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Tonight, Randi Kaye has the shocking story of a Massachusetts 11-year-old boy who committed suicide because his parents say he was bullied at school. Carl Joseph Walker Hoover was a sixth grader, who was a good student. Hoover's mom says other students told her son "you act gay" and "you look gay." She says even one student threatened to kill him. Is bullying out of control in America's schools? Sound off below. And, go ahead and text your question on this story to Anderson. Just text "AC" in the message and add your name, location and question. Then send it to 94553.
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OMG! That is so shocking! I can't believe he did it! That is so sad. I didn't know kids could think thoughts like that, that young. It's really suprising, that kind of thought, by someone so young. It's hard to believe it. It's unusual, and strange.
This bullying story is so shocking to me I think because he is only 11. I mean, I remember being teased when I was that age but like, I could never have contemplated suicide. People have different levels of tolerance I guess and this is truly devastating. When teachers notice that kids are being bullied, I feel that it should be there responsibility to step in and help somehow. Sometimes, all the kids need is someone to talk to.
I'm just sick over this suicide. I don't know what to say. This is all the stuff I went through as a kid. It's really upsetting.
bully students are emulating the male figure in their life!
What a beautiful boy.
The story about this poor little boy has got to be the saddest thing I've heard in a very long time. I just hope that this story is carried by every news network and seen by every parent and schoolteacher in this country.
Anderson and Randi,
In the US, is there some social service, an emergency phone, to listen to people desperate or suicidal?
I was a volunteer in social service of this type. The vast majority of people do not like to talk or hear about death or about suicide. The attachment to life is natural in almost everyone. People want to live and have health. The desire of the death of others or your own death, making with the person act in this way is little or no comprehensible to the vast majority of people. And yet, it is important to know the problem of depression, of despair, and of suicide, to help prevent this tragic situation.
That's really scary...he's my little sister's age...too sad. Where's the social justice in schools?
maybe that school will take their bully problem more seriously. schools just don't understand until it's too late. its sick that this had to happen for the kid to apologize. very sick.
I feel very badly for these poor children. The problem is that many parents are anti-gay so they don't teach their children that being gay is not a negative thing. The parents are just as responsible!
That's so sad about that boy being bullied. I mean that death could have been prevented.
When I was bullied, the school refused to do anything other than suggest to my mother and I that I become friends with them as I was taking it too hard. The problem is, if you try to stand up and fight back (as I did), I was the one who got in trouble, even though the school knew.
My heart goes out to Carl's family.
A lot of people are shocked at the idea of women as sexual molesters. But research in recent decades has shown that it is much more prevalent than previously thought. It is less reported than predation by men. That is changing, however, as awareness grows of just how prevalent molestation is and who the perpetrators are.
excellent story, Randi. We do need to get these kinds of stories out there.
anybody else think the mother is creepy calm about the whole thing?
So sad story! Poor mother!
The pain of losing a son must be immeasurable, especially in such a situation.
OMG! I agree, how could another women do that to a little girl, that is so horrible words cannot describe!
When I heard about this child commit suicide cuz of bullying, my heart sank...bullying has been an issue for many, many years...I think parents need to talk to children about bullying...its soo sad that this child took his life
Erica... its news. no need to apologize for the content!
@David: Even though the pirates are Muslim, I think their main motive is money, not religion. However, I can see how radicals in the religion might see this as an opportunity to broaden their front.
Schools try to live by the label they rarely follow through with their policies when it really should matter
How does this happen a so called pillar of the community who is a role model and murders tis poor girl .
Who can you trust in these roles for your kids ?
It's horrible how a mother could do this to a child.
The funniest part of AC's "teabagging" remark was David Gergen's guffaw in response - love you all.
0 tolerance. enough said.
Anderson,
I'm sad that young man took his own life! It's so sad that in this day and age bullying still exists to the point where a child commits suicide! I thought in my day things were bad...bullying needs to stop and the school has to take responsibility!
I went to a T-Party today in our town. It was well attended. We need to let the government know that we are serious. Go to a T-Party and express yourselves.
@Erica~Thanks for the stories. They do need to be told! Thank YOU! xoxo
Children can be so very cruel to each other. So sad...
There is a problem in this country when it comes to sexual diversity. What this young boy experienced was cruel and heinous, and the outcome of the bullying was unspeakable. However, I have experienced the same thing in my family. My brothers have taunted me because I support gay marriage and gay equality, therefore, they think I am homosexual. We need to improve our support system and educational methods when it comes to homosexuality. Homosexuality is not a crime and we should not treat people as if they committed that crime.
RE: Bullying. I think schools are under such stress that watching out for the emotional well being takes a far third place to trying to survive under budget cuts and trying to avoid being fired if you don't bring your test scores up high enough.
