PBS This Emotional Life clip (cyberbullying)

A tribute to Jeff Johnston (R.I.P.) who committed suicide at 15 after relentless bullying
by JUJU CHANG, LINDA OWENS and JONANN BRADY. More info on http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/

Debbie Johnston accomplished her emotional three-year mission this week when the Florida
legislature passed a tough anti-bullying law named in honor of her son, who committed suicide
in 2005.
The Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act requires schools in the state to adopt
policies to discourage bullying in person and online or risk losing state funding. Florida Gov.
Charlie Crist is expected to sign the bill into law today.
Jeff Johnston grew up a well-liked, straight-A student, who seemed to have a bright future.
But after enduring two years of taunts and Internet attacks, Jeff took his own life at 15.
"I just remember screaming just, 'No,' over and over again," Debbie Johnston said.
Other kids soon came forward detailing the relentless bullying Jeff faced. Johnston said her
son felt he couldn't escape it.
"He said, 'Mom, where can I go? Everybody knows. There's no place I can hide,'" she said.
Johnston said Jeff reported the bullying to school officials, and told them that Robert
Roemmick was his primary tormenter.
Roemmick admits that he called Jeff names over the Internet, which spread through to other
students.
"We would write, 'Oh, look what Jeff did today. How weird is he? He is creepy, he is a
stalker,'" Roemmick told ABC News.
Roemmick said he apologized to Debbie Johnston over the phone, but despite Jeff's suicide, he
still justifies his behavior.
"I said I was sorry for her loss, but even in his passing, I'm not sorry for why I said it,"
Roemmick said.
According to statistics from the Department of Justice, 77 percent of middle school students
say they have been bullied or threatened by other kids.
While 35 states encourage schools to spell out anti-bullying policies, Florida is only the second
state to penalize schools that don't comply. Under the law, Florida schools will also have to
follow up on reports of bullying by contacting the parents of all students involved, including
the bullies.
David Tirella, an attorney who campaigned for the Jeff Johnston bill, said threatening to hold
back funds from schools was a final resort.
"We tried reason, we tired logic, we tried morality, we tried legality to take care of these
students and it didn't work," Tirella told ABC News. "So you know what we're trying now? The
pocketbook."
Debbie Johnston, the grieving mother turned crusader, is determined to make her son's legacy
a positive one.
"We're gonna change the world," she said. "We're gonna prove to my little brown-eyed baby
boy that one person can make a difference."

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Jeff Johnston
• suicide
• bully
• cyberbullying
• pbs
• emotional life

[qwexas]

Where are the parents of the bullies? I keep hearing that parents should protect their kids, to help them be safe online, but I don't hear anyone saying parents should make sure their own kids are not the bullies. I've seen lists of signs that your kid is a victim, but not signs that your kid is a bully. Somebody needs to say this, as unpleasant as it may be: parents, your children are not angels.

[CammehYaBams]

A bully simply won't back down if a teacher just tells them that bullying is wrong for a number of reasons. Kids need to stand up to their bullies. If you're getting bullied, and you beat the shit out of them, there's no way they'll fuck with you in the future. You need to show the bully that if they do what they do, there's harsh consequences. If you just dabble around with moral shit they won't change their ways.

[MrBartolo423]

I hope he is in a better place,is amazing this bad things keep happining 20 years ago i was bully by other students/gang members i soon learn that what does not kill u it only makes you stronger so i did fought back like a animal i gave all i got to the point that is all i did,never mind my future,i have to say that after a year i notice they fear me , they call me animal but what the fuck.i learn to fight like a animal in school so i lost.no matter what,SO FIND HELP.FIGHT SMART

[sjm8890]

@left4starcraft Thank you for explaining what a troll is. And I am a legit psychiatrist. If you want I have a lot of proof that I am who I say I am.

[left4starcraft]

@sjm8890 Look I totally realize that you are trying to draw a reaction from me because that's what trolls do, I know you don't actually mean these things but feel that projecting them over the internet doesn't really mean you actually support them, it doesn't mean anything because the anonimity the internet provides protects you from having to take ownership of what you say and thus you can do whatever you want without any repercusions whatsoever, so there isn't even a point in replying

[sjm8890]

@left4starcraft You do realize you are talking to a man. Men don't care about feelings or emotions. The only thing a man feels is happy, pissed off, hungry, tired, or horny. That is it.

[left4starcraft]

@sjm8890 Then you either do not care about the feelings of others or do not realize that you are hurting those feelings either way I suggest you find some help

[sjm8890]

@left4starcraft True I am a cyber bully and I am proud of it.

[left4starcraft]

@sjm8890 you threw a personal attack at him and he defended himself I don't call that hypocrisy I call that defending yourself against someone who is acting a lot like a cyber bully.

[40AcreMule]

One of my bullies in high school has ended up being in and out of jail his entire life, usually over things like public drunkenness. Now in his 50's, he was recently arrested for urinating in public. What goes around comes around.