Bullying kills a teenager yet again in U.S.

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDSep 22 2011

Bullying has claimed another life. In Washington Wednesday, the Department of Education hosted its second annual summit to combat bullying. It's a nationwide problem that was painfully highlighted this week by the death of a high school freshman from Buffalo.

Jamey Rodemeyer, 14, had been bullied relentlessly since 5th grade. His parents, Tim and Tracy, found his body on Sunday. Jamey was harassed by online insults. He saw counselors to try to deal with the pain. He even took part in the “It Gets Better Project,” in which people have posted a video as part of an online support group for gay teens.

“We were born this way,” Jamey said in his video. “Now all you have to do is put your head up --- put your head up and you'll go far. Because that's all you have to do, just love yourself and you're set.” Still, just weeks ago he posted this plea for help, “I always say how bullied I am, but no one listened. What do I have to do so people will listen to me?”

The day before, he wrote:, “No one in my school cares about preventing suicide” and reminded his readers that it was national suicide prevention week. He then posted the lyrics to a song by the group Hollywood Undead, which read, “I just wanna say good bye, disappear with no one knowing”. On Sunday, Jamey made two final posts to one of his blogs – one saying he was looking forward to seeing his late great grandmother, and another in tribute to Lady Gaga, his favourite singer, who inspired him with her anthem to self-confidence “Born This Way”. His body was found on Monday.

The Rodemeyers refuse to grieve in silence. “They have to somehow get the power away from the bully, and I don't know how you do that, and that's the biggest question in my mind. Because, if the bully doesn't have power, he's nobody,” Tim Rodemeyer says. “For a young kid of 14 1/2, he had a big message, a huge message that shouldn't even have to be a message. It should just be common decency to not make people feel worthless and useless on this planet, that they don't deserve to be with other people,” Tracy Rodemeyer says.