarten not kindergarden) once our state made THAT mandatory all the way through high school.
Let me give you just a few examples of what I had to deal with, and let you see how truly terrifying it can get.
1).My youngest son third grade;
Sitting outside in the snow with some friends making a snowman, some kid chucks an ice-ball; hits my son square in the back of the head and splits his head open. Several teachers witness what happened, not only did my son not retaliate he was injured. Both my son and the other kid were immediately brought before the principal and given a 5 day in school suspension. (Zero tolerance). Does not matter who started the fight both parties get punished. THEN they call ME to bring my son to the hospital for stitches and a possible concussion.
(I was not told about the suspension, hold that thought…).
2). One of my daughter in 5th grade;
Was wearing a cross on a chain around her neck, it hung well below her clothing so it was out of sight. One day in music class it slipped out from under her blouse when she bent over. The music teacher saw it demanded it and tossed it into the trash. (Zero tolerance). My daughter immediately took it out left class and called me and I had to go to school and get it and be told she had a 5 day suspension.
This cross had no religious significance to my daughter, but it had huge sentimental value. I gave it to her the day I told her that her sister and my daughter had just died. It was her sisters cross that I had to take off of my dead daughters neck; that she was given by her grandmother, just before she passed away… (Remember zero tolerance).
3). Thank god this was NOT my kid, but it’s important.
One of my youngest daughters during her freshman year of high school was caught taking a Tylenol at the drinking fountain. She was IMMEDIATELY brought to the nurse’s office and strip searched in front of the nurse, the principal and one other teacher! They found one Tylenol IN a Tylenol bottle. The police were called and she was given a week worth of out of school suspension. (Zero tolerance).
These are just three incidents out of many, many I could tell you, they are all true they all happened. Now I will tell you something else.
Number one happened years after number two I put up with all kinds of things with the school system.
Number one caused me to be thoroughly pissed, I went to school and tried to talk to the principal and reason with the man about not only how unfair this was, that it was legally unconstitutional as well. You have the right of self-defense regardless of age. I was told no; in order for the school system to be “fair” both sides must be punished. (Zero tolerance).
I then told the principal that I would seek a lawyer and fight this; I was told “please don’t take this personal” and “we have to treat everyone the same” and things like that and finally I was told push the issue and see how your kids do in school!..
Now; I was just informed that no matter what I do, one way or another MY child will pay for his innocence! I want you to think about that one for a while… What would you do… get mad, scream holler about how wrong it was, stomp out of the school defeated and go home and cry about all the injustice in the world, go find a lawyer and fight with every penny you had?
You know…
I am a very tolerant man, I really am, I try to be patient with people, I realize I am not the sharpest crayon in the box sometimes.
(Perhaps that’s why what happened next happened)
I got up out of my chair never said a word, I got to the door and locked it and turned around and smiled…
(I won’t say what happened next, let’s just say I am physically a very large man and leave it at that).
Point is this;
MY kids were left alone after that;
All of them; they were never punished unjustly, never treated unfairly or harassed. Period. Ever…
(Ok to be honest; until right up until the last week of my youngest sons senior year in school but that is another story all together and I cannot tell that one because THAT incident made headline news in my state and several others and I do so enjoy my privacy). Of course it would give you an idea of just how dangerous this Zero Policy really is…
Now some of the other students, some real horror stories about Zero Tolerance could be told, I tried to set an example of what to do; I live in a small community and trust me, everyone heard about it. It is not my fault if other parents are afraid. Other than speaking out; nothing I could do.
My kids all graduated high school with high honors, I spent hours upon hours making sure they EARNED those honors and accepted nothing less from them.
I taught my kids the difference between right and wrong, not to be bullies or pick on people different than you. I also taught my children to NOT be afraid to stand up and fight for what is right.
The point is; YOU are the parent, if you want your children to be a certain way and you are aware of what life is like in the “real world” how can you possibly justify being lazy and letting others teach them what is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to teach them.
