I agree! If the anti-bullying policy is not specific about Gay people, it’s not effective.

My heart goes out to his family!

Van in San Diego

I’ve yet to hear them object to specifically teaching not to bully based on race or gender or religion. Their desire to avoid specifics only seems to arise when gay folks are added to the list.

My perspective is this: you seek to cure the problem you have. If there is bullying directed towards kids with big ears, you name it and address it.

And it is abundantly clear that most schools in American have a problem with anti-gay bullying. I can only assume that those who don’t address it have no desire to cure it.

His parents have lost a point of beauty in their lives, I agree.

I’m unsure of the sentiment to express, but I guess I’m glad that the death wasn’t by his own hand.

But I do think it’s worth noting, and remembering, that the misery of bullying was apparently so present in his life that his associates immediately believed that he’d killed himself because of it.

They knew of it, and that is what came first to mind when he died. That’s important.

There’s nothing stopping us from doing that and pointing out some of the specific categories that includes.

John said “Children, even at a young age, understand the Golden Rule. It’s no more complicated than that.”.

What you’re ignoring John is that non-specific bullying policies have been tried in many places and have repeatedly been shown to fail to stop LGBT bullying. It just doesn’t work to say “ALL bullying is prohibited”.

John said “Also, anti-bullying policies are aimed at more than just the students–they also provide guidance for school staff, parents, and the community at large.”.

Yes, and once again, in schools with non-specific anti-bullying policies school staff have frequently been known to look the other way when anti-gay bullying went on. By failing to include sexual orientation and gender expression in anti-bullying policies people don’t get the message that its not wrong to be LGBT and when they think its wrong to be LGBT they often allow bullying of such students.

I read that too. “Good” from the point of view of it not being due to bullying, but my heart still goes out to his parents. They’ve lost a beautiful boy, and no parent should suffer that, not even the worst of people.

I’m sorry, but to me that sounds like the TSA–chasing the last threat. We need to teach children that *all* bullying is wrong, no matter what perceived characteristic motivated it in the first place. Children, even at a young age, understand the Golden Rule. It’s no more complicated than that.

Also, anti-bullying policies are aimed at more than just the students–they also provide guidance for school staff, parents, and the community at large. Tim’s general contention here seems to be that omission equals permission; if you agree with that, then what’s needed is a blanket prohibition against all bullying.

The kid’s dad now says the death was not a suicide. An autopsy reveals an enlarged heart and attributes death to coronary edema.

No alcohol or drugs are apparently involved.

No. Anoka is a suburb of Minneapolis / St. Paul. Alexandria is about half way to Fargo.

Van in San Diego