Bully Fighters

CABOT, AR -- Every other week when the school day comes to an end, some Cabot High School students come together to prevent bullying. Virginia Hirsch is the leader of Cabot High's Gay Straight Alliance.

"What really catalyzed this was the fact that last year, there were a string of suicides in the news," said Hirsch.

A Little Rock doctor uses an anti-bullying video to show teens are bullied because of their looks, intelligence, and nowadays because of relationships.

"Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender teens are more marginalized than the general population and more likely to be the victims of bullying," said Dr. A.J. Zolten.

Meeting with friends who understand means a lot to Logan Keown.

"Probably the most I have been is called is faggot and that's my least favorite word in the entire world." said Keown.

Starting the club wasn't easy. After getting the school administration's permission to launch, the student body didn't respond very well.

"Once we got the approval, we had to get the word out. So we created a Facebook account, a Twitter account," said Hirsch.

The group also created posters.

"So we hung them around school and the next day they had been torn down," said Hirsch, "So we put more up. The next time we put up about a dozen and again by the next day, they were all torn down."

Now the club is becoming just like any other at Cabot High.

Dr. Zolten says television shows, like Glee, are also helping to encourage school cohesion. Although McKinley High is fictional, the cast of characters with many differences is very much real. Zolten says dealing with teasing is a matter for both student and teacher.

"If you are teacher in the school and you don't know who is dating who and who the cliques are, then I would say you are probably not doing as much of a job as you could to be the gardener of the growing child," said Zolten.

B.J. Brooks is the Cabot High GSA club sponsor.

"This is about anti-bullying, not sexuality. Our kids don't talk about sexuality in the club, they talk about these are the ways I am being treated and what can I do. That's what this club is about," said Brooks.

The strategy is working for Keown.

"I want people to know there is always hope no matter what. No matter if it is you against the world. Even if you don't have any supporters, be a supporter of yourself. That's all you can do. Suicide is never an option," said Keown.


Dr. Zolten advises parents don't make assumptions that everything is going to be alright when it comes to teasing. But do make sure you communicate with your teen that you are there with them until everything is alright.