Kwentong Kapuso: Sickening to see a child kill herself over cyberbullying

I find it really sad and sickening to see how far harassment can go. Just because Gabrielle Molina was different — whether religious, cultural or overall appearance, we don’t know — these people bullied her to the point where she could not bear to live anymore.

This shows the power of technology. Social media networking can be beneficial, but if used for the wrong purpose it can be lethal. I feel that we need to take a stand against bullying, especially cyber-bullying.

Kids and even adults are no longer safe on the Internet. There are a growing number of suicides because of cyber-bullying. My friends and I have gone through a lot of discrimination and bullying because of our ethnic differences. Especially after 9/11, my Indian and Pakistani friends have experienced much prejudice and racism.

Just last month, because I had been accused of telling one of my teachers of a cheating incident in my class, I was ridiculed, called derogatory terms, harassed and gossiped about because I did not do what was “popular.” I was called a “snitch” and looked down upon. Some kids in my class got the whole class, even other kids outside of the class, to bully me.

I feel like society and the negative influences within it have gone much too far. There is too much violence and harsh judgment put in our minds, specifically teenagers and children. It is important not to put a paradigm image for our youth, of what a girl or boy should be, feel, or act like. They feel pressured to meet this ideal, and when they don’t, they are bullied for it.

We should take action against HIB (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying) in our constantly developing and ethnically diversifying society in America.

Having been born here in the U.S. and attending American schools can be an interesting experience for a person of different cultural heritage like myself. To be honest, I actually do not have many Filipino friends as my school does not really have many Filipino students.

I have one Filipino friend from school, but my closest friends, many of whom I have had since elementary school, are multicultural. Indian, Pakistani, Irish, German, Italian, Cuban, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese. My friends and I are a melting pot of culture. Although we do not share the same ethnicities, our differences are what bring us together. - The FilAm