South Hadley,MA Phoebe Prince 15 kills self over bullying

[jjenny]

I can't say for sure why they said it, but since all kids who are new to a country and school are prone to being bullied, and schools should be alerted to watch for it, I wouldn't assume "prone to bullying" meant anything more than just that - at least not until I had some information to contradict all the reports that she was happy and well-liked in Ireland.

Either way, I'm not inclined to see any of this as a problem with her, but with her abusers. Nor am I inclined to look for excuses for them. YMMV

If your child had no issues with bulling, would you be informing the school your child was "prone to bullying?" Of course we don't know if that report is correct, but I don't think this is something people would be informing the school about if the child had no issues with bullying before the move.

 

[Paladine]

maybe, they simply phrased the fact that she was previously bullied clumsily. Maybe they were simply trying to say...it had happened before.

 

[Paladine]

It sounds like she started getting counseling a short time before she killed herself.

I'm not sure on that. There are too many conflicting statements, imo, it seems too cloudy, to me.

 

[jjenny]

maybe, they simply phrased the fact that she was previously bullied clumsily. Maybe they were simply trying to say...it had happened before.

This issue probably could play a role in a civil lawsuit as to whether the school was informed about any potential problems and should have done more to protect the girl.

 

[Paladine]

"Many of the girl’s shocked and mourning peers believe that the teen was bullied, Sayer said.

“She was having some difficulty adjusting to the new school and she was getting help with that,” Sayer said, referring to counseling Prince was getting. “I am very reluctant to speculate why she did what she did.”

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/south_hadley_high_school_stude.html

yeah...but I'm 99% sure I heard the family spokesperson say Phoebe never had the oportunity to see a counselor, he seemed to challenge that. Later on, I'll switch laptops and see if I can find the video. I think it was JVM, late last week...wed-thurs-fri, maybe...my daughter's using it, now....this one has no sound, I broke the jack inside the computer...lol...oh well.

 

[stmarysmead]

"Sayer said in recent years the School Department has implemented high school policies on bullying and run programs to alert students to the nature of the problem.

Last fall, the South Hadley School Department had a nationally-recognized expert on bullying, Barbara Colorosa, conduct a full-day workshop for the staff and an evening program for the community. The high school had also recently reviewed and revised its policies with regard to bullying, Sayer said."

The school knew they had a problem. As a new student from another country...Phoebe probably "fit the profile" that these experts felt were most vulnerable...or as clumsily put by that writer..."prone to bullying."

They SHOULD have used all their investments in seminars and studies and paid attention to the situation.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

maybe, they simply phrased the fact that she was previously bullied clumsily. Maybe they were simply trying to say...it had happened before.

Phrased badly or not, NO child should be the ***victim*** of bullying. Also, how would anyone know (fellow classmates) "if" occured overseas unless they were told and shared that information? Kinda makes you think, huh....

 

[stmarysmead]

"Cindy Kele, a former South Hadley High School substitute teacher, says she knew all about the bullying of Phoebe Prince well before her suicide. We asked her if she thinks school officials knew about it too. Kele said "I think that they had to have known before that unless they were totally not paying any attention to anything going on in the school. Then, you do have to question them being there, if they’re not doing their job." She said she reported the bullying but not enough was done by the administration to save Phoebe Prince."

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/charges-could-follow-teens-for-life

 

[jjenny]

Phrased badly or not, NO child should be the ***victim*** of bullying. Also, how would anyone know (fellow classmates) "if" occured overseas unless they were told and shared that information? Kinda makes you think, huh....

Nobody of her classmates had said they knew of any previous issues from overseas, as far as I know.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

Aw, you don't need to do that. Just give me a poke now and again.

Like it's my job.....

 

[Paladine]

Phrased badly or not, NO child should be the ***victim*** of bullying. Also, how would anyone know (fellow classmates) "if" occured overseas unless they were told and shared that information? Kinda makes you think, huh....

Oh, yeah...it could be an attempt at spin, imo. I have no idea. I await the facts...

