Jameys Death

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/amherst/article835664.ece

"It's never going to get easier." Alyssa Rodemeyer discusses the loss of her brother and how the family has changed since Jamey's death.

THANK YOU

Thank you to everyone who showed up for the A Night In White Event and also for the Dedication and opening of The Outreach.A big thank you to the staff at The Mix,Tadd's Cabaret and also to our sponcer for the event Blue Balls ,thank you Chaz and Kip for donating the gift cards.Also thank you to The Madonna Virtual Tour for putting on a awsome show

A NIGHT IN WHITE

Another Teen Suicide

17 year old Jack Reese ended his life on April 22 2012,he was yet another victim of bullying and taunting leading to his suicide.Jack’s boyfriend, Alex Smith, spoke earlier in the week at a community event during which a film on bullying was being screened. Smith recalled, without even realizing that Jack had already taken his own life, how his boyfriend was repeatedly bullied at school.

Our future is killing themselves when is it going to stop.It is time that we as a community fight this deadly virus and put laws into place to punish the bullies

A NIGHT IN WHITE- FOR LIFE

The Mix Dance Club and Tadd's Cabaret and Dance Club are honored to host A Night In White-For Life on May 12th and May 13th.This event is a fundraising event for The Outreach For Life.A safe haven for at risk teens due to bullying and taunting

Sat May 12 2012-A Night In White For Life
Boardwalk At Castro Beach
6-9PM SLT
DJ Jared

Sun May 13 2012
The Opening of The Outreach
The Outreach For Life
1.00-1.30PM SLT Madonna Virtual Tour
1.30-2.00PM SLT Dedication of Reflection Garden
2.00-4.00PM SLT DJ JoshuaJ Queenstown
5.00-6.00PM SLT  Closing with DJ Jared Palianta

Texas Teen's Suicide Blamed on 'Wolf Pack' Bullies

Despite celebrity-laden campaigns against bullying, the practice seems to go on unabated. Last week, a Texas high school freshman committed suicide after enduring years of bullying from a group of classmates dubbed the "wolf pack," NBC reports.
Ted "Teddy" Molina was a 16-year-old Flour Bluff High School student in Corpus Christi, Texas. He killed himself with a hunting rifle. Teddy, who is part Korean and part Hispanic, was taunted and received death threats due to his mixed race, his family says.
Representatives from the Flour Bluff School District have denied being aware of a bullying problem in their schools, but some parents seem to disagree.
A mother removed her two children from a junior high school in the district due to bullying last February, KRIS-TV reports. Other parents have come forward with similar stories.
Teddy's mother withdrew her son from school on March 5 at the height of the teen's bullying, said Teddy's sister Misa Molina. Teddy's parents also claimed to have filed over a dozen complaints regarding their son's harassment.
The Molina family's lawyer, Bob Hilliard, stated that he is looking into taking possible legal action against the school district for its inaction.
This wouldn't be the first time a lawsuit based on bullying has been filed. School bullying has been in the news a lot lately. And many states have enacted laws to stop the practice.
Under the Texas Education Code, student bullying and harassment is prohibited. School administrators must also take steps to prevent and deal with physical and emotional school bullying.
The identities of the students in the alleged "wolf pack" responsible for Teddy's bullying have not been released. But the Molina family's attorney has stated that the group was formed by athletes at the school.
It's a tragedy to see such a young life ended so soon by suicide. Hopefully Teddy Molina's family will finally find peace from the "wolf pack" bullies.

THE BULLYING CONTINUES

A gay Iowa teen has taken his own life after friends and family say that classmates sent him death threats on his cell phone and made him the subject of a Facebook hate group.
As KTIV is reporting, 14-year-old Kenneth Weishuhn Jr. began to be teased and bullied by classmates at South O'Brien High School after he came out earlier this year. "People that were originally his friends, they kind of turned on him," sister Kayla Weishuhn, a sophomore, is quoted as saying. "A lot of people, they either joined in or they were too scared to say anything."
The anti-gay teasing reportedly also continued online, where classmates created a hate group against gays and added Kenneth's friends as members, and got even worse when the freshman started receiving death threats from students on his phone.
Weishuhn’s mother Jeannie Chambers said her son told her, "Mom, you don’t know how it feels to be hated."
Details on Weishuhn's death are otherwise scarce, but a Facebook group has already been started in the teen's memory. "Unfortunately, the culture most of us have been raised in has been the mindset that you get 'picked on' in school and that's just part of growing up," one user writes. "Bullying is like most other crimes, the only way it's going to stop is if the offenders get caught and are prosecuted."
Adds another: "I hate to think of what he must have gone through to decide suicide was his only option. I hope and pray all of these bullies feel responsible for what happened."

