Bullying blamed for school violence

A law agent says those who commit violence in schools often turn out to be the victims of past taunts.

By KATHERINE GAZELLA

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 27, 2000

NORTHDALE -- Taunting left a scar on Carrie Sutcliffe.

Students she had once considered friends said mean things to her or behind her back, day after day. One classmate at Ben Hill Middle School coaxed Sutcliffe into saying mean things about a third person, who heard her remarks by way of three-way calling.

Wondering what would be said next, she became afraid of school. On weekday mornings, she would sit in her house and cry in anticipation.

"I went from being one of the popular girls in school to being really unpopular, in the matter of about five minutes," said Sutcliffe, who, two years later, is a freshman at Gaither High School. "I didn't want to go to school. I actually became afraid of people."

Bullying of this sort should not be taken lightly, said Wayne Porter, a criminal profiler for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who examines the causes of school and workplace violence.

Addressing a safety meeting last week at Gaither High, Porter told parents that students who commit school violence almost always have been bullied by other students.

"The "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me' philosophy just doesn't work," Porter told the St. Petersburg Times. "These words really leave a scar."

Porter also emphasized that students often tell other students there will be a shooting. And they usually document their intentions through journals, notes or drawings.

Teachers and parents need to focus on getting children to respect each other, he said. Without that respect, students will pick on their classmates and could cause permanent damage. "The victims of the bullies don't forget," he said.

Unlike some students Porter has studied, Sutcliffe has regrouped through therapy and support from her parents. Today she has a good group of friends. She even talks to some of the students who once caused her problems, although she is careful about what she says to them.

Sutcliffe was able to recover through introspection and her parents' support. But she didn't always have that support system.

Melanie Sekora, Sutcliffe's mother, said she didn't think the teasing was a big deal at first. But after a while, she realized it was causing physical problems for Sutcliffe, who started developing migraines. She even passed out on the floor because of a bad headache.

Sekora, one of the organizers of school safety events in the county and an active PTA member, wants to make sure other parents notice the warning signs in their children.

"I'm a prime example of an involved mom," she said. "I just didn't get it, and it was because I was raised with, "It's just teasing.' But it's not just teasing."

She worries about what could have happened to her daughter.

"She could have gone off the deep end," she said. "It was terrifying for her."

- Katherine Gazella can be reached at 226-3472 or gazella@sptimes.com.

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