Throughout my grade school years at St. Anthony’s School in Clarksville, I was teased for being too smart — a teacher’s pet, and for being overweight. I’ve suffered from being overweight all my life and during middle school — when I was at my biggest — the teasing got worse.

It continued into my high school years at Our Lady of Providence. I was still teased about being fat, but I was also teased for some of the choices I made, mostly about the guys I dated.

I tried not to let the words get to me, but they did. I often blamed myself — asking why I was fat and what was wrong with me.

The teasing was so bad in middle school that I actually considered transferring schools. I think what got me through the bullying was my friends and the mentality I developed.

That mentality was that I was better than those who bullied me. I knew I was smarter and kinder than they were, and they were only attacking me because they weren’t happy.

For the past month, bullying in the U.S. has increased. Every time I listen to the news, some young adult committed suicide because they were being bullied and harassed.

More recently was the case of Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University.

According to a report by ABCnews.com, Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22. Clementi reportedly committed suicide because he was filmed during a “sexual encounter” with another male. His roommate turned on his webcam after Clementi asked him to leave the room, and then tweeted about the encounter, live-streaming it on the Internet.

I like to think I was lucky because I didn’t suffer the cyber-bullying like Clementi and other young adults have suffered. When I was in middle school, the Internet wasn’t as universal as it is now.

However, young adults in this age have to worry about what they post on the Internet. The Internet is an open book, and there are many dangers out there.

This brings me to my first point — be careful what you post on the Internet and what you post about others. We all have seen the harmful effects words can have and cyber words are no different — they are out there forever and for the whole world to see.

After thinking about the tragic stories I’ve heard, such as Tyler Clementi’s, I can’t help wonder where the parents were in all of this. I understand parents of college students probably wouldn’t have an active role in their children’s adult lives, but there is another aspect of this.

A lot of the bullying is done on social media websites like Facebook, and a lot of my friends are friends with their parents on Facebook.

I know teenagers probably won’t like the idea of their parents being their Facebook friend and invading their privacy, but parent’s need to for the betterment of their child’s life.

However, from a parental aspect, I view it as not an invasion of privacy but more of a monitoring tool.

I would do everything I could to help my son if he was being bullied, but I know he’s most likely not going to tell me on his own.

Asking doesn’t always work. If I had my suspicions, I would snoop all I could to find the truth.

I’m not saying I think the parents of Clementi didn’t do all they could. I’m advising parents they should do all they can to make sure their children aren’t a victim of cyber-bullying — do all you can within reason. Luckily, my son is only 22 months old.

Let’s not forget about the bully’s parents. They hold much of the responsibility.

I believe children learn from their parents, and often learn some awful behaviors like bullying.

The bully’s parents have the same responsibility to monitor their children’s cyber activity.

Also, they have a duty to teach their children right and wrong. It’s a parent’s job to educate by words and example that bullying is wrong.

It’s their responsibility to teach their children that others are cruel, and words are words and not to let them get to them.

Yes, they can hurt, but parents should also teach their children bullies tease because they have low self-esteem and because they are hurting.

I hope — as my son grows up — I can teach him bullying is wrong and to stand up to bullies.

But he will never learn until I learn. That’s hard to do for anyone.

By AMANDA FRENCH

Features Editor

aafrench@imail.iu.edu