Bullying Cases Spike in Japan

In viral video, Graeme Taylor cites suicide attempt at age 9

(NEWSER) - Video of a 14-year-old student’s incredibly eloquent defense of a suspended Michigan teacher is making waves on the web, the Detroit Free Press reports. The clip shows Graeme Taylor speaking at a school board meeting about his experience as a 9-year-old driven to a suicide attempt by bullying. Taylor spoke in defense of Jay McDowell, who was suspended for a day without pay after he asked two students to leave his classroom at Howell High School; one was wearing a Confederate flag belt buckle, the other was making anti-gay comments, notes New York magazine. More»

It's not always easy to spot—and sometimes parents are to blame

(NEWSER) - Bullying has become a cause célèbre (though some insist it’s not a crime ). In Newsweek , bullying expert Rachel Simmons breaks down nine common myths about the practice:

• It’s easy to spot: The truth is, “kids are adept at stealth nastiness” and “bullies are talented chameleons”—making it easy for even the most tuned-in adults to be manipulated.
• It’s a recent problem: Adults are fond of insisting, “We never acted like that when we were their age.” But they did—and it’s time to “come clean and level with kids” about it.

Phoebe Prince said administrators didn't plan to intervene

(NEWSER) - Phoebe Prince, desperate to escape the bullies who tormented her daily, went to administrators at her high school for help—and was turned away. Prince told officials she was "scared and wanted to go home" because of a relentless campaign of bullying and beatings by schoolmates, the Boston Globe reports. She told a witness school authorities said they would do nothing and that "she was still going to get beat up." More»

'Meet kids where they live: online'

(NEWSER) - Schools that ban teachers and students from social media may think they're keeping classrooms safe from the harassment, bullying and exploitation of social networks, but actually they're missing a chance to harness the tremendous energy kids devote to social media, Nicholas Bramble writes on Slate . By bringing Facebook, MySpace and YouTube into the classroom, teachers can channel this energy toward schoolwork, Bramble says. More»

Teachers stood by as students pushed teen over edge: parents

(NEWSER) - The parents of an Ohio teen who killed himself after a bully suggested he do so have sued his former school. Teachers let other boys tease Eric Mohat, call him homophobic slurs, and shove him around without recourse, charge William and Janis Mohat, who want the school to recognize the 2007 death as a “bullicide” and institute anti-bullying measures, ABC News reports. More»