Is this what we have become as a society: intolerant and ignorant? Where kids harass and bully other weaker kids just because they are different?
Where do these kids get the sense that it is acceptable to bully others, and that it is acceptable to be prejudiced and discriminating? The answer is simple; they learn it from their parents or at school.

Bullying teenagers, especially gay teenagers or the ones that are still questioning their identity, is becoming an epidemic. Gay teenagers are called names regularly, and the worst part is that the teachers and the school don’t address these issues, or don’t know how to address these issues; sweeping them under the carpet will not make them disappear.

The poor teenagers are tormented, feel isolated, unloved, hated, not accepted, ridiculed and mostly shamed for who they are. They have no idea where to turn, how to look for help. Most school administrations don’t have any designed system in place to address the gay issue in schools, and teachers don’t know how, are scared to face these issues, or they feel documenting the bullying or harassing situations to the office is enough.

Some schools have anti-bullying programs mentioned on their curriculum, but it is just to be politically correct, and they don’t intervene to stop the bullying, where they were made aware of the torment they are going through.

This is also a wake-up for parents. Parents should realize that they are the first gate of knowledge for their kids, who absorb totally how they act, including their prejudice. In fact, children learn to discriminate in the same way they absorb a new language, learn to dress in a certain way, or to use a toy. Early child and family experiences shape children’s attitudes and behaviors. Bullying is a product of the home.

Parents of gay teens: accept your children, love and support them, embrace them for who they are. You are their first line of defense and you might make all the difference in saving their lives. The solution is within us; we can prevent the unnecessary loss of young teens. We need to make these teens know that there is hope, that there is help. Teens should know that there is nothing wrong with being gay, that being gay is not a choice, it is who they are; and they are loved for who they are, regardless of who they choose to be with.

Legislation should be scripted to protect these teenagers; school administrators should impose very strict rules and regulations for zero tolerance for bullying and harassment, and schools should offer counseling to these teens, in a safe environment with total privacy. Teachers should get thorough training on sexual orientation and harassment.

I do stand for freedom of choice and the right of everyone to live their lives the way they want to. Who are we to judge anyone or judge that being gay is wrong or shameful? Hatred never brings any positive changes; it just generates more hatred. Just think if it was your child that lost their life: How would you feel? But most will just ignore this write up and say to themselves, "my kid would never bully someone" because that's what parents do, protect their own and they don't even know that their kid "did" bully someone and their kid "was" responsible for another teen ending their life!!! How much more and how much longer must this go on?  PLEASE open your eyes!!!!

My eyes tear badly as I finish this blog because I care and because I have a heart and I feel for others. Is that a bad thing I ask?  And let me add this bit of personal information, my brother that I loved so much and always will, was also a victim of this "what I call" serious hate crime that we discuss each day and most do nothing about.

Please advocate for zero tolerance for prejudice and discrimination. Let this be a wake-up call; let these tragedies be a candle that illuminates our path to recovery and healing. Let us stand up and speak up. It starts with each one of us saying "no more bullying and no more discrimination." We need to make our voices heard. We've lost enough of promising young lives!

THE STORY OF THE OUTREACH

During my set at Tadd's on Saturday Sept 24th 2011 one of the VIP's imed me and requested a song,he then shared with me a link and a event that happened in his town.After my set I checked out the link and read about the death of Jamey Rodemyer.I could not believe what I read and saw on the video.How could this happen.Why did this happen.

After doing a search I read other stories about how teens were being bullied and taunted leading to suicide

I posted the link on my Facebook and made the comment how I wanted to do a event in Second Life to raise awareness about Bullying and Taunting leading to Teen Suicide in the LGBT Teen Community.The comments and support I received was overwhelming.

On October 22nd and October 23rd Be A Warrior-Warriors For Jamey took place at Tadd's.The Event was geared toward Raising Awareness and Creating a Outreach in Second Life for at risk teens.The support for the event was amazing,so many people turned out for this 2 day event.

A few weeks after the event,I felt really down I felt I had failed in my mission.Yes we raised awareness but where was the Outreach.As the months went by I felt that I needed to do more,the suicides and bullying were still happening.

