PEABODY, Mass. — Thousands of people have signed an online petition, hoping the death of 14-year-old Jason Bernard will spark some serious changes in Peabody schools.
"It’s sad that it took this because he should still be here," said Jamie Tagliamonte, the creator of the petition.
Parents like her are looking for ways to take action following Bernard’s death.
The petition is pushing state leaders to pass better anti-bullying legislation.
In just 24 hours, the petition has nearly 3,000 signatures.
“I feel the more parents can band together, rather than start accusing, we’ll actually be able to get somewhere and make some changes where kids are held accountable,” Tagliamonte said.
The petition calls for mandatory anti-bullying education in schools along with required intervention training for teachers and staff.
“I feel like if one city takes a stand and makes the changes, then maybe the rest will follow suit,” said Tagliamonte.
Mass General Child Psychologist Dr. Ellen Braaten says the topics of bullying and suicide may be tough to talk about with kids, but it’s an important discussion to have. Especially after the death of one of their peer.
“As tragic as this conversation is, it’s a really good opportunity to talk about bullying,” Dr. Braaten said. “A good way into it is to just ask your child, ‘What do you know about this?’, ‘What do you think?’, to listen to them more than you tell them about how your feeling.”
Dr. Braaten says as parent, look for any signs that may indicate your child is getting bullied.
“You want to be aware of hearing things like, ‘You know, I don’t want to go to school, I don’t like these kids,’” she said.
Making sure your child knows who to talk to if they are a victim and to recognize if their child is a bully is of paramount importance for parents.
"This is kids learning about how to handle their aggression and about what to do when someone’s aggressive to them," she said. “It’s a time to be able to teach them these skills – and we’re very afraid of this topic because sometimes it does end in really tragic consequences."
Dr. Braaten also says all children should learn to speak up if they witness bullying, even if they’re not the victim.
She says these are tough conversations to have but the more you talk about it, the more tragic situations can be prevented.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a network of local crisis centers that are available 24/7 to provide support for youth and adults who are in any kind of emotional crisis. Using the 988 Lifeline is free and confidential.
To contact the Lifeline, call or text 988.
More information can be found here.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the Bernard family in lieu of the tragedy.
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