Jared’s Story
Jared High was 12 years
old when older students bullied him in his middle school. The bullying
came to a head when a well-known bully assaulted Jared inside his middle
school gym. Because of the bullying and the assault, Jared began
to show signs of depression, which included lack of sleep and emotional
outbursts.
On the morning of September
29, 1998, just six days after his 13th birthday, Jared called his father
at work to say good-bye. While on the phone with him, Jared shot
himself, dying instantly.
As a healing project,
Brenda began to write Jared’s story, which is now published as www.jaredstory.com.
Since 1999, JaredStory.com has attracted over a million visitors looking
for information on bullying, depression, suicide and needing healing from
the loss of a loved one.
Brenda has now become
a passionate crusader, a mom on a mission to stop school bullying and peer-abuse.
It is not uncommon to see Brenda doing email or on the phone talking about
bullying as well as advising parents, students, teachers, state and federal
lawmakers, media and community members about the emotional and physical
dangers of bullying, which can lead to bullycide, (a suicide attributed
to bullying).
Producers and/or writers
from Good Morning America, Dr. Phil Show, The John Walsh Show, The Larry
Elders Show, Video Production Companies, Inside Edition, Jenny Jones Show,
Black Entertainment Television, CNN, ABCnews.com, News Documentaries, and
Newspapers all over the United States, are just some of the media who have
interviewed Brenda for opinions and advice concerning bullying, depression,
suicide and the new tragedy, "Bullycide."
Jared’s story has been
told on the radio, in magazines, including California’s Beach Cities Health
District, Arizona Parenting, The American Association of Suicidology, Desert
Paradise, and in numerous news articles. Brenda has also published
Internet Short Stories about JaredStory.com on several websites.
Brenda is proud to be
the lead writer in a new book, "Bullycide in America: Moms Speak Out
About the Bullying/Suicide Connection."
Brenda has designed
several websites and continues to work on JaredStory.com and BullyPolice.org
in her spare time.
-
http://www.JaredStory.com,
which deals with bullying, depression, suicide and other issues.
JaredStory is very popular with teens who are looking for direction and
advice for living as well as media research, as example, The Dr Phil Show,
who found two quests to talk on bullying and suicide.
-
http://www.BullyPolice.org
- Reports and grades States on their anti bullying laws. Bully Police
USA posts current anti bullying laws, research, news, and support information
for parents and/or anti bullying activists who are dealing with bullying
in schools
-
http://www.TheWoundedChild.org
- Tells the stories of students, parents and survivors of bullying.
-
http://www.Bullycide.org
– A new expose’ book, Bullycide in America: Moms speak out about the
bullying/suicide connection.
-
http://www.HeroesInTheCrowd.html
– Is Brenda’s current book project with Robin Todd. Heroes
in the Crowd is expected to be released in September 2009.
Getting anti bullying
laws
Having been involved
in politics for over 20 years, Brenda leads by example.
Brenda’s specialty is
working to get anti bullying laws passed or revised. She is proud
of contributing to the passage of the Washington State Anti Bullying Law
(www.bullypolice.org/wa_law.html) as well as influencing passage of laws
in Oklahoma, Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah, Virginia and a most special law, “Jared’s Law” in Idaho, named
after her son Jared. She continues to work aggressively for
passage of laws in all 50 states. Brenda is proud of her state Bully
Police volunteers who faithfully do what it takes to get laws passed.
As the Founder and Co-Director
of the national organization, Bully Police USA, Inc., Brenda has written,
“The Perfect Anti Bullying Law,” which is an excellent model for
lawmakers to follow when they write their State anti bullying laws.
She teaches the importance of anti bullying laws and how to lobby, in teleconferences
to educators, media, program directors and parents, many who have children
suffering from bullying.
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