10 year old hangs herself after bullying

[Muffincat]

I haven't found any data for 2006+, but here is a graph of suicide rates of 1950-2005:

http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/unitstates.pdf

(Now, this isn't the whole story because suicide rates for women are a lot lower, but attempted suicide rates for women are generally much higher, as well as many other things)

From this, I wouldn't really blame "technology." They have remained relatively similar across time. The internet definitely allows people to be total jerks, but I don't think that's a major reason that people commit suicide. It obviously can be, but usually it's something that happens in their family/every day life. Often the internet can be an escape.

I think that we need to better educate people about depression and suicide. Our society isn't generally focused on people's emotional needs, and it has been that way since before technology even started becoming an issue. If we encouraged empathy and understanding, then the world would be a better place... but we usually don't. And I definitely agree that the internet is a place that can encourage people to be worse than they wold be in real life... but honestly, a lot of bullying/abuse happens face-to-face. The internet actually exposes people's true characters in a more visible way... but I, personally, wouldn't place the blame on technology.

Depression is really serious, but people act like it isn't. Many people have a completely distorted view of what it is/what the signs are/if it even matters. People are always making jokes about suicide/cutting, and that certainly doesn't help. It is often belittled and considered "weak," and that needs to change :/

Basically, I'd blame it on cultural issues rather than technological ones.

[hidekipooj]

1st of all. I want to say that the maturity on this forum is something I really admire. Most places on the internet would have nothing but troll comments about something like this.

2nd of all. I think almost EVERY child gets bullied. But it sounds like this was an ongoing issue that wasn't even looked at by either parents or teachers which is something that I find repulsive. It's one thing to come home from school crying and saying that you were being made fun of. It's another thing to outright REQUEST to be home schooled. How many young girls at the age when socializing is one of the most important parts of childhood would want to be away from the one place where socializing is at its highest. If I was her parent and had heard that to me my first thought would have been, ''okay...this is obviously getting bad/out of hand" Time to bash some heads in at the school.

[Saph]

In Denmark we have 0th grade, kindergarden. Then we have all the way up to 9th, sometimes 10th grade, and after that you can spend 2-5 years in a higher level of your own choice. I spent 3rd grade - 9th grade being viciously bullied, beaten, humiliated, emotional, physical, mental abuse, every day, for up to 2 hours a day in total(It was those *****es' favorite pass time during recess, hunting my ass like an animal). I've switched schools 4 times in my life, in 3 of them it was bad, in 1 of them, 5th - 7th grade, it was hell on earth bad. I could spend an entire day lasting 5 hours spent locked in a basement closet that the janitor opened to clean out the empty class rooms.

How come it went on for so long? My parents were in denial, and just told me to stop being such a whiner when the boyplaying got rougher than I could handle. The teachers didn't care enough, and would rather just have their day be as easy to get through as possible so they could come home and spend their misserable, empty lives watching TV or collecting postage stamps. So I had no one but myself to pull myself out of the gutter.

I did NOT take my own life however....

A 10 year old who finds insults about being overweight bad enough to kill herself for? Then there's already a major issue going on in there.

But yeah, bullying is a global issue that I'd say is about as close to terrorism as a bomb strapped lunatic running into a Macy's store would be. Instead of killing innocent adults going about their lives, they sabotage the self respect of potential world leaders, or that doctor who finds a cure for general cancer. The problem is you cant just lift a rifle and remove the problem by pushing a botton. There have to be laws to keep the bullying from happening, but how do you make a law that would keep the kids from shoving the poor bullied one into an alley behind a school and beat the crap out of him?

[Sunsetforgotten]

1st of all. I want to say that the maturity on this forum is something I really admire. Most places on the internet would have nothing but troll comments about something like this.

Very true. I was worried about posting it because you watch youtube videos on troubled kids and see a ton of terrible responses.

On a related note, I am just hopeful that parents will start to push the issue on bullying. Tell the principals when their kids come home with a black eye or tells them that they were pushed around on the bus. It all starts there; how people respond to their children getting hassled. And while I do believe that ALMOST every kid gets bullied, not everyone is the same. Certain people have sensitivity issues and take it to heart more than others.

