Bullied 12-Year-Old Fla. Girl Commits Suicide

[cali]

A 12-year-old Florida girl committed suicide after she was bullied online by more than a dozen girls and a sheriff said Thursday that he is investigating whether he can file charges under Florida's new law that covers cyber-bullying.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that Rebecca Ann Sedwick jumped to her death on Monday at an old cement business in Lakeland, a city between Tampa and Orlando. Investigators say the girl was despondent after others had posted hate messages about her online.

Sedwick was "absolutely terrorized on social media," Judd said.

The Lakeland Ledger (http://bit.ly/1enEgI5) reports that detectives found multiple social media applications where Sedwick was constantly bullied with messages, including "Go kill yourself," and "Why are you still alive?"

<snip>

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/bullied-12-year-fla-girl-commits-suicide-20240193

[LittleBlue]

1. RIP

I hope they charge her tormentors. What proud parents they must be, to have raised children who would drive a girl to suicide.

[PowerToThePeople]

2. poor girl

Parents really need to take an active role in their child's lives. I would have not let her onto these sites, or removed her ability to access the net. No reason to have her subjected to something that is easily avoidable.

[cali]

4. Is this active enought for you??

LAKELAND, Fla. - The family of a 12-year-old Lakeland, Fla. girl says the teen was driven to commit suicide after she was continuously bullied, and that school officials knew about it, according to CBS affiliate WTSP.

The station reports Rebecca Ann Sedwick's family had notified officials at the Crystal Lake Middle School about the bullying and that they handed over the complaints to police for investigation.

Rebecca is suspected of taking her life after her body was found Tuesday at a closed industrial site in Lakeland.

Relatives told WTSP they had pulled Rebecca out of the school in February for home-schooling, deleted her Facebook account, and that she switched schools for the new academic year, all because of the bullying.

Rebecca's mother reportedly filed the complaint about the bullying to Crystal Lake Middle School officials.

<snip>

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57602676-504083/rebecca-ann-sedwick-update-family-says-bullying-drove-12-year-old-fla-girl-to-commit-suicide-report-says/

Easy to be an armchair critic, isn't it?

[PowerToThePeople]

8. They reported it. I understand.

That is all good. But, they could have not allowed her onto the internet as well. There is no real need for a 12 year old to even have internet access. It is not a safe place for children. It is a very adult, very "wild west", very no-holds-barred environment. It is not a place a young, emotionally charged person will make it very easily. My child will not have any unsupervised internet access until they are of legal age.

[kcr]

9. You think they still won't hear about it?

Their friends will still be on facebook and the internet. And will be sure to tell your kids about it. I'm not saying don't keep your kids from it. Absolutely that's the right decision. I'm just saying don't kid yourself that it will shield them from cyberbullying if it happens. This isn't the only solution to the problem, and you can't assume that the parents of victims did little or nothing about it.

[PowerToThePeople]

10. I understand

At 4, my boy already has a bully in class that pushes other littler kids around. I am not looking forward to the "cyber-bullying" age. I certainly do not want to insinuate that her parents did not take a very active role in trying to solve the issue. I do not wish to appear to be faulting them. I just know that my child will not be given access to any unsupervised internet resources before being of age.

[kcr]

12. I know. It's hard.

Mine are just now getting old enough where this is an issue. It's really difficult.

[Native]

15. Well goody for you, you found an article that actually gives the public better information

How can you expect people to make comments that meet your standards when the media fails to report some of the basic facts of the tragedy? Instead of making a snarky comment like, "easy to be an armchair critic, isn't it?" why don't you just post the additional article so people will have more information. And if you have to be pissy, why don't you criticize the media for doing a crappy job in reporting this.

[Rex]

3. Sick. That poor child.

[lpbk2713]

5. The tormentors should be held accountable for ending a precious life.

Evidently they haven't learned the important lesson that whatever we say or do in life
has consequences and that we should be held accountable for how we affect others.
Rebecca must have been terribly lonely. This is so sad.

[cali]

6. It sounds like law enforcement is trying to do just that.

[lpbk2713]

11. I hope they have mental health pros involved.

Seems to me this should be handled very carefully. It could hit home to
some of the kids involved in the tormenting and they could become so
guilt ridden that the results could result in yet another tragedy.

[The Magistrate]

14. If, Sir, It 'Hits Home' Enough To Produce Suicides, That Would Be Justice, Not Tragedy

[polichick]

7. This is just heartbreaking.

[NuclearDem]

13. God damn, bullies suck.

This is horrible.