Suicide of Jadin Bell Biography

Jadin Robert Joseph Bell (June 4, 1997 - February 3, 2013) was an Oregon youth known for his suicide which raised the national profile on youth bullying and gay victimization in bullying.

Bell, a 15-year-old gay youth, was "intensely bullied" both in person and on the internet because he was gay. He was a member of the La Grande High School cheerleading team in La Grande, Oregon, where he was a sophomore. On January 19, 2013, Bell went to a local elementary school and hanged himself from the play structure. He did not immediately die from the strangulation and was rushed to the emergency room, where he was kept on life support.

The Associated Press reported that a spokesman for the Oregon Health and Science University's Portland hospital announced that after being take off life support, Bell died on February 3, 2013.

Bell's death was largely reported in the media, starting discussions about bullying, the effect it has on youth, and gay bullying. The Huffington Post, Salon, Oregon Public Broadcasting, The Raw Story, GLAAD, PQ Monthly, Pink News and many other media outlets reported on Bell's death. The media reported his suicide stemmed from being bullied for being gay, which Bell's father fully believed, stating "He was hurting so bad. Just the bullying at school. Yeah there were other issues, but ultimately it was all due to the bullying, for not being accepted for being gay."

Of Bell's death, Oregon LGBTQ activist Alex Horsey stated "Sometimes, it can be easy to become disconnected to so many stories like Jadin's in the media... Every story (including those not covered by media outlets) has equal importance... It's heartbreaking that Jadin's story has become a reminder of the horrifying consequences of bullying, rather than a story of a young man overcoming adversity and a community changing its ways."

Legacy

After Bell's death, his father, Joe Bell, planned a cross-country tribute in honor of his son. He planned to walk across the entire continental United States within two years, spreading awareness about bullying and the effects that it can have. Bell resigned from his position at Boise Cascade and helped launch Faces for Change, a non-profit anti-bullying foundation, to speak in high schools across the US. He stated, "Not doing anything is not acceptable. [Those who watch and do nothing] are just as guilty. They are saying that it is acceptable."

Joe Bell was killed half way through his journey after he was hit by a semi-truck in Colorado. The driver of the truck, Kenneth Raven, was charged with reckless driving and may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Joe had begun the walk in April 2013 and was killed on October 6, 2013. He was pronounced dead at the scene on the shoulder of US 40 when authorities arrived.

Faces For Change created a scholarship program in memory of Jadin Bell "to make awards to scholastic institutions on behalf of individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and the development of community tolerance in our area of service."

See also

• Bullying
• Gay bashing
• Suicide among LGBT youth
• List of suicides which have been attributed to bullying