"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~ Thomas Jefferson ~ A mis-quote? Well worth checking out :-)
Communism is an economic model. I think you are thinking of fascism or authoritarianism which is what most people really mean when they are thinking of a rigid police state. Some communist countries had fascist/authoritarianism aspects to them, like Russia.
I am sorry for your bad experiences. Some of the people in your school district are idiots. This certainly hasn't been my experience in our school district. Zero tolerance has always worked for my family and the children of our friends, and I will call for it wherever I can. I am sure you can find just as many horror stories from kids where an administrator had "to use his or her best judgment." There is no perfect model.
All I can say is that for the schools where my kids attend, fights are very unusual and bullying is uncommon, and sustained bullying is unheard of. When I was growing up, I don't think a week went by in either grade school, junior high school, or high school when there wasn't a fight. I have scars on my knuckles where fist met teeth while defending myself. Also, the hazing I witnessed when I was in wrestling and other sports was horrible - kids wrapped up in athletic tape, locked in lockers, stripped naked and thrown in the snow, etc. My kids see none of this on their sports teams and they are much better for it.
Yes, I agree that parents must take responsibility for their children. I have a very large family, and all of my kids are or were straight A students. I attribute this to good schools and good parenting, meaning high expectations and the support needed to meet these expectations. It sounds like we at least agree on this approach. I have two daughters in college and one starting graduate school next fall. My oldest at home will be in college next year as well. It is possible to raise a healthy high performing family without encouraging or tolerating violence. We never let our children hit each other or anyone else except in self-defense.
You can't judge "zero tolerance" by a few horror stories. Given the overall reduction in juvenile crime incidents in schools, it seems to be working.
This is terrible but it it is getting more and more common. Kids should try to fight back and not to be afraid to get injured physically because metal injuries a far worse than physical.
Actually, bullying is becoming less common. However, we must do more. The big difference now is people have stopped ignoring it and we have had disasters like Columbine.
Listen, my heart goes out to the many effected by such tragedies, but beyond what's already in place i.e. talking to teachers, counselors, people in the community church's, there's not a dog-gone thing we can do. The weak will fall to the wayside and the strong will survive. It's been going on since time began and it will continue.
Kids used to pick on me every day because we were considered lower income and we couldn't afford to buy new shirts every time a bully ripped the arm off of them, but my daddy taught me how to fight and I stood toe to toe with the best of them and I still took plenty of "whoopins". But I learned to take the pain and fewer bullies wanted a bloody nose so by God I didn't jump off a bridge.
We let our kids sit glued to the TV or to a phone and kids have become lazy, obese and disconnected from what used to be having fun. Our school systems all over the country are lowering the standards for a passing grades, and very few kids are making it into adulthood with a good education which eventually leads to them needing a government handout to survive.
My God America, the truth is, our society is killing these children. The warning signs are there, they almost always cry out for help.. and we are too busy to hear them.
John 3:16
I am sorry you feel the way you do and what you experienced. When I was a kid, the answer to bullying by schools was "boys will be boys." I was the skinny smart kid, but my father taught me to box and I also wrestled. I broke more teeth, bloodied more noses, and split more lips of kids who thought I was "easy prey" than ever should have been necessary. It does *NOT* need to be this way.
As adults, you can press charges against people who harass you or otherwise try to physically intimidate you. In the workplace, you can sue and file grievances with outside government offices. Why should it be any different for children? Any tolerance of bullying is teaching kids things that they will leave behind as adults. Why in the world should childhood be harder than it needs to be?
The school district where we send our children has a zero tolerance for violence. If start you a fight, you are suspended. If you bully, you are suspended, and if it becomes a pattern, you are expelled. Kids are allowed to defend themselves, but only as far as is necessary. Anyone who gives another child a beat down, regardless of the provoking circumstances, is suspended or expelled. The few times my kids have been bullied it has taken *one* phone call and the bullying ended immediately.