On New Years Day of 2012 I logged into SL and started putting together a notecard.What did I want the Outreach to do.For the next couple of days I kept adding to the notecard.I had a rough idea of what I wanted so I passed the notecard to a couple of friends I asked them to read it and give me their feedback.

At the end of January I met my beautiful husband Justin,we started dating and as the relationship delveloped we found ourselfs spending most of our time at my sim.Justin also had a sim,he decided to give it up,so I asked him to please talk with me before he did.I passed him the notecard and The Outreach was born.Justin believes in the mission of the Outreach just as I do and is 100 percent behind this project.

The Goal of The Outreach is to create a safe haven  within Second Life for the LGBT Teens in SL.With the migration of the Teen Grid into the Main Grid it is important to ensure that they have such a place.

The Outreach provides them with Vendor boards where they touch and receive information regarding issues  that arise in a  teen's life.The biggest issue  for a gay teen today seems to be bullying and taunting leading to suicide.

The Outreach also provides them with information about  Crisis Counselors in their area's in  that they can discuss ongoing issues in their lives and seek help within their communities

There is a Reflection Garden, as you enter the garden you will see the eternal flame at the front of the flame it says"Their Legacey is For Others to Fight and Win The Battle to Live Life" .The Garden is Dedicated To All The Teens Who Suffered and Ended Their Lives From Being Bullied.This Must Stop Please Help Us. The Memorial has over 200 names of Teens who lost the battle.As we find more names they will be added.

There is a beach club for teen parties.I hope that some of the teens would like to pick up the skills of DJing.In my mind if we create a safe and happy,fun life here in SL that it will bleed over to their real lives.

The following is Our Staff

Jared Palianta - Chairman and CEO
Justin Resident Palianta- Co-Chair and Director Of The Outreach
Tadd Rives-Director of Events
Eddi Haskell-Director of Publicity

As the Outreach grows the plan is to put together a Teen Peer Group who will meet with us each month to discuss ongoing issues and also the work of the Outreach.

There are plans for a event to take place on May 12th and 13th a fundraiser and the opening of The Outreach.More Details to follow

Stats

Every 45 minutes a teen ends their life by suicide

65 percent of teen suicides happen at age 14 a shocking number.What is even more shocking 99 percent of the age 14 group are LGBT Teens.

ANOTHER TEEN SUICIDE

I am sad to announce the death of Lennon Baldwin age 15 another victim of teen suicide.Lennon was a Freshman at Morristown High School in Morristown ,NJ.Lennon was being bullied by 3 older boys ,they also robbed him and attacked him.His friends say that Lennon was a quite shy boy,but yet he was also funny and made all of his friends smile.As the word spread about his death the school board told students to not talk about his death.It makes me wonder what the school board is trying to hide.

This has to stop teen suicides are so out of control.It is time that our lawmakers do something about this.Most states do not classify bullying and taunting a hate crime it is time that our lawmakers make it happen. Bullying and Taunting leading to the end result of a teen ending their lives is a hate crime.

SUICIDE PREVENTION AND WARNING SIGNS

About 70% of people who commit suicide give some warning signs or tell someone about their plans.

If someone you know appears to be depressed and is exhibiting any of these warning signs you should:

• Take all suicidal talk seriously
• Listen to them and ask him or her what their plans are
• Contact family and close friends to help
• Ask them to seek the help of a mental health professional
• Do not leave them alone or unobserved for any appreciable time
• Remove any weapons or drugs around that could be used
• Take him or her to the nearest emergency room
• Help them to remember to take antidepressant medications and to continue any other therapy prescribed during treatment.
• Offer and supply emotional support

TheWarning Signs:

• Obtaining a weapon
• Writing a suicide note
• Putting affairs in order like changing a will or paying off debts
• Talking about going away (“They/You'll be sorry when I'm gone;” “I'd be better off dead;” “I won't be around to deal with that;” “Life isn't worth living;” “It would be better if I wasn't here...”)
• Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
• A sudden change from being sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy
• Recent Loss: death of family member or friend, loss of job, money or status, divorce, broken relationship, loss of religious faith, loss of interest in friends, activities previously enjoyed, hobbies
• Change in Sleep Patterns (oversleeping, nightmares, insomnia)
• Loss of self confidence and self esteem
• Feeling worthless, self-hatred, shame, overwhelming guilt
• No hope for the future -- believing things will never get better; that nothing will ever change
• Increasing alcohol or drug use
• Giving away articles of monetary value (prized collection, valuables)
• Giving away articles of personal/sentimental value
• Arranging for the care of pets
• extravagant spending
• Change in Eating Habits (overeating, loss of weight and appetite)
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
• Diminished Sexual Interest (impotence, menstrual abnormalities)
• Previous suicide attempts

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, between 20-50% of people who commit suicide have had a previous attempt.

