Bullycide
Krzysztof Potempa
Dreamster dedicated to the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders that affect at least 1 in 6 people worldwide!
Last updated: 12 July 2023
The article asks: What is bullycide? How many people are lost to bullycide (i.e., bullying related suicide? What are the consequences of bullycide? How can you prevent bullycide? What will happen if we don't unite against bullying?
What is bullycide?
Bullying and suicide, more commonly called "bullycide," is defined as a death by suicide where bullying is the causative?factor. Bullycide was coined in 2001 by journalist Neil Marr and Tim Field in the book,?Bullycide: Death at Playtime. Bullycide often occurs with children who cannot cope with the chronic abuse of bullying, and seeing no other way to escape it, die by suicide to end the suffering (1). As Neil Marr wrote in 2011, the book blew the lid off the bully-associated child suicide epidemic by reporting the first ever shattering statistics on what had been a secret and fatal schoolyard syndrome that causes terror and death at playtime (2, 3). The authors heartbreaking interviews and case histories in its pages opened the eyes of an indifferent world in denial. The book crammed with useful, encouraging advice from the tirelessly campaigning Tim. It has spawned countless other books, official action, scholarly reports, plays, movies, parent-teacher groups, media campaigns and websites. But has the world really learned since its original publication exactly ten years ago? Are things getting better for embattled kids who see life as a fate worse than death, or are the bullies using new, more covert means to practice their lethal evil? Liz Carnell of Yorkshire Evening Post, writes that it is A horrifying book … shocking … should be required reading for every education authority.
How many people are lost to bullycide (i.e., bullying related suicide?
Bullycide is a major problem. For example, StandForTheSilent.org reports that almost 1 child per hour, 22 children per day, 8000 children per year, for the last 7 years have ended their precious life due to a bully. Thus, 55,000 children that have taken their lives in the last 7 years due to being bullied (4). The first recognised bullycide of Steven Shepherd in the strawberry Fields at Newburgh, Lancashire in 1967 and a list of cases has been compiled here (5)
Brandon Gaille has compiled a list of 49 incredible facts about bullycide. The three that you need to know right now are: 1. CDC statistics show that 14% of high school students have thought about committing suicide at least once and 50% of them have attempted to do it at least once. 2.?More than 160,000 kids choose to stay at home rather than go to school because they are afraid of being bullied. 3.?The highest risks of bullycide occur in the 10-14 age group (6).
Students who are bullied are 2.2 times more likely to have suicide ideation and 2.6 times more likely to attempt suicide than?students not bullied. Girls who experience school bullying at ages 8 and up were at significantly greater risk for suicidal?ideation than boys (1). Bullycide is not limited to school. For example, the 22-year old South Korean triathlete Choi Sook-hyun took her own life after filing many complaints about beatings, verbal abuse+harassment abuse by her coach+doctor (7).
What are the consequences of bullycide?
The CDC states that in addition to the number of people who are injured or die, suicide also affects the health of others and the community. When people die by suicide, their family and friends can experience shock, anger, guilt, and depression. The economic toll of suicide on society is immense as well. Just in the US, suicides and suicide attempts cost the nation almost $70 billion per year in lifetime medical and work-loss costs alone. People who attempt suicide and survive may experience serious injuries, such as broken bones or brain injury. These injuries can have long-term effects on their health. People who survive suicide attempts may also experience depression and other mental health problems. Many other people are impacted by knowing someone who dies or by personally experiencing suicidal thoughts. Additionally, being a survivor or someone with lived experience increases one’s risk of suicide.
How can you prevent bullycide?
Silence is a bully's best friend, as a boy of 16 described his bullying as ‘the breaking down of a person’ (8). This 60 second film illustrates why:
As upstanders (i.e., those who speak up against bullying) can stop bullying within less than a minute 57% of the time, it is time for all of us to consider to Be Someone's Hero:
What will happen if we don't unite against bullying?
An analysis of?47 studies on bullying and suicide among students in K-12 settings from the United States and several other countries (including China, Australia, the U.K. and Finland) found that youth involved in bullying in any capacity – both bullies and victims of bullying – were more likely to think about and attempt suicide than youth who were not involved in bullying. In short, bullying is bad for everyone involved (9).
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How can you support someone who may be suicidal?
The Mental Health Charity recommends the?Watch, Ask, It will pass and Talk to others ‘WAIT’?approach to support another person who may be suicidal. For example, you should watch out for signs of distress and uncharacteristic behavior (e.g. social withdrawal, excessive quietness, irritability, uncharacteristic outburst, talking about death or suicide). Ask “are you having suicidal thoughts?” Asking about suicide does not?encourage it, nor does it lead a person to start thinking about it;?in fact it may help prevent it,?and can start a potentially life-saving conversation. It will pass – assure your loved one that, with help, their suicidal feelings will pass with time. Talk to others – encourage your loved one to seek help from a GP or health professional.
Access a number of helpful resources from WHO. A selection is included below. https://www.who.int/mental_health/resources/suicide/en/
WHO: Preventing suicide: information for emergency responders
WHO - Preventing suicide: information for teachers
WHO: Preventing suicide at work: information for employers, managers
WHO: Preventing suicide: information for health workers
Also this infographic may be helpful https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.j1128
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