Woman Starts Anti-Bullying Group After Son's Suicide

Lisa Ford Berry grew up in Carmichael and says she wanted the same upbringing for her two sons.

Berry attended , , the now closed La Sierra High School and . She swam at the old Carmichael Pool.

"It was a wonderful place to grow up," she said.

Her sons, Robert and Michael, attended Pasadena Avenue Elementary School, and .

Berry's life changed forever when Michael, a victim of peer abuse, shot himself on Sept. 15, 2008 at Mira Loma. Two years after that, on a family trip to Big Sur, Berry said she decided to speak up against peer abuse, which led her to create the Bullies Really Are Violating Everyone (B.R.A.V.E.) Society.

"(Michael) was so well liked, he was articulate and funny, there were no signs of mental health issues," Berry said. "I had never heard of cyberbullying...but it's like the wild west- anything goes."

Berry said peer abuse includes hate speech, harassment, intimidation and name-calling, the latter which she said her son was a victim of in high school.

"I wish when he went to his counselors and teachers, they would have done their jobs and did something," she said. "They could have called my husband and me."

Mira Loma principal Rich Nichols did not return a message seeking comment.

Berry said she holds workshops with parents and children clients of the Sacramento Food Bank, keeping her talks age-appropriate. She has future plans for a support group for parents who lose a child to bullycide.

Berry will participate in a two-day symposium September 27-28 speaking out against bullying at . She has talks scheduled for October at the University of California, Davis and ARC.

"I tell parents we need to do a better job of modeling our behavior for our kids," she said. "I see kids and I say someone has to speak up."

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For more information or to donate to the B.R.A.V.E. Society, visit the website bravesociety.org or send mail to P.O. Box 764 Carmichael, CA 95609 or call (916) 903-6627.

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