Bullying leads to a suicide
One week ago I wrote a post highlighting the increasing concern here regarding the level of all types of bullying in schools. I am sad to report that on Tuesday, a 16-year-old boy committed suicide by throwing himself from the window of his family's fourth floor apartment in Turin. The boy, an excellent student, could no longer take cruel taunts from his classmates implying that he was gay. He had also suffered exclusion bullying. He had talked to his mother about the problem and she had done her best to find help for him but the boy had refused to speak to a psychologist. This is what persistent bullying does: in the end, the victim's self -esteem is so lowered that he or she feels unable to talk to anyone. Arcigay, the main Italian gay rights organisation, is saying that the incident exposes only the "tip of the iceberg" and I fear they may be right.
More football violence
I refer, of course, to the horrific scenes that took place during Wednesday's "game" [if it can be called that] between Roma and Manchester United. It seems clear that the Italian police were lacking in de-escalation skills, to say the least, but let us remember that one of their number has recently been killed during an episode of football hooliganism and it is quite possible that they had been ordered to clamp down severely on any violence as soon as it began on Wednesday. In not one of the British TV reports that I have seen regarding the incident has anyone so much as suggested that the United fans should not have been hurling missiles in the first place.
One week ago I wrote a post highlighting the increasing concern here regarding the level of all types of bullying in schools. I am sad to report that on Tuesday, a 16-year-old boy committed suicide by throwing himself from the window of his family's fourth floor apartment in Turin. The boy, an excellent student, could no longer take cruel taunts from his classmates implying that he was gay. He had also suffered exclusion bullying. He had talked to his mother about the problem and she had done her best to find help for him but the boy had refused to speak to a psychologist. This is what persistent bullying does: in the end, the victim's self -esteem is so lowered that he or she feels unable to talk to anyone. Arcigay, the main Italian gay rights organisation, is saying that the incident exposes only the "tip of the iceberg" and I fear they may be right.
More football violence
I refer, of course, to the horrific scenes that took place during Wednesday's "game" [if it can be called that] between Roma and Manchester United. It seems clear that the Italian police were lacking in de-escalation skills, to say the least, but let us remember that one of their number has recently been killed during an episode of football hooliganism and it is quite possible that they had been ordered to clamp down severely on any violence as soon as it began on Wednesday. In not one of the British TV reports that I have seen regarding the incident has anyone so much as suggested that the United fans should not have been hurling missiles in the first place.
I marinai
It is clear from today's Italian papers that no one here believes Blair's statement that there was "no negotiation and no deal" involved in the return of our sailors and marines and they don't think that we British believe it either! The Italian perspective on such matters is always interesting...
And on a lighter note, something in the news that has a personal resonance this week: her scarves are, indeed, stylish but I want Nancy Pelosi's corsetière to set up shop in Modica, please!
9 comments:
I think you should open a shop, now how about this French cooking website, I thought you might exchange recipes:
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/
A truly sad story about the boy, I would never want to live another day if I was that mother. Children want to conform more than anything and be accepted by their peers.
Well locally, a few years ago, some high school students actually, in a group, drowned a girl whom they had been bullying for a long time. Three of them were convicted, but it didn't bring back the poor young girl, who was ethnically different, although frankly 1 in 3 here are ethnically different. This I think was the ultimate in bullying.
Regards
jmb
Buona sera, Ellee. I will check out that website. Thank you. Yes, children want only to be accepted and not seen as "different". My heart goes out to the mother, too. Poor woman - how would you ever get over a thing like that? You just couldn't, could you?
jmb, that is a tragic story too. I have a friend in the UK whose son is being bullied at the moment - because he is perceived as "different" yet there is no society in the world, I believe, with such an ethnic and cultural [in all senses] mix. I just don't understand it.
I'll take the Tiffany Diamonds, instead!
So sad about that young boy...it should never come to this, but sadly, it does.
Sport should be sport...not warfare!
Once upon a time I would have believed Tony Blair. And I would have believed that the sailors didn't go into Iranian waters - or it was an accident if they did. Now I don't believe anything.
That is a dreadful story about the boy. poor child. I'm afraid I would be feeling murderous now if I were the mother.
A friend's son is the victim of internet bullying. What is the matter with bullies - young or old - that makes them do this?
Hi, Lee. She had a nice set of pearls on as well - so you have the diamonds and I'll have those! Agree on bullying and sport. Liz, I don't believe anything politicians say any more either. Re bullying, like you, I just do not understand what gets into people or why they cannot see - or see and do not care about - the terrible hurt they are causing.
I believe the sailors were in Iraqi waters, according to the Iraqis. Iran and Iraq have been disputing boundaries for a long time. Iran was just counting coup, as the Native Americans did:
"Coup: (among North American Indians) an act of touching an armed enemy in battle as a deed of bravery, or an act of first touching an item of the enemy's in order to claim it."
--From my Apple Dictionary.
However it happened, thank God they're safe now!
Re bullying: it's worse now with texting and the internet... gossip travels at the speed of light.
Hi, Bonnie. I'd never heard of "coup" before but yes, that's probably what the Iranians were doing. Agree that modern technology has given rise to a particularly nasty form of bullying and now I read that teachers are being cyber-bullied too.
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