tions of adults, Ava developed skills to deal with negative attention. She employed those skills after getting pushed off the bus too many times. She talked. She confided in her mom. She mentioned the situation in her confirmation class. Ava also con- fronted the bully, telling him to stop. When school officials learned about the situation, they intervened immediately. They discovered that the bully was a special learning stu- dent who was nervous about being late for class. His teacher assured him he had enough time and talked with him about appropriate bus behavior. He stopped pushing. Ava is a pseudonym for a teenager whose situation was real. Another
Resources
• ELCA Youth Ministry Network (
www.elcaymnet.org). • OLWEUS Bullying Prevention Program (
www.violencepreven-
tionworks.org).
• Peer Ministry Leadership (www.
everyday-everywhere.org). • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (
www.stopbullying.gov).
real incidence of bullying took a more tragic turn. Kenneth Weishuhn Jr., 14, took his life in spring 2012. A month before his death he experi- enced intense bullying after he came out as gay.
More than 500 attended his funeral at Grace Lutheran Church, Primghar, Iowa, population 909. In his sermon, Kim Peterson used Weishuhn’s words to proclaim a difficult message of forgiveness in a time of enormous hurt and collective anger: “Forgive- ness is not easy. Forgiveness is not just words, it is actions. It is a long process. I am going to give you a suggestion, especially you students. Kenneth’s favorite phrase was ‘be buddies not bullies.’ ”
Weishuhn’s family has channeled their pain into a crusade against bul- lying. His sister, Kayla, 16, posted a video on YouTube, lamenting the way kids tormented her brother and calling for an end to bullying. “I just want to get this out, bul- lying needs to stop, you’re not just affecting that person, you’re affecting families, friends, other people, and you’re affecting yourself ...,” she said. “There is no reason to make people hate themselves like you made my brother hate himself. ... He was a beautiful person. He really was. He was my best friend.”
Gathering the Lutheran Community
in New York City Lodging for
Servant Trips Youth Ministry
Parish Getaways Clergy Meetings
Maybe a stroll on the Brooklyn Bridge and always
Sacred Hospitality
Convenient ●Comfortable ●Affordable Clergy Discounts
Seafarers & International House
123 East 15th Street New York, NY 10003
info@sihnyc.org www.sihnyc.org
An ELCA mission for seafarers and sojourners, with an 84-room guesthouse in the Union Square neighborhood that facilitates your congregational mission while you facilitate
ours. Collectively, God’s Work, Our Hands. September 2012 37
SHUTTERSTOCK
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