The 2010 suicide of a New Jersey college student whose intimate encounter with another man was broadcast on the Internet by two other students cast a spotlight on the problem of bullying and its often brutal consequences. Religious groups condemn hateful behavior like bullying but can differ on the solutions.
Some religious leaders and experts warn that religious rhetoric against homosexuality can feed anti-gay bullying, while others caution that including sexual orientation in laws against bullying could open the door to anti-discrimination statutes that would impinge religious freedom or advance gay rights that some religious groups oppose.
Anti-gay bullying is only part of the problem. 77% of students in the U.S. report being bullied. The number rises to 90% among LGBT students. People who are bullied are nine times more likely to attempt suicide.
Cyberbullying has become an increasingly prominent problem–in 2013, 1 out of 6 high school students is likely to experience cyberbullying. Bullying is rampant in American society. It occurs for a variety of reasons and in through a variety of methods. This source guide provides journalists with resources for reporting on the problem.
Developments
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“Cyberbullying Rampant Among High School Students: Nearly One-Third of Youths Also Report Playing Video/Computer Games for More Than 3 Hours a Day”
Read a May 5, 2013, article from Science Daily about the increase in the amount of time American youths spend online, and the consequent rise of cyberbullying. The article reports that nearly 1 in 6 high school students experiences cyberbullying, and that the majority of its victims are white and female.
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“Government plans to try again on anti-bullying effort”
Read a June 9, 2013, Associated Press article about the Iowa state government’s efforts to crack down on cyberbullying. Gov. Terry Branstad introduced a bill designed to give schools authority over bullying that occurs over social media.
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“When bullying goes high-tech”
Read an April 15, 2013, article from CNN the rise of cyberbullying over social media.
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“Rutgers’ Tyler Clementi 4th Gay Teen Suicide In September”
The death of the Rutgers University student, Tyler Clementi, in 2010 was one of several suicides in the space of a month chalked up to anti-gay bullying. Read a Sept. 30, 2010, about the suicides, posted on OpposingViews.com
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“Tyler Clementi Suicide Puts Bullying In Spotlight”
Minnesota Public Radio reported that seven teenagers in one of Minnesota’s largest school districts killed themselves during the previous year and that bullying or cyberbullying may have played a part in the deaths.
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“PFLAG National and GLSEN Launch Claim Your Rights Campaign”
A campaign called Claim Your Rights was launched in September 2010 by Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, commonly called PFLAG, and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN (pronounced glisten). The campaign encourages LGBT students and allies to report incidents of bullying or harassment to the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Education.
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“The Myths About Bullying: Secretary Arne Duncan’s Remarks at the Bullying Prevention Summit”
In August 2010, the federal government held what was billed as the first-ever bullying prevention summit. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called bullying a moral issue as well as a threat to students’ education and safety. Read Duncan’s comments posted at Ed.gov.
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“The Problem With Politicized Bullying Policies”
Focus on the Family recently launched True Tolerance, which aims to give Christians resources for responding to “homosexual advocacy” in schools. See a report on True Tolerance.
Resources and background
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CDC: Bullying
Nearly a third of students in the sixth to 10th grades said in 2008 that they had either bullied students or been bullied, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and after physical appearance, homosexuality is considered the prime factor in bullying.
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Bully Police USA
Forty-nine states have anti-bullying laws, according to Bully Police USA, a watchdog organization composed of parents.
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BullyingNoWay.com
BullyingNoWay.com is an Australian website that has resources on combating bullying.
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American Psychological Association: Bullying
The American Psychological Association offers a resource page on bullying. It includes a definition of bullying and an archive of articles and books on the subject.
Articles, blog posts, media
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“One in four children bullied because of religion”
A Nov. 17, 2008, report from the Britain-based website Ekklesia notes that one in four young people from across all religions have been bullied because of their religious beliefs.
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“Church of England to Act Against Anti-Gay Bullying”
Read a July 5, 2013, article from the Associated Press about the Church of England’s effort to end anti-gay bullying in its schools.
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“Targeting anti-gay bullying”
Read a June 16, 2013, article from the Los Angeles Times about a No Child Left Behind revision intended to protect students from anti-gay bullying.
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“When anti-gay bullying and free speech collide”
Read a June 11, 2013, article from the Los Angeles Times about legislative efforts to protect students from anti-gay bullying and the resulting conservative backlash.
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“Sikh Woman Balpreet Kaur Turns Cyber Bullying Incident into Inspiration”
Read a Sept. 27, 2012, article from Yahoo! about a Sikh woman who was cyber-bullied at her university on the basis of her religion.
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“Between the Boy and the Bridge — A Haunting Question”
Read an Oct. 4, 2010 column by the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, R. Albert Mohler in which Mohler reiterates support for the Christian position against gay rights but strongly questions the harsh approach of many Christians to gay people.
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“You Should Be Alive To See It”
Read an Oct. 1, 2010, entry on the Reconciling Ministries Network blog suggesting that an anti-gay climate in society creates bullies and is fueled by church policies that call homosexuality incompatible with Christian values. It’s written by the Rev. Troy Plummer, executive director of the network, which mobilizes United Methodists to transform their church and the world “into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love.”
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“It’s Time to End Teenage Bullying”
See Ellen DeGeneres’ Sept. 30, 2010, response to Tyler Clementi’s suicide.
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“When hatred is lethal”
Pamela Taylor, a Muslim columnist for The Washington Post’s On Faith blog, discusses the 2010 suicides and bullying in this Sept. 30, 2010, post.
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“Death of California youth puts focus on rise in antigay bullying”
This Sept. 29, 2010, article in The Christian Science Monitor includes information about the recent spike in youth suicides linked to bullying.
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“Focus on the Family Stands Up for Bullying”
Read a Sept. 8, 2010, Huffington Post column by U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, criticizing Focus on the Family for opposing a bill he introduced that would combat bullying.
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“Focus on Family says anti-bullying efforts in schools push gay agenda”
Read an Aug. 29, 2010, Denver Post article about Focus on the Family’s objection to anti-bullying programs that it says promote homosexuality and portray conservative Christians as bigoted.
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“Christians: ‘Day of Silence’ Promotes Gay Rights”
See an April 16, 2010, article on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s site about some Christians’ concerns that efforts to highlight harassment of LGBT students, such as the “Day of Silence” observed at some schools, are essentially attempts to promote gay rights.
Related source guides
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Religions and LGBT youth: A lost generation?
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Public schools wrestle with sexual orientation issues
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Gay rights and religious rites: The state of the debate