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THE case of Amy “Dolly” Everett is a tragic but all too common one. In my 40 years of working with young people, the issue of suicide, bullying, and now cyber-bullying has come up far too often. Young people subjected to any form of bullying can experience significant social isolation and feelings of being unsafe, which can lead to emotional and physical harm, loss of self-esteem, feelings of shame, anxiety and a whole host of other mental health issues.
Unfortunately, Dolly seems to have fallen victim to the most severe effects of bullying. Bullying has always been a part of life, but that should not let us minimise or dismiss the effect it can have on a young person’s mental health as they develop.
Parents need to understand that they are their child’s main advocate and need to take bullying seriously. We need to be aware of any symptoms of bullying in our children, including loss of interest in school and extra-curricular activities; frequent complaints of illness to avoid attending school; lacking a network of friends; appearing sad, moody or depressed; loss of appetite; trouble sleeping; anxiety; or
low self-esteem. As a parent, if you suspect that your child is a bully or is being bullied the first action you should take is to talk to them, ask subtle questions about their day at school and find out if something is concerning them. A parent should never blame the victim and should work with a child’s school to find a solution to the issue rather than acting on their instant emotional response.
I support Dolly’s parents in their efforts to establish a trust to raise awareness of the issue. Everything we can do to shine a light on the darkness surrounding bullying, anxiety, depression and suicide is a positive thing. Hopefully the conversations that this event has sparked will lead to a number of lives being saved.
FATHER CHRIS RILEY,
CEO AND FOUNDER YOUTH OFF THE STREETS
THE Gold Coast is absolutely
STUFFED!
Do you want to know why? Of course you don’t. Well let me tell you anyway!
We are totally stuffed by the abhorrent disease known as “schoolies week”.
Adolescent scum who come to my town and treat it like a toilet for not one week but indeed three weeks of unbridled debauchery.
They urinate in the street, they fight and scream obscenities into the daylight hours.
They bring money to our economy I hear you dorks say. No, they do not!
The only people who make money out of schoolies are accommodation houses, bottle shops and Maccas.
Just a guess, but I bet that I have lived here longer than you have been alive.
Despite what Peter Beattie may say, it has not always been like this, “schoolies” is an invention of the mid to late 80s. CRAIG WILLIAM JAMES WALLACE, WORONGARY DON’T be fooled by Janus-faced North Korea’s sudden snuggling up (forced by Donald Trump’s nononsense approach) to South Korea.
North Korea’s current leader Kim Jong-un is the latest of three generations of despots; and only a year or so ago had his own halfbrother assassinated as he was seen as a threat to his leadership.
In 2000 when the two Koreas last marched as one at an Olympics; desperate famine-stricken rural North Koreans were eating their own, dead of starvation (yes, cannibalism!) relatives and neighbours – merely to stay alive; while the heinously evil (dissenting army officers torn to pieces by wild animals in front of their peers) ruling North Korean regime (aided by Iran, China and Russia) spent billions on developing nuclear (and other awful) weapons which so many North Koreans starved! HOWARD HUTCHINS