IS BULLYING A HATE CRIME

What Is Bullying?
Bullying can take place in or out of school and in person or through other means of communication. When it occurs online, in, for example, emails, text messages, or in posts on websites, it is referred to as cyber bullying. Bullying can be verbal or physical, and when physical, it can be directed against a person, a persons property, or be used to intimidate, rather than inflict damage to the person or his or her property. Verbal bullying can include name-calling, threatening, or teasing someone, or making obscene remarks or spreading rumors about someone. Bullying can be peer-to-peer, or be done by younger people to older people or vice versa.
What Are Bullying Laws?
Bullying laws are laws that aim to prevent bullying or address it when it happens or both. Because they are against bullying, they are also called anti-bullying laws for clarity. So far, there are only state laws about bullying, but people have suggested a national law. Bullying laws often focus on schools, which are the site of a large amount of bullying behavior, with bullying being the most problematic during the middle school years (grades 6-8).
Bullying laws have pursued different programs and agendas. Laws may or may not criminalize bullying, some preferring to keep the handling of such situations in the realm of families and schools (when appropriate) rather than the courts. Laws may require reports of bullying by school personnel who witness it, and prescribe responses to bullying that includes investigation and imposing disciplinary measures, notification for parents, and support and counseling of targets.
Which States Have Bullying Laws?
The bullying laws in the United States are undergoing change. As of October, 2010, 45 states had bullying laws, while there were no such laws in the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, with  New York being one of the most recent to pass legislation.
As new states continue to put bullying laws on the books, states with existing laws review and revise them. New Jersey, for example, which passed anti-bullying legislation in 2002, had an anti-bullying bill of rights law introduced to its legislature in October, 2010. The new law provides for the training of public school staff in addressing bullying, intimidation, and harassment, as well as in suicide prevention
Why Are Bullying Laws Controversial? Some people question whether legislation specifically aimed at bullying adds anything new to existing laws. While many people are eager to see bullying addressed, others question whether existing laws about harassment, safety, violence, and destruction of property are actually sufficient. In addition, many individual schools have felt compelled to come up with bullying plans that they feel are appropriate to their situation. The particular wording of the bullying law at the state level could redirect attention from where individual schools have felt moved to place it based on their experience.

Double Suicide, Bullying Back In The Spotlight

Two 14-year old girls committed suicide last week in Marshall, Minn., and the evidence suggests they’d been bullied. Relatives of Haylee Fentress and Paige Moravetz told Meredith Viera of the TODAY Show that the girls may have been more than just friends. Fentress had hyphenated her last name on Facebook to include Moravetz’s last name, and Fentress had been expelled from school recently for defending Paige in a fight. The pair’s deaths add to a growing list of suicides in Minnesota and around the country where bullying is suspected to have played a factor.
Both girls’ families said they suspected that bullying may have been a factor, including bullying about weight issues. The families also said they suspected that Paige and Haylee may have had a romantic relationship and that ostracization may have played a role in their suicide pact.

 

Reports of bullying-related suicides have been increasing in Minnesota and nationally. In the Anoka-Hennepin School District, north of Minneapolis, a fierce debate continues to rage between the parents of LGBT students and religious right-affiliated parents over how to handle LGBT issues in the district following a series of suicides where anti-LGBT bullying was suspected. Tammy Aaberg, the mother of Justin Aaberg, who took his own life last summer in Anoka, has been speaking out against anti-LGBT bullying and pushing for safe school programs locally and nationally.
And, an gay Alexandria teen took his own life earlier this year. Friends in that school district have cited bullying as a possible factor.
A study released last week found that teen suicides are more likely in conservative areas and that gay and lesbian teens are more likely to have attempted suicide. The research of Dr. Mark Hatzenbuehler, Ph.D., Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, evaluated different communities on “the proportion of same-sex couples, the proportion of registered Democrats, the presence of gay-straight alliances in schools, and nondiscrimination and anti-bullying policies in schools school policies that specifically protected lesbian, gay, and bisexual students.”
The results showed that gay students in more tolerant areas were less likely to attempt suicide. The study controlled for risk factors that might contribute to suicide attempts, including symptoms of depression, excessive use of alcohol, physical abuse by adults and peer victimization or bullying.
“This study suggests that we can reduce suicide attempts among LBG youth by improving the social environment and really challenges the myth that there is something inherent in being gay that puts gay youth at risk of attempting suicide. Instead, what we’ve shown is that the social environment strongly influences the prevalence of suicide attempts,” Hatzenbuehler told Medscape Medical News.
There’s no indication that Marshall’s schools are unsafe for LGBT students or that the community is not tolerant of LGBT people. The study only focused on the state of Oregon.
Cornell University psychologist Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams told the Daily Mail that the message shouldn’t be that gay and lesbian youth are more likely to be suicidal but that society should look at more protections for young people.
He said “we have given them the message that they are suicidal” and instead society should “look (at) what kind of abilities you’re squashing by not having protection of gay kids.”