I do not share your pessimism or acceptance of bullying as a necessary part of childhood because I have personally witnessed better. Every school should have the same standards.
You have complained about the quality of our educational system. How much do you think bullied kids are getting out of school??
You don't have to agree bullying is necessary and neither do I. I hear the phone conversations of kids bragging how they use texting to cheat while doing school work. The smart kid is told to help or get a busted nose. Do you honestly think the smart kid will tell? Hell no.
Using two thumbs, a kid with a cell phone can create a message that would take me twice as long to type, but have you seen how poorly their spelling has become? Go to McDonald's five times through the drive thru ordering seven items and I'll bet you three times they get it wrong. Worst part about it is, all the kid has to do is press a button and follow directions.
We cannot afford to prosecute those prone to bullying unless it is a severe case. Our jails are already past capacity and we can't afford building new ones. But why can't the justice system do some bullying and put these reprobates on the roads cleaning and maintaining them or even scrapping gum off sidewalks? Instead of laying up on their sorry ass' put them to work for all to see and let's watch the crime rate fall.. a little bit.
Like I said before, as long as we allow our kids to become couch potatoes, there's going to be a kid wanting and getting his/her way because nobody cares except in isolated cases.
John 3:16
Since most schools ban phones in the classroom, I think your example is bogus. All my kids 13 and older have had phones because of sports and other extra-curricular activities. However, it was policy from day 1 in the schools where they attended that phones were not allowed in classrooms. At the university down the road, they have implemented the same policy to stop cheating with texts. This university also uses a wireless blocking device in some classrooms during exams. Any school that allows kids to use phones in class or any com device is inviting cheating.
You are blaming bullying on issues that are not related. Allowing kids to become "couch" potatoes has nothing to do with bullying.
In general physical bullying has gone down over the last few years. Several sources have corroborated this trend. What is different today is that people are finally paying attention to bullying and cyber-bullying has added a new twist. It took incidents like Columbine for bullying to become a national issue. It took some actual suicides to get people to pay attention to cyber-bullying. It took the publication of gay teen suicide rates to recognize that gay teens are picked on the most and they are the most likely to commit suicide. Publicity and awareness have been wonderful mechanisms to help reduce bullying.
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org
Juvenile prosecutions for minor crimes almost never result in incarceration for first offenses and rarely do they result in incarceration for multiple minor offenses. Most judges use probation with mandatory counseling for the youth offender *and* his/her parents. Probation allows the court to monitor compliance and assess progress. Since most bullies have something wrong at home (not all, but many), interactions with the criminal justice system might help the bullies more than anything else. My company actually helps to write risk assessment software for youth offenders for multiple states, which is why I know how this works (I am not a lawyer).
Kids can be assigned community service as part of their sentence, and I agree with your assertion that making liberal use of community service would be helpful. If bullies had to spend their free time in orange jumpsuits picking up trash in public places, that certainly would be a very visible and public deterrent.
You seem to be asserting that until we get kids to be more physically active, we'll never get rid of bullying. In logic, this is called "begging the question." You have made an assertion without any sort of proof to establish this claim. Is this your opinion or do you have something to back it up?
The couch potato issue might produce fat lazy kids who are unable to defend themselves, but it does not increase bullying.. If anything, it might make a potential bully too weak and lazy to enforce his/her will against another student. There certainly is a connection between teen obesity and reduced teen pregnancy.
So.. unless you have some data to back up your claim that increased teen laziness is an issue for resolving bullying problems, I am going to call BS and say I don't believe you.
There has to be ZERO tolerance for bullying. Prosecute bullies to the fullest extent of the law. They are minors so their parents will have to be involved too, which means lawyers and court dates. Take computers and smart phones out of the hands of bullies. I know there will always be bullies but we as a society need to do SOMETHING to help our kids. I was picked on in school and I was miserable so much of the time. I cannot imagine what life is like for kids nowadays with the internet and Facebook. My heart goes out to this family and to all the families of bullied children.