Bullying

The increase of suicides in this country related to bullying in this past year has pulled at the heartstrings of the people in this country, including mine. Most recently, a freshman at Rutgers, committed suicide after being bullied and humiliated for his sexual orientation. This has caused uproar in the community and forced everyone to look at the issue of bullying and how we can stop it.

According to a survey published in the New York Times in October, one in five college students who identify themselves as “gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender” reported harassment due to their sexual identification. Unfortunately, nursing schools are not protected from this number.

Many colleges now have student-led groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. Does your nursing school have one established?

Do not let bullying happen to you, or someone you know. Even if you think you are strong enough to handle it on your own - please seek help. The purpose of harassment is to tear someone down until they break. Be sure to have resources in place to know how to prevent, stop, and recover from bullying before another tragic incident happens again. I would encourage you to find out about the various groups and organizations available at your nursing school, stay aware and offer your support.

For more information please see the many resources on “Speaking OUT Against Bullying” at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/glbtrt/popularresources/bullying.cfm