Jamie Hubley, Ottawa Teen Suicide: Bullying Was A Factor, Says Father

OTTAWA - An Ottawa city councillor says bullying was part of the reason his 15-year-old son took his own life last Friday.

Coun. Allan Hubley says in a statement that his son Jamie had been suffering with depression and was receiving care from doctors and counsellors.

Hubley says these professionals, along with family and friends, were trying to help him cope with his depression and his sexuality.

Hubley says his son was a championship figure skater for years and was just beginning to excel as a singer and enjoyed acting.

Hubley also says James was bullied.

He says the family was aware of several occasions where he was treated cruelly simply because he liked figure skating over hockey.

James recently tried to start a Rainbow Club at his high school to promote acceptance of others, Hubley said.

"The posters were torn down and he was called vicious names in the hallways and online," he said.
"We will not say that the bullying was the only reason for James's decision to take his own life but it was definitely a factor," Hubley said.
Hubley said the school has promised to ensure the posters are protected.
"We hope from our tragedy others will become more active in stopping this cruelty towards children," he said.

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So I just don't really know what to comment on. Bullying is a huge problem and I have a feeling that assuming this is true the kids who bullied this kid should go to jail for murder. I mean I'm on the fence on bullying issues. Stories like this just hurt my heart but I've always been a huge fan of the "sticks and stones" motto. Words never phased me. I guess I'm one of the few though.

What do you think ATS?

Do parents not teach their kids to stick up for themselves. We've been trying the whole "non violent" approach for how long and look where that has landed us.

Originally posted by Fitch303
Do parents not teach their kids to stick up for themselves. We've been trying the whole "non violent" approach for how long and look where that has landed us.

I agree its time for the non violence to end,you go tell on a bully it will get worse...but if you beat the living brown-stuff out them infront of the other idiots who think they are cool then you take them down a notch,let them know they arent as hard as they think!

There is not a chance that I would ever support criminalizing children, teens or young adults for bullying. That is just NWO fascism. And any policitian who attempts any draconian punitive things on this country will be face and taken out of office, and finding ways to actually penalize fasicsts by separating them from their pensions would be nice as well.

The laws we have are already too many, too strict and instead we need lots of equalizing, good counseling, good housing, good care for every citizens, no one falling between tracks of life. Every conceivalbe positive helpful healing service available, everything done with love, joy and encouraging goodness in all children in school, and mindful of how they live at home.

In short we need a wonderful world that can stop the ones who are bullies from turning out this way as well.

For I know who does, its children who have their self esteem ripped apart, often by being abused and bullied, some have bad role models in their lives and have been treated harshly, and also in and out of foster homes for parents with drug issues, poor low income housing, when we never ever have to live this way.

All those who have created this inequality, pyramid system and overstress families and children are responsible. The politicians are responsible. The corporate machine and bankers and bildenburg set is responsible. And people who support this terrible world we live in.

instead of thinking punitive, think of spreading joy, help, equality. Try to find those kids that need to lifted out of bad situations, need to be heard and listened to. Be a positive solution, not a judgmental punisher of the ones already broken with too much suffering.

We're the ones who aren't making this world equal, caring and heaven and allowing the interest of the top 5% to make this world hell for so many.

Bullying happens everywhere. Like most kids growing up I was bullied to some extent and I bullied others to some extent.

It's a phase that most people go through and grow out of. They learn to see the value in others and importantly, to see the value in themselves, which makes the act of asserting oneself, through bullying, unnecessary.

This is a problem, in some cases that can only be solved through assertiveness training. The bullied person has to learn that the value judgements of others, their approval, is irrelevant to his or her own sense of worth.

The bullied person should be made to realize that the bully actually feels worse about him or herself than the person they are attempting to bully. They are attempting to downgrade the victim in order to upgrade themselves.

Bullies are weak psychologically and they are usually cowardly. If a bully believes that you are a danger to him physically, he won't go near you. He will actually attempt to befriend you. He will suck up to you to shore himself up.

Bullies are psychic and emotional vampires. They have to take their strength from others.

Oddly enough, both bullies and victims are more alike than they are different. They are both weak psychologically. They both need assertiveness training.

They both need to cultivate their sense of self worth. They both need to learn that self worth comes from within and not from people around one.

Bullies need to assert themselves in healthy ways. They need skills training. They need to learn about self satisfaction and self sufficiency. Their victims need similar training and they need another thing.

Victims of bullying need physical training. They need to project physical capability. They don't have to do martial arts training, but they do need to do push-ups and sit-ups every morning before going to school.

James Hubley couldn't wait three years for high school to end. He didn't have to. All he needed to do is hunker down emotionally for a few months, take his abuse, and do his push-ups. I guarantee you, in six months nobody would be bullying him anymore.

I've seen gay guys in Toronto so ripped that I wouldn't say boo to them from across the street.

But you don't have to go that far. Just do the push-ups and the sit-ups for a few months. My two cents worth.

If I were designing a school program to counter a bullying problem in the school community, I would make sure that all students understood that a bully, when he bullies someone, is sending a message about him or herself.

The message is: "I am doing this because I have nothing else going for me."

It is up to the teachers in the school to help the bully get something else going for him or herself. A source of satisfaction and self esteem to replace bullying.

Being peaceful is contagious - the same as someone coughing on you when they have the flu.

I have been a Police officer and I am now Teacher and I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen Children being disrespectful in a variety of methods. I cannot tell you the times I saw a Child neglected - emotionally as well as physically.

It takes a community to raise a Child. When everyone in a community displays the same respect - equally - for every person - it becomes very difficult for anything less than respect to flourish.

I am deeply saddened everytime I hear of a suicide. A young person with everything to live for...

Rest still in the arms of a loving God Jamie. May you guide the rest of us who are trying to make sense of a society in need of a miracle.

Much Peace...