LANSING — Austin Murphy was a bright, caring Bridgeman, Mich. student who made friends with those who needed one. He loved animals and volunteered at two veterinary clinics. He was also the victim of bullying so severe that, just shy of his 17th birthday, the boy whose motto was “Just play” took his own life on March 16, 2007.

He is one of a growing number of youths who have committed suicide as a result of bullying. Experts have even created a new term for it: bullycide.

Austin’s parents, Brad and Sharon, joined nearly 200 citizen activists at the Michigan Capitol last week — just over a year since their son died — to lobby the state Senate to pass bills mandating that anti-bullying policies be passed by every local school district in Michigan.

“We call on Sen. Kuipers to take a look at this bill,” Brad Austin said. “He has sat on it long enough.”

Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, is chair of the Senate Education Committee, where the anti-bullying bills called Matt’s Safe School Law, have been languishing since they were introduced in January 2006. Kuipers decides when and if legislation before his committee receives a hearing, which is a step toward sending a bill to the Senate floor for passage. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has said she will sign the bills if they pass.

Bullying, the grieving father said, fighting back tears, has gone on too long. “It’s gone far enough. The state needs to do something about this.”

Continued – In a quivering voice, Sharon Austin looked at the youths gathered at the Capitol and said: “We all have a voice. It is so endearing — so sad — that we all are here for the same reason. I just want to hug the children.”

She paused, and added: “Use your voice. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. That’s all I wanted to say.”

Standing a few feet from Austin’s parents were the parents and families of other teen-agers from Michigan who have taken their own lives because of bullying.

Kevin Epling, whose son Matt took his life because of hazing and bullying in East Lansing, was there with his wife, Tammy. The mother of Tempest Smith was there. Tempest of Southgate committed suicide after being bullied for her Wiccan religious beliefs. Michelle Huskin was there, the aunt of Chrystal Eaton of Charlotte, who committed suicide after being bullied for being a lesbian.

The parents say they are members of a club none of them wishes to be in — survivors of bullycide.

Standing in the crowd was 15-year-old Kevin Biles, a freshman at Kearsley High School near Flint. He understands the pain that drove Matt, Austin, Tempest and Chrystal to commit suicide. He was bullied throughout the beginning of the school year.

“Not only do I relate to them, I see what’s happening and realize it’s not just me,” said the soft-spoken youth.

He said the bullying began as name-calling and shoving in the hallways from upperclassmen. He called it a “welcome to high school — here is where you belong” rite of passage.

He is a thin, self-described “straight white boy,” who believes he was targeted because of his size and the fact he is just entering puberty.

“It was simple things you can sort of shrug off,” he said. “I went to my counselor and I was told to just ignore them.”

He tried that, he said. He tried avoiding contact with his tormentors as well. Until he was caught out in front of the school by the bully and his friends. There was a trash can made of stone there, and the bullies picked the smaller youth up and smashed his head against the front door of the school, then stuffed him headfirst into the trash can, he said. He was left with scrapes and bruises.

“That was one of the many experiences,” Kevin said.

The torment has stopped, in part because he stood up for himself “a couple of times,” but he worries about others who may not be able to stand up for themselves.

That is why he skipped school on Wednesday, dragging his father from their suburban Flint community to the Capitol to lobby senators, including Sen. John Gleason, D-Flushing, who introduced Kevin as “a hero” and “a kid who has an idea on how to change things.”

Kevin blushed when the senator introduced him, but he was eager to share his story.

“I’m here for the kids who can’t stand up for themselves,” he said. “They either don’t have the courage or the strength to stand up for themselves.”

In his quiet voice he talks about wanting to start a program in his school to bring victims of bullying together to share their concerns and find creative and constructive ways to address the bullying. He is a member of the student government, and his principal, Kevin Walworth, is supportive.

Walworth in a phone interview said he wholeheartedly supported Kevin’s plan to start a support group, but he also supported the anti-bullying legislation that the youth skipped school to lobby for.

The principal said he was surprised to hear of the extent to which Kevin had been bullied, but said there was a problem with bullying: “I think every school does. Do we have things to stop it? Yes. We come down hard. We’ve brought many kids to the school board for expulsion hearings. But does bullying continue to happen? I’d be a fool if I said it didn’t.”

Kevin Biles said it is time to cut the rhetoric and pass the bill. “The old saying sticks and stones — well, names cut deeper than anyone knows. Bruises and cuts go away, but those names stick around,” he said. “Kids can’t wait any longer. We are going to have more suicides, or worse, another Columbine. I’ve heard kids mumbling about that.”