Suicide Draws Attention to Gay Bullying

After reading this article, please watch this video!

Jamey Rodemeyer, a Buffalo junior high school student, got on his webcam and created a video urging other gay teenagers to remain hopeful in the face of bullying.

The 14-year-old spoke of coming out as bisexual and enduring taunts and slurs at school. And he described, in at times desperate tones, rejection and ridicule from other teenagers.

Jamey made the video as part of the It Gets Better project, a campaign that was started to give hope to bullied gay teenagers. “All you have to do is hold your head up and you’ll go far,” he said. “Just love yourself and you’re set. … It gets better.”

But for Jamey, the struggle apparently was just too much. His parents announced that their son was found dead, an apparent suicide. He didn’t leave a note, but his parents said he had endured “constant taunting, from the same people over and over.” They added that his school had intervened to help, and that Jamey appeared to be benefiting from counseling.

News that a bullied teenager had succumbed to the very pressures he urged others to resist came as a shock to supporters of the It Gets Better project. And it provided a sobering reminder that bullied teenagers who appear to be adjusting may still be in trouble.

Dan Savage, the advice columnist and co-founder of It Gets Better, noted on his blog that Jamey’s death showed that “sometimes, the damage done by hate and by haters is simply too great.”

It sounds like Jamey had help — he was seeing a therapist and a social worker and his family was supportive — but it wasn’t enough. Whatever help Jamey was getting clearly wasn’t enough to counteract the hatred and abuse that he had endured since the fifth grade, according to reports, or Jamey’s fears of having to face down a whole new set of bullies when he started high school next year.

As suicides among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teenagers have gotten more attention in the past year, researchers have sought to identify the factors that play the largest role. One study published in the journal Pediatrics in May, which looked at nearly 32,000 teenagers in 34 counties across Oregon, found that gay and bisexual teenagers were significantly more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. The risk of an attempt was 20 percent greater among gay teenagers who lacked supportive social surroundings, like schools with gay-straight alliance groups or school policies that specifically protected gay, lesbian and bisexual students.

An editorial accompanying the study said the findings pointed to the need for schools to adopt policies that create “more supportive and inclusive surroundings.”

“By encouraging more positive environments,” the report stated, “such policies could help reduce the risk of suicide attempts not only among LGB students, but also among heterosexual students.”

A Close Up Look Thru Video And Photos!

 A 7 minute video tour

View From Above

Reflection Garden Name Stones

Reflection Gardens And Media Center Building

Outdoor Beach Dance Club And Live Events

Lobby Of Main Offices

Main Offices Building

Inside Media Center - Informational Posters / Boards

A SAFE HAVEN

When boats are lost in the storms they scan the coastlines watching for lighthouses to guide them to safe waters.The light guides them to safety.The same can be said for The Outreach,we have lighthouses on both sides of the Island to guide troubled teens to a safe haven and hopefully a better life.

In recent years, a series of bullying-related suicides in the US and across the globe have drawn attention to the connection between bullying and suicide. Though too many adults still see bullying as "just part of being a kid," it is a serious problem that leads to many negative effects for victims, including suicide. Many people may not realize that there is also a link between being a bully and committing suicide.
The statistics on bullying and suicide are alarming:

• Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it.
• Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University
• A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying
• 10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the study above
• According to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying

Bully-related suicide can be connected to any type of bullying, including physical bullying, emotional bullying, cyberbullying, and sexting, or circulating suggestive or nude photos or messages about a person.
Some schools or regions have more serious problems with bullying and suicide related to bullying. This may be due to an excessive problem with bullying at the school. It could also be related to the tendency of students who are exposed to suicide to consider suicide themselves.
Some of the warning signs of suicide can include:

• Showing signs of depression, like ongoing sadness, withdrawal from others, losing interest in favorite activities, or trouble sleeping or eating
• Talking about or showing an interest in death or dying
• Engaging in dangerous or harmful activities, including reckless behavior, substance abuse, or self injury
• Giving away favorite possessions and saying goodbye to people
• Saying or expressing that they can't handle things anymore
• Making comments that things would be better without them

If a person is displaying these symptoms, talk to them about your concerns and get them help right away, such as from a counselor, doctor, or at the emergency room.
In some cases, it may not be obvious that a teen is thinking about suicide, such as when the suicide seems to be triggered by a particularly bad episode of bullying. In several cases where bullying victims killed themselves, bullies had told the teen that he or she should kill him or herself or that the world would be better without them. Others who hear these types of statements should be quick to stop them and explain to the victim that the bully is wrong.
Other ways to help people who may be considering suicide include:

• Take all talk or threats of suicide seriously. Don't tell the person they are wrong or that they have a lot to live for. Instead, get them immediate medical help.
• Keep weapons and medications away from anyone who is at risk for suicide. Get these items out of the house or at least securely locked up.
• Parents should encourage their teens to talk about bullying that takes place. It may be embarrassing for kids to admit they are the victims of bullying, and most kids don't want to admit they have been involved in bullying. Tell victims that it's not their fault that they are being bullied and show them love and support. Get them professional help if the bullying is serious.
• It is a good idea for parents to insist on being included in their children's friends on social networking sites so they can see if someone has posted mean messages about them online. Text messages may be more difficult to know about, so parents should try to keep open communications with their children about bullying.
• Parents who see a serious bullying problem should talk to school authorities about it, and perhaps arrange a meeting with the bully's parents. More states are implementing laws against bullying, and recent lawsuits against schools and criminal charges against bullies show that there are legal avenues to take to deal with bullies. If school authorities don't help with an ongoing bullying problem, local police or attorneys may be able to.

People who are thinking about suicide should talk to someone right away or go to an emergency room. They can also call a free suicide hotline, such as 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Friends and relatives of suicide victims also need to find someone to talk to as they grieve, especially if they are suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts themselves.





Suicide Draws Attention to Gay Bullying

After reading this article, please watch this video!

Jamey Rodemeyer, a Buffalo junior high school student, got on his webcam and created a video urging other gay teenagers to remain hopeful in the face of bullying.

The 14-year-old spoke of coming out as bisexual and enduring taunts and slurs at school. And he described, in at times desperate tones, rejection and ridicule from other teenagers.

Jamey made the video as part of the It Gets Better project, a campaign that was started to give hope to bullied gay teenagers. “All you have to do is hold your head up and you’ll go far,” he said. “Just love yourself and you’re set. … It gets better.”

But for Jamey, the struggle apparently was just too much. His parents announced that their son was found dead, an apparent suicide. He didn’t leave a note, but his parents said he had endured “constant taunting, from the same people over and over.” They added that his school had intervened to help, and that Jamey appeared to be benefiting from counseling.

News that a bullied teenager had succumbed to the very pressures he urged others to resist came as a shock to supporters of the It Gets Better project. And it provided a sobering reminder that bullied teenagers who appear to be adjusting may still be in trouble.

Dan Savage, the advice columnist and co-founder of It Gets Better, noted on his blog that Jamey’s death showed that “sometimes, the damage done by hate and by haters is simply too great.”

It sounds like Jamey had help — he was seeing a therapist and a social worker and his family was supportive — but it wasn’t enough. Whatever help Jamey was getting clearly wasn’t enough to counteract the hatred and abuse that he had endured since the fifth grade, according to reports, or Jamey’s fears of having to face down a whole new set of bullies when he started high school next year.

As suicides among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teenagers have gotten more attention in the past year, researchers have sought to identify the factors that play the largest role. One study published in the journal Pediatrics in May, which looked at nearly 32,000 teenagers in 34 counties across Oregon, found that gay and bisexual teenagers were significantly more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. The risk of an attempt was 20 percent greater among gay teenagers who lacked supportive social surroundings, like schools with gay-straight alliance groups or school policies that specifically protected gay, lesbian and bisexual students.

An editorial accompanying the study said the findings pointed to the need for schools to adopt policies that create “more supportive and inclusive surroundings.”

“By encouraging more positive environments,” the report stated, “such policies could help reduce the risk of suicide attempts not only among LGB students, but also among heterosexual students.”