[CraeSC111]

I would have to agree that this isn't an issue of exposure through technology, but a lack of education or even a defect in values, morals, etc (I'm sure thus last part wasn't conveyed properly). Exposure to certain sensitive topics, like death or a big one is sex, can be good as long as the proper lessons are learned. For example when I had a sex education class back in high school they didn't try to hide any of the facts about sex. They told us about the good parts, the bad parts, and all those parts you wish you never had to see. If small children were taught about avoiding bullying and avoiding becoming bullies we would have less of a bullying problem. If they are taught about suicide they will probably tend to avoid it. Teaching children (or anyone for that matter) about life is generally better than letting them learn about it themselves (to a point of course)

[Mizel]

I would have to agree that this isn't an issue of exposure through technology, but a lack of education or even a defect in values, morals, etc (I'm sure thus last part wasn't conveyed properly). Exposure to certain sensitive topics, like death or a big one is sex, can be good as long as the proper lessons are learned. For example when I had a sex education class back in high school they didn't try to hide any of the facts about sex. They told us about the good parts, the bad parts, and all those parts you wish you never had to see. If small children were taught about avoiding bullying and avoiding becoming bullies we would have less of a bullying problem. If they are taught about suicide they will probably tend to avoid it. Teaching children (or anyone for that matter) about life is generally better than letting them learn about it themselves (to a point of course)

I totally agree. It’s obvious that something has changed socially with either bullying being more prevalent or kids not knowing how to deal with it… and I think that they really should be taught about both in school. Parents had no idea how to approach talking sex with their kids, so they implemented sex ed in schools (I find this extremely sad, that parents cant handle it so they let the schools do it. But either way, at least they are learning from someone). They should def do that same for bullying/suicide…..

I mean when it comes down to it, that’s kind of what guidance counselors are for- but the people in the system just can be just as bad as kids when it comes to bullying, that’s the sad part. I remember when I was in middle school, I was the only “goth” kid in the entire school. Because of that I got crap all the time. Only not from the kids, from the counselor and principle… I remember I was sent to the guidance counselor who made me get evaluated by the school psych, just because I looked different- because I mean, looking different means your eff’d up in the head apparently…. I also got sent to guidance counselor because all of my friends wore black lipstick to school, and of course it must have been my influence on them so I was to blame…. And after many trips to the counselor over my appearance and many calls from parents of scared kids that said I did voodoo on them *rolls eyes*…. I finally got sent to the principle’s office. When I got in there he shut the door, ripped his cross necklace off, shoved it in my face, and started screaming until he was red in the face, veins popping out, absolutely irate, about religion and why he wore that cross and what was wrong with me and blah blah blah….. In hindsight, I could have sued the shiz outta that school… But anyways, my point being- if kids are bullied by students and the ones that are supposed to correct things and make them better, act like that- then who are they supposed to turn to?

[CraeSC111]

On a somewhat unrelated not who on the forum has actually been bullied and how have you dealt with it? And I can see you sitting in a principles office with him yelling be gone satin and throwing holy water on you

[Mizel]

Lol Yeaaaa, looking back on it now- it was hilarious. But at the time, it was horrifying :P

I was bullied every day from Kindergarten to middle school. Then then in middle school, the kids were too scared of me. And in high school, the kids that bullied me actually attempted talked to me and would say, “wow, you’re really nice.”…. like, oh really…. being different DOESN’T mean Im a horrible person, you friggin douchebags -__- lol

But I just took it *shrugs* Fought back a couple times, but that was rare….. never tattled, and certainly never thought about killing myself…. even as a little kid I understood that some people were just mean, and that’s how life is and always will be so you might as well get over it instead of dwelling on it. I do think kids need to be prepared for bullying and those that bully need to be reprimanded… but kids also need to be prepared for real life, because in reality- it sucks. And in the real world, when a co-worker or boss or stranger, is mean to you… there is no running to your parents or principle- but at least they’ll be more aware of how to deal with these situations.