Wednesday, May 1, 2013
There are several efforts underway in Howard County to combat bullying.
Children and parents in Howard County will soon have access to a desktop or mobile app to report bullying anonymously online as it happens. The California-based company that make Sprigeo.com, the bullying reporting app, has donated it to Howard County so it can be used for free among its residents, according to a county news release. The app is part of a larger program in Howard County to deal with the issue of bullying, which has made headlines after Howard County’s 15-year-old Grace McComas committed suicide on Easter Sunday in 2012 following what the Baltimore Sun called nearly a year of “electronic torment.” Statewide, “Grace’s Law,” scheduled to be signed into law this week by Gov. Martin O’Malley, makes it a misdemeanor to harass …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Grace McComas, 15, was a Glenelg High School sophomore.
A bill known as “Grace’s Law,” inspired by a 15-year-old Howard County teen who committed suicide on Easter Sunday in 2012, would make it a crime to bully someone repeatedly online, according to the Baltimore Sun. McComas’s parents told media outlets that she was harassed online for months before her death. Grace’s suicide resulted in an outcry of condemnation against bullying. Her friends wore blue – Grace’s favorite color – at her funeral, and went on to wear “Blue4Grace” to make visible their stance against bullying. Howard County Republican Allan Kittleman sponsored the Senate version of the bill, which was introduced by Rep. John Cardin, a Baltimore County Democrat. Last week, the Senate approved the bill, which Kittleman called “…
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
"You're not alone in this world," the Baltimore Ravens running back told victims of bullying at a Ray of Light event in Ellicott City.
Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice had his own problems as a kid, which might have made his words at an anti-bullying event especially poignant. In the attendance was the family of Grace McComas, the 15-year-old Glenelg student who took her own life on Easter after constant harassment in school and on social media. Rice was at Howard High School Saturday to speak at Ray of Light, an anti-bullying event organized by Howard County Councilman Calvin Ball after two Howard County students committed suicide this school year. "To think about somebody getting picked on and somebody losing their life–that really struck a nerve in my body, in my soul and eveything that I stand for," Rice told the crowd of more than 300 students, parents…
Monday, May 7, 2012
"You're not alone in this world," the Baltimore Ravens running back told victims of bullying at a Ray of Light event in Ellicott City.
Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice had his own problems as a kid, which might have been what made what he said at an anti-bullying event especially poignant. In the audience was the family of Grace McComas, the 15-year-old Glenelg student who took her own life on Easter after constant harassment in school and on social media. Rice was at Howard High School Saturday to address a Ray of Light anti-bullying event organized by Howard County Councilman Calvin Ball after two Howard County students committed suicide this school year. "To think about somebody getting picked on and somebody losing their life–that really struck a nerve in my body in my soul and eveything that I stand for," Rice told the crowd of more than 300 students, …
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A "freeze mob" on Tuesday at Howard High was one of several events aimed at bringing awareness to the emotionally charged topic.
After Glenelg student Grace McComas, 15, killed herself on Easter Sunday, her friends began a movement called "Blue4Grace" in which they wore blue at her wake to take a stand against bullying. Grace's parents said she was harassed online for months, according to The Baltimore Sun. "Can children not take a minute and realize they’re killing each other over petty things?" wrote one commenter on the Blue4Grace page. Students at Howard High School took more than a minute on Tuesday. Time stood still between second and third periods as they collectively paused during what is called a "freeze mob" while the song "Lean on Me" played. The demonstration is one of several events in Howard County over the next two weeks to combat bullying. “Our …
Christine T.
4:21 pm on Friday, April 12, 2013
Ridiculous. Kids have been killing themselves long before the internet. If that law passes,then it will turn into a huge complicated mess w/a million loopholes. Good luck w/that. Most kids these days bully each other online & I see it everyday. If a child goes that far over simple bullying,then they had serious issues that their parents should've recognized. more ›