Bullying: The “It Gets Better” Project

 

Most efforts to combat bullying have focused on pushing parents, teachers, and administrators to create an environment in which bullying isn’t tolerated. But for a tormented student, the immediate challenge is how to survive. As a recent spate of suicides by bullied gay teenagers indicates, victims need some reason for hope.

Syndicated advice columnist Dan Savage is filling that void. He and his husband shot a video that contrasts the abuse they suffered as teens with the happiness of their lives now. They offer a simple message: “It gets better.’’ While the video has resonance for any student who’s been singled out for any reason, it’s targeted in particular toward gay teens, who may have few peers or adults willing to stand up for them.

While Savage’s column is bawdy, his video is heartfelt. And his message is clearly resonating. Hundreds of others — mostly regular people, but also a few gay celebrities — have filmed videos recalling how they were bullied, and how their lives improved immeasurably as they grew older. The awkward, beleaguered teen in a silk jacket is now a biologist doing research in South Africa. Another young man is still bitter about his upbringing in rural Texas, but has learned multiple languages and traveled to China. Many of these videos are now collected at www.itgetsbetterproject.com .

Gay students aren’t the only bullying victims, of course, and people who are bullied for other reasons also deserve reassurance. The tragedy of bullying-related suicides isn’t just that teenagers can be so cruel to one another, but also that just a little more perspective might have persuaded the victims to persevere. High school is short. Life is long, or at least it should be.

-From “Bullying: Giving some Savage reassurance”, Globe Editorial, The Boston Globe, October 18, 2010, http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2010/10/18/bullying_giving_some_savage_reassurance/, retrieved 10/18/10.

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