 

[OrdinaryLife]

Nobody of her classmates had said they knew of any previous issues from overseas, as far as I know.

Well, if that is true then this group made it their choice, without any prior alledged knowledge, to torment this young lady. For their own purposes. How disturbing is that? And, the school did nothing. Absolutely nothing. Even held a damn dance and worried about the affect it would have on the future of the tormenters. Makes me ill......

 

[Paladine]

"Cindy Kele, a former South Hadley High School substitute teacher, says she knew all about the bullying of Phoebe Prince well before her suicide. We asked her if she thinks school officials knew about it too. Kele said "I think that they had to have known before that unless they were totally not paying any attention to anything going on in the school. Then, you do have to question them being there, if they’re not doing their job." She said she reported the bullying but not enough was done by the administration to save Phoebe Prince."

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/charges-could-follow-teens-for-life

What a link! Thanks...wonder if its the one we saw the comment quote from a couple pages back. She posted her email, said she would "step up". She said she subbed, too.

 

[Brian Seaman]

Hey folks. I am a Canadian researcher/writer whose specialty is human rights and civil liberties issues. I've written about this case on my personal blog. If interested, you can read my "Message for the Queens of South Hadley High School" at:
http://brianseaman.blogspot.com/
Peace and love from Canada.

 

[jjenny]

Well, if that is true then this group made it their choice, without any prior alledged knowledge, to torment this young lady. For their own purposes. How disturbing is that? And, the school did nothing. Absolutely nothing. Even held a damn dance and worried about the affect it would have on the future of the tormenters. Makes me ill......

We don't know if they knew anything or not know anything, or if there were anything to know.
They aren't exactly talking about what they knew or didn't know.

 

[Muffet]

If your child had no issues with bulling, would you be informing the school your child was "prone to bullying?" Of course we don't know if that report is correct, but I don't think this is something people would be informing the school about if the child had no issues with bullying before the move.

Not only would I, but I did and would again, for all the reasons I gave.

The phrase they used (in the article) made it sound like she was prone to being the bully, so I wouldn't use that, but I would advise all parents and faculty to be on the watch for bullying, even if my kid had no issues with it before, because being this is new situation for them, and being the new kid is a well-known risk factor for it.

 

[Paladine]

Hey folks. I am a Canadian researcher/writer whose specialty is human rights and civil liberties issues. I've written about this case on my personal blog. If interested, you can read my "Message for the Queens of South Hadley High School" at:
http://brianseaman.blogspot.com/
Peace and love from Canada.

Hey you, fellow Canuck! I've seen your postings on articles, good to have you here. Hope you contribute regularily!

 

[OrdinaryLife]

"Sayer said in recent years the School Department has implemented high school policies on bullying and run programs to alert students to the nature of the problem.

Last fall, the South Hadley School Department had a nationally-recognized expert on bullying, Barbara Colorosa, conduct a full-day workshop for the staff and an evening program for the community. The high school had also recently reviewed and revised its policies with regard to bullying, Sayer said."

The school knew they had a problem. As a new student from another country...Phoebe probably "fit the profile" that these experts felt were most vulnerable...or as clumsily put by that writer..."prone to bullying."

They SHOULD have used all their investments in seminars and studies and paid attention to the situation.

Sayer, himself, apparently, missed some of the workshop meetings and never read his schools handbook regarding bullying. Considering that feeble dance he is doing, I wonder if there isn't some truth to what I wrote above.

 

[jjenny]

Not only would I, but I did and would again, for all the reasons I gave.

The phrase they used (in the article) made it sound like she was prone to being the bully, so I wouldn't use that, but I would advise all parents and faculty to be on the watch for bullying, even if my kid had no issues with it before, because being this is new situation for them, and being the new kid is a well-known risk factor for it.

I sincerely doubt any parents would go to school and say "my child is prone to being a bully, watch out for him/her."

 

[Muffet]

I sincerely doubt any parents would go to school and say "my child is prone to being a bully, watch out for him/her."

I don't think anyone ever did.