Gay Slurs Led to Suicide

[Tatsuya]

I just thought this was absolutely appalling... thought I'd pass it on for the rest to see.
Children can be so cruel...
I work in North Side Sydney schools as Tech support, and a couple of times now (at one of the all boys schools I work for) i've had a student in tears in my office asking me to clear off their desktop and change their password as another student has hacked in and created folders on their desktop with names such as "Man on Man" "Filthy Faggot Fucking", so that when this student logs onto a PC connected to an interactive whiteboard the entire class can see...
anyway I read this article this morning....

Gay Slurs Led to Suicide
Homphobobic taunts played a significant role in the suicide of a 14-year-old boy, a coronial inquest has found.

On July 25 2008 Kadina High School student Alex Wildman was found dead in the garage of his Lismore home. Two days earlier, months of harassment by other students culminated in Wildman being struck in the head while two other boys held his hair and a group of students looked on.

Just months earlier students had left homophobic messages on MySpace, calling him gay and a faggot.

“Why you go back out [sic] with that faggot … I hope he dies in a hole,” one message said.

Alex was also bullied at Sydney high schools before moving to the north coast in a bid to escape the homophobic taunts, the inquest hear.

Full article: http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2010/06/23/gay-slurs-led-to-suicide/27002

[rudeboy86]

Yeah I heard about this...sucks eh.

[JayTee]

I think that the law is too far behind on incidents like these. things like this should explicitly be made crimes.

I hope you are reporting every single incident like that one to your school principal because there needs to be punishment handed out to those responsible and not just left as "one of those things".

i also suggest that you inform students that if they have evidence of who did such things to take the matters to the police.

i too have worked with schools and the number of stories i have heard about school principals not doing anything about it makes me sick. one student's parents told me the principal told them she couldn't do anything about a violent girl bullying their son.

i told them to go to the police and get an AVO out on her. F*ck this "she's getting help and has a bad family life" rubbish!! plenty of people have a bad family and they DON"T resort to violence.

our standards as human beings has seriously dropped as of late.

[chad_74]

On 60 mins last night they had a simular if not same story.
The nsw government minister for education would not be interviewed or comment.
With this sort of attitude the government may as well be patting them (the bullys)on the back.

[Tatsuya]

I take the child to their head of year and present the evidence with them, then I take it to the head teacher and principle (as well as notifying the counsellors) unfortunately that is the most I can do in this situation, it breaks my heart seeing these kids crying in my office...

[JayTee]

thanks Tatsuya. glad you are doing all you can about it.

it must be heartbreaking having to see that happen time and time again.


ps. love the signature. it's true!! (i used to work in IT ages ago)

[Totka]

It breaks my heart to read about this sort of thing in this day and age. Just goes to show that the battle is far from over. Thats why sites like this need to exist and be promoted more widely. Despite some of the non-sensicle posts, bitchiness and in fighting, we do have enough of an element that cares about these kids who are isolated and confused. Its always re-assuring to see the response to some of the posters who come here for advice and support.

[Tatsuya]

i wish i could do more for them, but i cant talk to them about anything because its "inappropriate" :(

[datkindagal]

that's unacceptable, our education system needs to step up their game. How can this be aloud to go on I really don't understand.

This article made e feel ill.

[Tatsuya]

I wish there was more I could do for these kids... 68% of students in school feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation.
I wish there was more I could do for them, I know what it's like, I've been all through that.
not to mention with everything going on in my life I feel a little unfulfilled, maybe helping these kids is what I need to motivate me about life again, it just gets me so down seeing these kids suffer every day.
Does anyone know of any volunteer groups that talk to schools on the subject? teach them about homophobia and how it affects so many people? I'd like to do something more.

[JayTee]

try this organisation

http://www.fpnsw.org.au/765529_3.html

[Tatsuya]

try this organisation

http://www.fpnsw.org.au/765529_3.html

Thanks so much JayTee, thats exactly what i'm looking for, I'm gonna apply for this, thank you <3

[jordan]

Here is what we can do as individuals. No matter where you are, on a bus, at a party, at a shopping center, where-ever - if someone says something homophobic or is harassing a kid for being gay, say something.

It's such a load of crap to say "I don't want to make things worse, I won't step in". You think it can get any worse than killing yourself out of desperation?

These people need to know it's not acceptable and these poor kids need to know that someone will stand up for them.

[Tatsuya]

if i ever saw it happen i would step in, I'm not scared of a bunch of bigamist douche bags, unfortunately I've only seen the results of their taunts... it's not fair on these kids...

[xxxVioletxxx]

This is awful. Poor young guy.

All I have to say is - fucking Lismore can get fucked!

The Mid North Coast needs some serious re-education. Hell, the whole fucking school curriculum needs education about homophobia.

There are a lot of young guys at school spouting about how much they hate homosexuality, for no reason other than to prove how masculine they are.

Why don't the teachers and other faculty members do or say something?

[ammonite]

Deputy State Coroner Malcolm MacPherson recommended the NSW Education Department ensure high schools with more than 500 students employ full-time counsellors and have dedicated email, phone, text or chat room options to report bullying.wtf is that going to do? i don't think i ever went to a school that had more than 500 students, and i experienced life altering bullying in PRIMARY school

[Tatsuya]

i agree, there needs to be more education on the subject, and not just in highschools...
i work in multiple primary schools, and some of the slurs i've heard come out of those tiny kids mouths... it's disgusting....