Fordham Conversations: School Bullying, Human Nature, And The Psychology of Suicide

Christian Gregory completed a cross-country bike campaign over the summer to raise awareness about school bullying and teen suicide. I first learned about the campaign on Facebook, and later found he had also kept a blog while on the road. In it, he spoke not only about the hardships and experiences associated with cycling 4,000 miles; he also spent a significant amount of time reflecting on the issue of bullying while attempting to connect it to philosophical discussions of human nature. This is followed by an interview with Doctor Peggy Andover who is a cognitive behavioral psychologist and professor at Fordham University. Her research focuses on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and attempted suicide. I approached Doctor Andover because I wanted to know how a psychologist viewed the connection between school bullying and suicide. I especially wanted to know if the social settings in schools are strong enough to exacerbate or trigger the emotions, or risk factors, that drive people to harm themselves.