Cyber Bullying And Suicide

Cyber bullying has been sweeping the nation, especially in Pasco County where there were six suicide related deaths in 2012. Amongst those was a sophomore at Fivay High School, Jessica Laney, who decided to take her life after prolonged cyber bullying. Jessica was bullied on a social media site called Ask.fm; on this website, people can post anonymous questions on one’s account. At sixteen years old, she was being told by peers to “go die,” “no one cares about you,” and “you’re fat.” Jessica shared her bullying experiences only with close friends, however, they were unsure what to do so Jessica did not receive the help she needed and remained alone in her suffering. On Sunday, December 9th, Jessica took her own life out of complete despair amongst the inescapable torturous comments from her peers. With that being said, the school …show more content…
If Jessica’s friends had known how to assist her, maybe her fate would have been different. The school’s job is to ensure the safety of its students; with this course we can help accomplish that both in and out of school. Just like the Driver’s Ed course offered, it is to ensure safety and is something the students can use for life. “College students who have been cyber bullied have committed suicide or dropped out.” (Washington) The previous quote supports the fact that cyber bullying does not stop at the high school level and in fact this course will provide necessary lifelong skills. This course is crucial to have in the curriculum because most kids are unsure how to handle the situation when it is brought upon them. With cyber bullying being so serious and leading to suicide, it seems more appropriate to require students to learn about it in a classroom setting rather than merely touch about it in an