The bully, Jacob Estes, assaulted the author's son Dax after Dax began dating Estes' ex-girlfriend. Dax suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to be hospitalized. When the author first approached the school and police about the online threats against Dax, they said their hands were tied since the bully was not a student. After the assault, Dax had difficulties with sleep, fatigue, concentration and headaches. He was unable to return to his regular high school and had to transfer to an alternative school, falling behind in his studies. The family struggled to get accommodations and support from the original high school for Dax due to his injuries.

1. Surviving A Bully’s Impact-Part 2

2. The bully’s photo resonated with violence; as he stood
masked in a bandana like a gangster, holding his military
knife as blood trickled from the self-inflicted cuts across
his tattooed chest.
Then the tone went off again and I knew something was
wrong as Dax responded, “Bitch, I don’t even know
you.” (2011)

3. In the middle of the night I jumped out of bed in alarm
and ran into Dax’s room only to be confronted by my
son’s words “Stop spying on me...Don't worry about
it...I can handle it...Get out of my face and go back to
bed!” (D. Catalano, 2011) as the bully’s words began to
transform Dax into someone I did not know.
But as a mother, I was determined to not let this incident
go quietly in the night.

4. To quote the former Miami Herald Journalist Dave
Barry, “To an adolescent, there is nothing in the world
more embarrassing than a parent” (1997) and shortly
after Dax made sure I was blocked from his Facebook
page.

5. Dax recollects his mistake:
“It was a terrible feeling not knowing who is coming
after you and not be sure why they are. I never realized
back then that I was a victim of terrorizing and cyber
bullying. I thought I could handle it on my own, but I
was wrong.” (2012)

6. We would later find out that Jacob Estes who was
“defending a friend” assaulted Dax because Dax was
taking his new girlfriend out for Chinese food and the
ex-boyfriend was “jealously enraged.”

7. We had first approached the High School for help back
in January, 2011 with the threats my son had received
over the internet, but neither the school nor the liaison
officer could help since the bully was not a student.
Nor could the local police help since the cyber-threat
was not enough to get a protection order from the
courts.

8. We were told their hands were tied unless Dax was
physically touched. And then it happened on March 1,
2011 and we were left wondering where was the help as
our son lay in the hospital bed fighting for his life…
We were left abandoned by those who’s duty it was to
protect and serve with nowhere to turn for help.

10. “Sanchez writes, “Do we not think it is as serious
because it takes place in cyberspace and not face to
face?… It's happening everywhere and it follows
kids home—occurring at any hour of the day or
night. Cyberbullying is hurtful enough and affecting
kids enough that its victims have turned to suicide
or violence just to make it stop.” (as cited in
Prosecuting Cyberbullies, 2010).

11. “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond
your strength but with your testing he will also provide
the way out so that you may be able to endure it”
(1 Corinthians 10:13).
All I know is that God must still have big plans in store
for my family since Recovery Road has not been easy.

12. Once discharged from Maine Medical Center, Dax
required follow ups with his neurosurgeon,
neuropsychological therapy, CT scans, counseling,
months of physical therapy and other medical treatment.
Furthermore, Dax suffers from difficulty sleeping,
fatigue, and a reduced ability to concentrate. His
headaches continue and he only finds relief with sleep.

13. Dax was unable to return to Lewiston High School
for his Senior Year.
Instead, the school though it was best to move Dax
into Lewiston Academy since he had “fallen so far
behind” after missing 4 months from school to
recover.
We were given no choice.

14. After the assault, some students had planned
retaliation against those involved in plotting Dax’s
assault and the school had to call in help from the
local police to settle the students down.
The students were silenced and told “Shush, we do
not speak about this (or mention Dax’s name).”
Instead of embracing this as an educational
opportunity, the school just wanted to “bury this in
the sand.”

15. Dax’s inability to now keep up with his classmates
due to the complications of a Traumatic Brain Injury
left us seeking a 504 plan to accommodate him in
reaching graduation.
Yet, after lost paperwork and over a year of excuses
and time delays from Lewiston High School the 504
plan evaluation was completed when we sought help
from the Disability Rights Center – Maine and
Atlee Reilly, Esq.

16. Despite the obstacles with Lewiston High School,
Dax graduated in August (2012) from Lewiston
Academy.