Few of us have escaped the torment of a bully at some point in our lives whether it’s been in school or the workplace, on an athletic field, or as part of a dysfunctional personal relationship.

But a recent rash of high-profile tragedies involving bullied young people has reminded us all of how vulnerable students can be to those who bully.

If there can be a silver lining to the tragic suicide of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi in September, it is that the nation’s attention has been focused on the bullying of students by other students — especially that relating to sexual orientation. Clementi committed suicide after his roommate allegedly web-streamed video of Clementi having a homosexual encounter.

It is clear that schools — most of which have anti-bullying policies in place — still have much work to do to ensure that schools are safe, harassment-free environments for all students. …

And much work obviously remains to be done in our homes where young people learn the attitudes and beliefs they bring to school — or are not being corrected when they exhibit inappropriate behavior. A refresher course in the Golden Rule might be a good place to start.

In the meantime, we applaud the new attention directed at this escalating emergency in our schools and on the Internet, and urge educational leaders and parents in our communities to collaborate on ways to combat this scourge and to prevent future tragedies.

(Hamilton) JournalNews