7 Year Old Commits Suicide – Bullied to Death

The Detroit Free Press reported that a 7-year-old hanged himself.  His 14-year-old sister discovered the body.  The mother reported that her son was depressed because other students were bullying him at his school as well as the recent family separation.  This death follows the death of a 6-year-old in 2010 in the state of Oregon.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported (in 2009) that 265 children between the ages of 5 to 14 had committed suicide.  In December 2011, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed anti-bullying legislation.  In Illinois, the legislature voted down an anti-bullying law because the legislators claimed that this curriculum “can lead to homosexuality”.

This report clearly indicates that children of all ages need to be taught, both by parents and schools, that bullying is not OK.  Also when a child is depressed or talks about suicide, whatever the cause(s), everyone must take it seriously.  I suggest that educators check this website for a discussion on what parents and schools can do to prevent suicide.