E! Investigates Bullying.

I love to watch E! Investigates. It is a great show where they feature everything from The Curse of the Lottery to Women Who Kill. I think that it is a very interesting show. Each show has a different subject and the show is an hour long and it is something I am always interested in. I actually will look online at my local cable company’s website to see when it is on. I have seen some of the same episodes more than once and I don’t mind watching them again. I am really interested in the ones about murder and mayhem. I wanted to share with you about the newest episode that will air on Wednesday April 21 at 10 pm ET/PT on E! It is about bullying.

Every day, thousands of kids across the country are afraid to go to school thanks to an epidemic of vicious behavior among American teenagers. It is estimated that 20% of children are victims of bullying. These attacks come in the form of physical and verbal abuse, as well as by newer methods of harassment using cell phones and the internet. Once thought to be just harmless teasing, the real-life effects of bullying can include prolonged depression and even suicide. Recently, according to police, a 15-year-old girl in Massachusetts hung herself after being taunted by a group of girls who posted mocking messages on their Facebook pages. This one-hour episode sheds light on several recent stories and the tragic effects that can result from this all-too-common behavior.

By all accounts, Dylan Theno was a happy, well-adjusted boy in a small Kansas community. But when he entered 7th grade, a few of Dylan’s fellow students began making fun of him. For years the cruel taunts and name-calling continued. The Thenos claim they spoke with school officials on numerous occasions to no avail and they ultimately had to make the tough decision to pull Dylan from the classroom. Also in this episode, E! Investigates interviews students, parents and faculty in Calabasas, CA, to learn what really happened when red-haired kids were suddenly singled out and attacked on the infamous “Kick A Ginger Day.” E! Investigates: Bullying explores theories of what may be causing the increasingly cruel nature of these attacks, explains how the advent of hand-held technology has given bullies powerful new weapons, and shows what schools are and aren’t doing to prevent bullying. Finally, warning signs are identified that parents should look for if they suspect their child has become a bullying victim.

I can’t wait to watch it. Bullying is a serious subject that many children have to deal with growing up. No child deserves to be a victim of bullying in person or on the computer. It is such a difficult thing to go through. Sadly sometimes bullying leads to suicide or murder depending on the severity of the case. I was watching another show on E! about the most horrific crimes committed by children and one of them has stuck out since I watched it. This girl named Shanda was being bullied by a few girls in school for some ridiculous reason and the bullies recruited a couple other high school kids to trick her in to going out with them to a concert to meet another “friend”. They ended up torturing her for hours and she ended up ultimately dying after being beaten over and over with a tire iron, being locked in the trunk for hours and the autopsy revealed that the cause of death was inhaling fumes as she was being burned alive. Other children could lash out and seek revenge on their bullies, and hurt many others in the process.

Bullying is not funny; it is not something that is just kids being kids. It is a crime in my opinion. As parents we need to all stand together and talk to our children and make sure we are aware with what is going on with our kids. We need to make sure our kids are not being bullied or bullying someone else. I hope you will all tune on Wednesday April 21, 2010 and watch E! Investigates Bullying at 10 pm ET/PT on E!