Bullycide
Encyclopedia
The term bullycide is a portmanteau word first used in 2001 by Neil Marr and Tim Field
in their book Bullycide: Death at Playtime. It refers to suicide
attributable to the victim having been bullied, either in person or via social media. Bullycide has also been defined as the killing of the bully by the victim. The term has come to prominence during the highly publicised teenage suicides in the USA in the latter part of 2010, but had been used less widely before. The term has also gained notice by way of celebrities including Lady Gaga
and Kim Kardashian
speaking out against it.
In response to the bullying-related deaths in 2010, particularly those related to cyber-bullying, an online event, Spirit Day
, was created in which participants were asked to wear purple as a symbol of respect for the deceased victims of bullying and to signify opposition to the bullying of the LGBT
community.
Legal analysts criticise the term because it links a cause with an effect under someone else's control. Research shows those who are bullied have a higher probability of considering or performing suicide than those who are not. However, there are victims of bullying who do not end up committing suicide, and some of them share their experiences in order to send a positive message to bullying victims that suicide is not the only option.
Tim Field
Tim Field .was a prominent British anti-bullying activist with his main focus relating to workplace bullying....
in their book Bullycide: Death at Playtime. It refers to suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attributable to the victim having been bullied, either in person or via social media. Bullycide has also been defined as the killing of the bully by the victim. The term has come to prominence during the highly publicised teenage suicides in the USA in the latter part of 2010, but had been used less widely before. The term has also gained notice by way of celebrities including Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
and Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian is an American socialite, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for the E! reality series that she shares with her family—Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York...
speaking out against it.
In response to the bullying-related deaths in 2010, particularly those related to cyber-bullying, an online event, Spirit Day
Spirit Day
In early October 2010, Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan promulgated the observance of a new commemoration called Spirit Day, the first observance of which took place on October 20, 2010, in which people wear the color purple to show support for LGBT young people who are victims of bullying...
, was created in which participants were asked to wear purple as a symbol of respect for the deceased victims of bullying and to signify opposition to the bullying of the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community.
Legal analysts criticise the term because it links a cause with an effect under someone else's control. Research shows those who are bullied have a higher probability of considering or performing suicide than those who are not. However, there are victims of bullying who do not end up committing suicide, and some of them share their experiences in order to send a positive message to bullying victims that suicide is not the only option.
See also
- The It Gets Better Project which was formed specifically to address LGBT bullycide topics in October 2010
- Bullying
- Clinical depressionClinical depressionMajor depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
- Suicide of Nicola Ann Raphael
- Eric Harris and Dylan KleboldEric Harris and Dylan KleboldEric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who committed the Columbine High School massacre. They killed 13 people—including teacher Dave Sanders—and injured 24 others, three of whom were injured as they escaped the attack...
- Seung-Hui ChoSeung-Hui ChoSeung-Hui Cho was a senior-level undergraduate student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University who killed 32 people and wounded 17 others on April 16, 2007, in the shooting rampage which came to be known as the "Virginia Tech massacre." Cho later committed suicide after law...