Franckowiak 1

Rebecca Franckowiak
3 May 2016
ENGL1020
Life and Death of Bullying

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Table of Contents
Introduction..3
Timeline4
Ask Aurelia7
Support group..8
With a Bully9
Last Diary.11
Death Certificate.12
Obituary.14
Works Cited.16

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Introduction

Bullying is a huge problem in America today. It is so bad that it can affect a students
learning. NoBullyings statistics say that: Approximately 160,000 teens reportedly skip school
every day because of bullying, and 1 in 10 teens drops out of school due to repeated bullying.
If you have a grade level that has about 400 students in it, about forty of them will drop out. In
the bigger cities with 1,000 students, thats 100 that will drop out. The article also says that 1 in
3 U.S. students say they have been bullied. I believe that that number is way too high. I have
lost very close friends because they were bullied and they didnt see any other way out. Cody
Allen Garrett passed away on May 10, 2015. At just 20 years old, he hung himself. He left
behind his daughter, Scarlett, his girlfriend, Amanda, his parents, and siblings. It has been almost
a year, and everyone he knew misses him more and more every day. There is too much bullying
in the world, even though the bullying rates have dropped, it is not down to zero yet.

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Bullying Over the Years

Though it may seem like bullying has increased with the new technology, it
has actually decreased over the years.
The suicide rates decreased from 1990-2000 from 12.5 suicides per
100,000 to 10.4 per 100,000. Over the past decade, however, the rate has
again increased to 12.1 per 100,000. Every day, approximately 105
Americans die by suicide. (SAVE)
There was a significant linear decline in physical fighting from 23.5% in
1998 to 18.8% in 2010 (Perius)
From 1998 to 2010, there was an overall significant decline in having been
bullied from 13.7% to 10.2% (Perius)
Overall, bullying decreased linearly from 1998 (16.5%) to 2010 (7.5%)
(Perius)

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Ask Aurelia
Q: Dear Aurelia,
Recently there have been a group of girls that have been bullying me at school and
online. I try to ignore them but so far they havent stopped. It has been making me very
depressed and Im not sure what to do. Do you have any advice for me?
From, Shelby
A: Dear Shelby,
Im sorry that you are going through that. It is good that you have been trying to ignore
them. You should talk to a parent or a trusted adult such as a principal or teacher about your
situation. If it makes you more comfortable having proof of the bullying, you could take
pictures of the online bullying or ask the school for the school security footage. If it persists
and they become violent, you could also get a restraining order.
There are many others in your situation, in fact, 21.5 students are bullied in school
(NCES), and its mostly done because the ones who bully more are seen as 'cool
(NoBullying) Because of this, I have created a support group. It is a happy and safe
environment that everyone is welcome to. Many teenagers have found the group very helpful
and fun. We meet every Monday and Thursday, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is okay if you dont
come to any meetings, or if you come to a few, or even if you come to all. If it makes you
uncomfortable, you dont even have to stay the whole time. We even have chairs set up in the
back of the room for people that just want to observe how the group works. None of what is
said is repeated outside of the room, and that is our main rule.

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The above advice is to anyone that is bullied, not just Shelby. Everyone is welcome to
our group, no matter age, sexual orientation, race, or gender. You can also call our 24 hour
phone number if you need to talk to someone right away at (608) 547-6044.

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Are you bullied?

Do you need somewhere to go to
talk to someone?
Come to our support group!
We meet Mondays and Thursdays, 5-7
p.m.
Located at the community center.
Address: 308 S. Walker St. Adams, WI.
53910

Everyone is welcome! This is a safe

and happy environment, no
judgement, ever! Come for the whole
time, or part of the time!

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I like the idea of having a group for victims of bullying because there are way too
shocking of statistics for bullying, and I think that having a group for everyone to feel
welcome would help. Some of the statistics, all from SAVE, are:

Depression affects 20-25% of Americans ages 18+ in a given year.

Suicide takes the lives of over 38,000 Americans every year.

80% -90% of adolescents that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully
using therapy and/or medication.

There is one suicide for every estimated 25 suicide attempts.

There is one suicide for every estimated 4 suicide attempts in the elderly

Suicide among males is 4xs higher than among females. Male deaths represent 79%
of all US suicides.

The prevalence of suicidal thoughts, suicidal planning and suicide attempts is

significantly higher among adults aged 18-29 than among adults aged 30+.

There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds.

I feel that if there was a group everywhere for victims that included everyone, that there
could be less suicides.

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With a Bully

Deborah: Thank you for coming here today, Melissa.

Melissa: I didnt have much of a choice.
D: I know that, but your probation officer thought that counseling would be good for you.
M: I dont see how.
D: Its proven that talking about your problems can help reduce aggression. Your probation
officer told me that you have a bullying issue.
M: I wouldnt call it bullying. More like constructive criticism.
D: Did you know that there are some actions are considered criminal, such as harassment or
hazing? (NoBullying) The repeated name calling you have been reported doing is considered
harassment.
M: Theres no harm in it. Its all in good fun.
D: Most people think that way, until its actually directed at them. Some people feel so bad that
they even commit suicide. In the U.S. there is a suicide every 12.3 minutes. (SAVE)
M: Wow. That seems like a lot.
D: It is a lot. Thats why we take bullying so seriously, and why you are on probation. We are
trying to make it so that less people are bullied.
M: I would hate myself if someone committed suicide because of me.
D: That was hopefully the plan with our counseling session today. To make you see that what
you were doing could have serious consequences.
M: I believe that now. I didnt realize that what I was doing could be so bad. I was trying to be
funny, you know?

