Make Everybody Feel Like Somebody

O n Thursday, August 11, 2016, Daniel Fitzpatrick, age 13, died by suicide in his home on Staten Island. He left behind a long message describing bullying at his school and his frustration with the adults whose help he sought.

We may not know Danny and never meet his family. We may not know the school or the other children involved and so will not know what happened with any certainty except that a child’s life ended far too early and that his pain was great.

We do know that death by suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth age 10-24 .

We also know that young people who are targets of bullying and those who exhibit bullying behavior are both more likely to contemplate or attempt suicide .

As the 2016-2017 school year begins for more than 50 million students in the United States alone, each and every one of us has a responsibility to take action in the face of bullying and at the very first signs that a young person is considering suicide. Please make a plan for how you will deal with such situations – check your school’s policies and resources, talk about what to do with your school’s counselors and other experts, build your relationship skills with each student, know that your actions make a difference, and make everybody feel like a somebody.

Operation Respect's  Don’t Laugh at Me resources can help you create a ridicule free zone in your classroom and school and so can those of so many of the organizations we list on our resources page .

We can all make a difference by living love, teaching peace, and fighting unfairness wherever it occurs.

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