Chester Bennington And His Dark Wounds As A Victim Of Bullying

Chester Bennington's action on stage with Linkin Park. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Past bad memories are unforgettable. The narrative was felt by Chester Bennington. The figure who later became known as an important part of the band, Linkin Park also had a bad past. Since childhood he has been familiar with unpleasant treatment, from sexual harassment to bullying.

He was often bullied by his seniors when he was in school. His thin and different appearances became a cause. Bullying is like being transformed into dark wounds that continue to make an impression and grow.

The struggle for life of a Chester Bennington is never easy. The man who was born in Phoenix, Arizona, United States (US), March 20, 1976, was forced by circumstances to accept unpleasant treatment since childhood.

This condition began when his parents decided to divorce in the 1980s. This condition made Chester hit slightly. He then lived with his father who in fact was a police detective. However, that is not a guarantee for Chester to live a better life.

He actually experienced sexual harassment by his older friend. This condition has been going on since Chester was seven years old. An innocent little Chester doesn't know where to complain. Even if you complain, fear dominates him.

Chester is afraid of labels given by many people. He is afraid of being labeled as a same-sex man or a liar. The harassment made Chester often think of committing suicide or running away from home. Moreover, the abuse lasted until Chester was 13 years old.

It was an age that led him to gather great intentions to tell his father about the matter. However, the intention to continue the case to the realm of law was not carried out. The decision was taken by Chester's family because it got the fact that the perpetrators of sexual harassment were also victims.

As a result, Chester's mental condition is not fine. He often chooses to shift his mind in instant ways such as consuming alcohol and drugs. An experiment that actually made him fall at its lowest point. Even though then he began to get closer to music by idolizing world-class musicians who are members of the band like Stone Temple Pilots.

After he discovered fame, Chester revealed that since the age of seven he was a victim of sexual harassment at the hands of an older boy. The condition lasted for six years. That memory then haunts him for life. The condition got worse because his parents divorced. At that time, he seemed to have no one, even though he lived with his father."

Life with custody is held by him, making Chester not develop much. His emotions continue to become unstable. Chester tries to recognize himself. This condition took place when he became a victim of bullying. As a result, the activity that made him comfortable was to draw, write poetry, then music," explained Sam Coare from the results of his interview with Chester on the Magazine page.Kerrang! Titled The Sun Goes Down: Chester Bennington: 1976 2017(2017).

Dangers of Bullying

Chester's life did not necessarily improve when he entered the Greenway High School in Phoenix. His bad mental condition tried to be expressed with an eccentric style in high school. As a result, Chester was isolated. He didn't expect much to come.

Instead of school life being able to make Chester have many friends, he got a lot of bullying from a senior. The bullying made him feel treated like an animal just because it was different.

He is often beaten like a cloth doll because he is thin and looks different. Bad treatment is like everyday meals. The physical harassment he experienced was acceptable. However, that does not mean that bullying is forgotten immediately in his memory.

Chester is proof that being a victim of bullying is not easy. Even though Chester then poured out his voice a lot through songs in the band he grew up with, Linkin Park. Chester's works were indeed popular and received a wide welcome.

Problems arise. The songs don't make Chester's depression about his past just disappear. The memory continued to haunt Chester. In fact, the memories of bullying seemed to lead Chester to his own life on July 20, 2016.

The lyrics of the song 'Given UpdanHeavyini' seem to reflect the vocalist life of Linkin Park's group,Chester Bennington, who is dark. And finally he gave up: die in an unusual way. He hanged himself right on the birthday of his best friend, Chris Cornell, Soundgarden vocalist who also hanged himself last May.

Chester's body was found in his private home in Palos Verdes Estates, Coroner, Los Angeles, United States, Thursday, July 20, at around 09.00 local time. Chester died at the age of 41 after battling addiction to narcotics and alcohol and depression that haunts his life. He leaves behind his wife, Talinda Ann Bentley, and six children. The sad news shocked the Linkin Park crew, "explained Dian Yuliastuti in her paper Tempo entitledChester Bennington: Going in an Unusual Way (2017).