On the recordSeptember 19, 2013
Mr. President, I rise today to speak about an issue we don't talk about here, and I am joined by my colleague, the senior Senator from Florida, Senator Nelson. We appear on the floor today to talk about an issue which I would argue is a clear and present danger to young Americans. What is that? We could probably make a long list of things we are concerned about as it relates to young people, but we are here today to talk about bullying and harassment. According to the Department of Education, nearly one in three students ages 12 to 18 is affected by bullying and harassment. Another study estimates that 60,000 students in the United States of America do not attend school each day because they fear being bullied. With the advent of text messaging and social media, many children find they cannot escape the harassment when they go home at night. It follows them from the moment they wake until the moment they go to sleep. This problem was brought once again into the national consciousness in the last couple of days. I am reading a headline from the Tampa Bay Times, dated September 12, 2013: ``Lakeland Girl Commits Suicide After Being Bullied Online.'' Senator Nelson will be talking about that, as will I. Here is the other headline from the Washington Post about the same incident: ``Police: Florida Girl Who Committed Suicide Had Been Bullied for Months by as Many as 15 Girls.'' I am the father of four daughters and I remember times when my daughters were going through high school.…
Source
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