8/18/2019 A Teenager Commits Suicide Because He or She Was
Repeatedly Bullied at School
1/3
A teenager commits suicide because he or she was repeatedly
bullied at
school. The phenomenon is frequent enough to have its own
word:
“bullycide”, or suicide attributable to bullying (see ullycide:
death at
playtime by !eil "arr and Tim #ield, $%fordshire: &uccess
'nlimited, ))*+.
According to a recent study, - of American students aged between
*
and * reported they were bullied at school during the ))))/
schoolyear (see “&tudent 0eports of ullying and 1yberullying”
by 2ill 3e4oe and
1hristina "urphy, )**+.
3emonstrations of violence (that is the application of a
coercive force 5not
e%clusively physical5 on an unwilling sub6ect+ are entangled in
a comple% of
violent causes and violent e7ects. The sub6ect of a violent act
is li8ely to
become in turn an agent of violence. 9m not saying that all
victims of
violence become violent abusers. 9m saying that a person who is
the victim
of a violent act is li8ely to produce violence e7ects all around
her. The
suicide of ones own child represents a violent e%perience for
all the
members of the family. The community where it happens will be
sha8en as
well. 9n some cases the bully or bullies will in turn be
sub6ected to verbal or
physical abuse (in a classical but regrettable reaction of
retaliation or
scapegoating+.
4iolence is a force that spreads easily in a social organi;ation
if it is not
promptly dealt with. That is precisely why, in order for us to
live togetherharmoniously, a variety of apparatus such a social
contracts, police forces
and disciplinary institutions (among others+ are needed. Those
apparatus
aim at restricting violence. 9deally, the only entity authori;ed
to ma8e use of
violence (to act in a violent way+ is the state. That is how "a%
? (“@olitics as a 4ocation” in
The 4ocation ectures by "a%
8/18/2019 A Teenager Commits Suicide Because He or She Was
Repeatedly Bullied at School
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underlines the e%plosive potential associated in general with a
state of total
powerlessness.
='@3ATG L 3ecember *C, )**? $n 3ecember *D, )**, #aceboo8
unveiled
a new tool designed at preventing suicide. 9t allows users to
“Mag” behavior
they perceived as suicidal. #rom 0euters:
#riends are able to report suicidal behavior by clic8ing a
report option ne%t
to any piece of content on the site and choosing suicidal
content under the
harmful behavior option, #aceboo8 spo8esman #rederic