I think many teachers and administrators do ignore taunting. They don't take it seriously enough.
I was teachers' pet all throughout elementary school, and I was bullied a lot because of it. I was bullied until I got into too much trouble with my parents for not defending myself. But it wasn't because I didn't know how to. I was afraid of hurting anyone. And trust me, growing up with six brothers and two sisters, you learn fast how to defend yourself. But I was truly a Polly Anna and very shy. So I always opted for a more peaceful way around things. It never worked. So I fought back, and not only to make the bullies stop bothering me, but to make my parents and my brothers get off my back for not defending myself.
Most schools deny that bullying happens in their classrooms. They say this is the age thing, which colleagues are only kidding; the students can't take seriously the joke in bad taste.
It is really sad to hear that an 8yr old boy take his own life because he was being bullied. what a tragic consequence indeed.
hard to think that this is happening in our society but it does. everyday.
@Gergen – absolutely! We need to work with an alliance when it comes to these pirates. Its not just the US who wants their hostages released. I think its vital and could possibly help relations.
So many stories of children being taken from this world far too soon...Kids can be so cruel. I've never understood what people hope to accomplish by being so mean. I wonder how those students feel now that he has taken his own life.
This story makes me so angry. I hold the parents of the kids who taunted Karl responsible for his death–all of them.
Make no mistake about it, children can be very cruel.
Why didn't his parents move him to another school?
Back when I was in 6th grade, 2 bullies assaulted my best friend while we were in the lunch line. That day they pulled her hair, pinched her and she started to cry– their mistake was allowing me to witness this. I moved my friend behind me and proceeded to beat on both girls. By the time they pulled us apart, both girls were hurt badly enough to need emergency medical attention. I had no injuries.
If the school had properly disciplined them for earlier infractions, then none of this would have happened.
Parents of bullied children _can_ feel as helpless as the bullied children themselves. In the ninth grade, it took the ripping of all my scribblers outside of school hours (and my insistence on going home the day I arrived in class to see the result) for my mother to call the principal (who said nothing could be done) and the vice-principal (who usually only took care of the elementary side of school... but actually got the job done, found out who did it, and had them punished).
My heart goes toCarl Walker-Hoover and his parents. What a sad story.
I did not know that bully was this bad in US school. There is bully in school in Thailand, too, but I have never heard a case of a kid commits suicide because he or she was bullied. I can't imagine how bad and how long he had to endure those terrible teasing that he decided to take his own life. I wonder if the kids who bully him feel anything about this.
Teabagging not the Republican strategey, I thing they're or someone is having tea parties to protest possible increases in taxes. As David Gergen says Anderson, the Republican party is in disarray.
David G. I feel the President is getting his point and arguements through more successfully. The house on a rock reference is a very good one.
Isabel, I feel the fact that banks Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, big banks are reporting and looking forward to profits, as well as Goldman Sachs, and durable goods orders being up are strong positive indicators. Money returning to the capital markets is of course a good sign, I feel the potential is there for it to keep moving
@ David Gergen Why do these ships keep going through these waters The president needs to use force to control their attacks .Muslims can not be reasoned with they do need alliances to join against them.
Cristy and Stacey, I understand why you said that...but if you think about it, when you are eleven your entire world is school and home. If such a large percentage of his world was hell, it doesn't really seem as extreme when you think about how he reacted to that. I was bullied when I was a little girl and I remember.
The story of the killing of this little 8 year old girl just makes me sick...it's almost unimaginable that a mother could do this to her daughter's friend...or any child for that matter.
Please don't call her the Sunday School killer - as a Sunday School teacher, I am deeply offended.
The pork story was silly. The government needs to spend money on smart planning. Sometimes a road to nowhere is part of a redevelopment plan. Planning for growth. 200 million for tattoo removal is less than 1% of the total dollars spent. Also the partisan breakdown doesn't mention that the average R earmark is 10.7 million per member and for Ds is 11.3 million. SO it's not like the Republicans are all that more restrained in their earmarks even though they are in a clear minority.
Video games dont cause violence! Lack of education and parenting leads to things like that.... at a certain age we all now right from wrong and want to blame anything and everything else for the wrongs
Goodd evening all,why aren't their any patrol of these waters where there has been reports of these pirate attacks ?
YES YES YES!!! Susan Boyle on the shot of the day! My hero! To me Susan represents the hope of millions (espcially of those who are, ahem, older).
Kids will bully someone they think is weak, i think the parents should've been more involved and questioned if something was going on at school. Its so sad that many youths are taking their own lives...suicide is not the answer, it leaves family and friends with unanswered questions.