When I went to Coweta schools, I was subjected to bullying almost every day of my freshman year. Teachers and pricipals were told, nothing was ever resolved. I ended up dropping out in March that year and went to Shadow Mountain due to all the issues I was dealing with. I went back the following school year but was placed in alternative school to make up for missing credits. If it wasn't for the alternative program then I would have never went back to school. I am not trying to bash Coweta Schools, I am just stating they may have policies against bullying, but they are not enforced.

I thought the coverage after judge judy the day the young man commited suicide was just horrible. I felt bad because of the tiny little memorial the camera showed, and then the interview with the classmate made me mad.....she described him as "weird" and didn't fit in with the "normal" kids. Thats exactly what causes the problems for these poor kids....and i think it was in poor taste to air that interview from that girl, who is probably one of the people in the school that made him feel bad enough about himself to do such a horrible thing....my heart goes out to his family and his "true" friends not the ones wanting in front of the camera

Some resources: The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to HighSchool--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle by Barbara Coloroso (Updated Edition) [Paperback] http://www.amazon.com/Bully-Bullied-Bystander-Preschool-HighSchool-How/dp/0061744603 http://www.stopbullying.gov/ http://www.ncpc.org/topics/bullying (National Crime Prevention Council website) http://www.stopbullyingnow.com/index.htm

The kids that resort to bullying need as much help as the victims of bullying. Bullies who do not learn better ways of relating to others grow up to be maladjusted in adulthood, unable to deal with others in socially acceptable ways. They become the boss who bullies, the man or woman who beats or verbally abuses their spouse on a regular basis, a person who often ends up in prison. We all need to keep our eyes open to signs of bullying in our schools, in our communities, in our workplaces, and in our families, and put a stop to it immediately. Zero tolerance--not just in words, but in our actions and our example. The number one priority of schools is to keep the kids within the schools safe while they are there. Education is secondary to that. Administrators, teachers, and staff all need to be as informed and educated about the subject of bullying and what steps can be taken proactively to teach kids how to behave appropriately, what is not acceptable, and how to report problems. Explain the very real consequences that will befall those who bully others and then follow through each time. Find ways to not only punish and hold accountable those who bully others but help those children who bully learn more appropriate ways to interact with others, so that they can lead better lives, too.

The best way to handle a problem with your child being bullied at school is to document everything, report it in writing to the school principal and send a copy certified mail to both the principal and the district school superintendent (and possibly the state school superintendent's office, if you suspect inaction from the local district). CALL THE POLICE AND REPORT THE HARRASSMENT! Do this in conjunction of working with the school officials. Police are required to investigate and will prosecute if they can determine if there is evidence of crimes of harrassment, whether done in writing in person or on the computer, or physical threats or abuse. It's against the law for adults to be treated this way and we wouldn't put up with it. Why should our kids have to. To the folks who want to blame the victims, the kids who are maladjusted here are the ones who think it is acceptable to write notes like the one included in this article and use bullying as a sport to make others' lives miserable. Read more about the incident from 2011 involving teen Jamey Rodemeyer of Williamsville, who committed suicide after years of being bullied--it became a national story, with much written about the issue of bullying. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/jamey-rodemeyer-suicide-ny-police-open-criminal-investigation/story?id=14580832

I am from Talladega, Alabama and am not sure which school in Coweta my nephew goes to but he was the victim of a bully in the system. The response from administrators was claiming it was a mutual fight which it was not because my nephew was sitting quietly and doing his work when it happened. The student who hit my nephew had announced right before that he wanted to stay away from school because it was boring. My sister had to file assault charges on the student. Where is the school counselors that we pay with our tax dollars and telling my sister that it was boys being a bunch of knuckleheads? Where is the accountability for administrators? Something needs to be done because clearly the Coweta school system doesn't get it.

There are no support groups in the area for gay or lesbian youth, and Coweta has stalled out on building recreation facilities like basketball courts, a swimming pool, or boys and girls club for years. There is old Coweta, established familes who have lived in Coweta for years;new Coweta with families seeking small town ambiance and affordable housing----and the two bring different values to the community. But mutual tolerance is not necessarily in the package. The school system lacked even the grace to close down for a day of mourning and respect. I am terribly sorry for the family here, middle school is a tough transition to the world outside, and full of angst. The teachers and staff including the coaches must have seen the boy was having problems with his peer group----why did no one reach out, someone should have seen him drowning and thrown a rope.