LAS VEGAS -- Bullying has led to deaths across the country. That's why educators, teens, parents and state lawmakers held a rally Monday night to stop bullying and reach out to victims who may have nowhere to turn.
Bullies target their victims for different reasons -- sexual orientation, race and even religion. Recent high-profile suicides of students are resonating with students in Las Vegas who want to prevent such tragedies from happening locally. They hope Monday's rally is a start.
High school senior Coree Davis says he's been a victim of bullying. He says he contemplated suicide.
"Everybody can be bullied, anybody, and I just think this rally is a great thing to make people think about what they say before they say it," he said. "You try to just tell yourself it's fine. Just let them do what they do, and you will do what you do, and try your best to be happy. Then it keeps re-occurring, and you can't take it anymore."
Davis has been bullied since he was in grade school. He is an openly gay student. Now, he uses his experience to help others in the same situation. He was in his school's production of "The Laramie Project". The play is based on the life of Matthew Sheppard, who was killed because he was gay. Davis says bullying is everywhere and targets everyone.
Ricardo Cornejo is also familiar with the torment of bullying. "I could tell you for a fact I was bullied. I was bullied in two instances. In middle school, I was bullied because I looked like "a nerd". When I was in high school, I was bullied because they thought, people thought, that I was gay," he said. "It takes a toll on your emotional part of your life. Physically, it's an abuse as well as mentally, and that is what the community needs to be aware of."
Social media hasn't made it easier for victims of bullying. Jason Dinant is one of the organizers of the rally and decided to put it together before another tragedy occurs.
"This movement has been sparked because of the LGBT suicides recently. But, people are bullied because of their ethnicity, because of their socio-economic status. This is more than just one community coming together. We want it to be the entire community coming together," he said.
The Clark County School District has a no-bullying policy that includes cyber-bullying. Students who engage in bullying can be suspended or expelled. But, many students are afraid to speak up.
Events like the Bully Free Zone rally aim to change that. "I want them to know that they're not alone, and that there are people out there that know what they're going through," said participant Amanda Mirjanian. "That they have somewhere to turn."
Administrators recommend victims talk to teachers whom they have a close relationship with. The rally was held at the Bar Bistro at The Arts Factory, near Charleston and Main.
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, who is running for re-election, also attended the rally. Titus is co-sponsoring three bills designed to curb bullying and cyber bullying.
The Safe Schools Act requires schools across the country to have in place anti-bullying provisions and to teach students about bullying. The Cyberspace Safety Bill gives law enforcement agencies the tools to go after people who bully on the Internet, and the Non-Discrimination in Schools Bill expands existing anti-discrimination laws to include gender and sexual orientation.