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D: I know it may seem like it being so young. But imagine if it was the other way around. Would
you like that?
M: No, I guess not. It would make me feel pretty bad.
D: There are also people that see the bullying and dont do anything to stop it. They are called
bystanders. They are sometimes just as bad as bullies.
M: But they arent hurting anyone?
D: No, but they dont do anything to stop it. If someone would step in and stop the bullying, the
victims would feel a lot better.
M: But would they get bullied for stepping in?
D: Surprisingly, no. Most bullies get shocked or startled and stop. They think that no one can
stop them, and when someone does, they actually listen.
M: That makes sense, I guess. What can I do if I get too scared to confront the bully?
D: You could go to a teacher, or trusted adult.
M: What if they dont listen?
D: Then you find someone that will.
M: And if no one does?
D: Someone will. There will be someone out there that will listen. Were out of time, but I want
you to remember that no one deserves to be bullied. I feel you can be better than what you have
been before.
M: I will be better, thank you for opening my eyes.

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Dear Diary,

I dont think that I can take it anymore. Sheryl just keeps bullying me
and harassing me and hitting me and calling me names. I have tried to talk to
adults, but they dont seem to want to listen to me, and the ones that do, try to
talk to Sheryl and she just keeps coming back and it just gets worse. This is
getting to be too much for me. My family and friends always think that I seem
down but they just think that Im having a bad day. They tell me Im too
pretty and nice for anyone to bully. If only they knew the whole story. I was
looking online, and seen that poisoning is the most popular way to go for girls
like me. (SAVE) I think I may try that. I dont really want to, but I dont
think there is anything else I can do. Im just not happy. If someone is
reading this, Im sorry for what Im going to do. I just cant handle it.

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Shelby Lee Frost

21

December
Adams County Memorial Hospital

James Fischer

2015

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Mourning the Life of Shelby Lee Frost

In the late evening of December 21, 2015, Miss

Shelby Lee Frost was pronounced dead in her home in
Adams, Wisconsin. She fought a battle with herself,
and lost. She was a strong-willed girl. She is survived
by her parents, and siblings. Everyone will remember
her as a bright young woman who could always
brighten someone elses day. We all wish we had
noticed the signs sooner, so we could have saved her
in time. She will be missed.

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I havent read many obituaries, so Im not exactly sure how they go. I also
dont know how any sources could fit into this. I just wanted to show how some
people could be blind to what is going on with a person until it is too late. Some
people just dont want to believe that their child could be bullied. I think it is
important for a parent to listen and believe what their child may be trying to tell
them.

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Works Cited

Bellmore, Amy, Wei-Ting Chen, and Emily Rischall. "The Reasons Behind Early Adolescents'
Responses To Peer Victimization."Journal Of Youth & Adolescence 42.2 (2013): 275284 10p. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
Dickerson Mayes, Susan, et al. "Suicide Ideation And Attempts And Bullying In Children And
Adolescents: Psychiatric And General Population Samples." Crisis: The Journal Of
Crisis Intervention And Suicide Prevention 35.5 (2014): 301-309.PsycARTICLES. Web.
10 Apr. 2016.
"Fast Facts." Fast Facts. NCES, n.d. Web. 04 May 2016.
Jan, Afroz, and Shafqat Husain. "Bullying In Elementary Schools: Its Causes And Effects On
Students." Journal Of Education And Practice 6.19 (2015): 43-56. ERIC. Web. 10 Apr.
2016.
Juvonen, Jaana, et al. "Can A School-Wide Bullying Prevention Program Improve The Plight Of
Victims? Evidence For Risk Intervention Effects." Journal Of Consulting And Clinical
Psychology 84.4 (2016): 334-344. PsycARTICLES. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
"NoBullying Releases Today the Ultimate Bullying Statistics 2014 Guide." PRWeb
Newswire 2014: General OneFile. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Morales, J. Francisco, Santiago Yubero, and Elisa Larraaga. "Gender And Bullying:
Application Of A Three-Factor Model Of Gender Stereotyping." Sex Roles 74.3-4 (2016):
169-180. PsycINFO. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.

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"Save. Suicide Awareness Voices of Education." SAVE. GlobalCloud, n.d. Web. 04 May 2016.
Perius, Jessamyn G., et al. "Trends In Bullying, Physical Fighting, And Weapon Carrying
Among 6Th- Through 10Th-Grade Students From 1998 To 2010: Findings From A
National Study." American Journal Of Public Health 104.6 (2014): 1100-1106
7p.CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
Pister, Rebecca. "Understanding Bullying Through The Eyes Of Youth." Journal Of
Ethnographic & Qualitative Research 9.1 (2014): 27-43. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
Wong, Ching-Tsai, Ying-Yao Cheng, and Li-Ming Chen. "Multiple Perspectives On The Targets
And Causes Of School Bullying." Educational Psychology In Practice 29.3 (2013): 278292. Professional Development Collection. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
Zych, Izabela, Rosario Ortega-Ruiz, and Rosario Del Rey. "Scientific Research On Bullying And
Cyberbullying: Where Have We Been And Where Are We Going." Aggression & Violent
Behavior 24.(2015): 188-198. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.