Parent Of Suicidal Student Says CPS Isn't Doing Enough To Stop Bullying
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A seventh grader bullied so badly, she thought about suicide.
Her mother said CPS isn't taking her cries for help seriously. CBS 2 Morning Insider Lauren Victory brought you the heartbreaking case Tuesday, and now digs into what could be the problem.
"Dear diary, today I just want to die."
It happens everywhere.
"My days isn't good for me at all because of the negativity."
Teasing. Taunting. And...
"A boy kept kicking me and hitting me."
And touching. But bullying got so bad for this anonymous Chicago public school student, the 7th grader almost couldn't take it.
"I want my life to be over with," said the student.
RELATED: 'Dear Diary, Today I Just Want To Die': CPS 7th Grader Bullied By Peers
Clinical psychologist Sheela Raja said anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts are common in these cases.
"Bullying can have very profound psychological effects," said Raja.
Sad and scary, when you consider a nationwide survey by the nonprofit YouthTruth: A third of students report being bullied last school year. It's even higher, nearly 40%, when just talking about kids in middle school. Raja said administrators need to think about early education for bullies. To start at the lower grade levels.
"Give kids opportunities to learn and to grow and to change. Restorative justice-types of opportunities and then as they get older, they know what the rules are and they need to abide by those." " Raja said.
CBS 2 specifically asked Chicago Public Schools if its anti-bullying protocols differ from middle school to high school and CBS 2 got a blanket answer back. That CPS is committed to a welcoming and safe learning environment.
The phrase, almost word for word the one CPS provided in the case of Jamari Black. A suicide attempt because of bullying left the 11-year-old breathing through a tube. His mother is now suing the district.
"We really need a bigger culture change. It can't just be on the schools to prevent bullying. It has to be in every household. We need to be talking about how we need to treat people with respect," Raja said.
A look at the Chicago Public Schools anti-bullying policies shows effective disciplinary practices in bold type under the section called preventive bullying. But there were no specific instructions listed there.
