PEABODY, Mass. — The family of a young teen in Peabody wants to raise awareness about the dangers of bullying after the loss of their son, Jason Bernard.
“We want the school to do better, we want the community, the parents to teach their kids the effects that bullying has, Jason was 14 years old, he was loved by everyone, and words hurt, and it caused his death,” said Cely Rosario, Jason’s sister.
Jason’s family is heartbroken after they say he took his own life last weekend.
His sister says he was bullied at school multiple times.
“He would complain, he spoke to his teachers, his coaches, his friends about it, mom went to the school a couple of times, he went into counseling to get the support he needed, it didn’t stop,” said Rosario. “He feared getting on the bus, my mom had to bring him to school, his dad brought him to school a couple of times because he wanted to avoid these people.”
The Peabody school community is also heartbroken.
Many parents say they’re upset with how bullying is handled and question whether more could have been done at school.
“That’s the number one thing I teach my kids is, do not bully, you know if you see someone getting bullied, stand up, say something,” said Melissa McKenna, a Peabody parent. “But now I think they understand the severity of it, it’s not a joke.”
McKenna lives near Jason’s family and hopes to collect gift cards for them as the community comes together to support them.
“Jason was funny, Jason loved to bake, Jason loved to play track, do track, he loved to be around his friends, he was silly, he loved his cats, he loved his mom,” said Rosario.
His mother was in tears and too upset to speak about the sudden loss of her son.
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Jason had six siblings, and his family now promises to keep his memory alive, while they show the world how dangerous bullying can be.
“He was loved by every single one of us, he showed every single one of us love all the time,” said Rosario.
The community is planning a memorial vigil Friday night to honor Jason near his home on Veterans Memorial Drive in Peabody at 6:30 PM.
Boston 25 News has reached out to Peabody school district leaders several times as well as the mayor’s office but has not yet heard back.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a network of local crisis centers that are available 24/7 to provide support for youth and adults who are in any kind of emotional crisis. Using the 988 Lifeline is free and confidential.
To contact the Lifeline, call or text 988.
More information can be found here.
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