"Cyber bullying is a particularly insidious type of bullying as it can follow people wherever they go and the anonymity that it seemingly affords to the perpetrator can make it even more stressful for victim." - EdballsFourth Geelong student commits suicide
By staff writers
NEWS.com.au
July 21, 2009 12:22pm
Tragedy …A school is reeling after its fourth student suicide in six months.
Geelong student, 14, takes own life
Fourth in six months at same school
Mum blames cyber bullying
A GRIEVING mother has blamed the internet for the death of her 14-year-old daughter.
Police are also blaming cyber bullying for the suicide of Geelong student Chanelle Rae, who died last Friday.
She is the fourth Western Heights College student to take their life in the last six months, The Geelong Advertiser reports.
Karren Rae said her daughter “wanted to die” after receiving an internet message on Friday night.
She said Chanelle was having trouble with some friends from school, but it was a minor issue that had not changed her mood at all.
“I laid in bed with her … and we discussed it for about an hour and she left me fairly happy,” she said.
Karen and her husband, Ian, returned home about an hour later to discover their daughter had committed suicide.
How about instead of teaching kids how to react to abuse, let’s teach them to NOT abuse each other!
“I want to tell people to keep their kids off the rotten internet, it’s a horrible place,’’ she told the Geelong Advertiser.
“I can guarantee you that if she didn’t go on the internet on Friday night she’d still be alive today.”
Karren described her daughter as “happy and beautiful” and was “loved by everybody”.
“I don’t blame the girl either, these are just kids throwing comments at each other for God’s sake, but she (Chanelle) obviously could not see past what was going to be done to her,” she said.
“When you’re 14 years old, who knows, if you don’t think you’ve got any friends … maybe that’s not worth living and obviously it wasn’t for her.”
Western Heights College Principal Kris Rooney said the school will extend counselling support to parents as well as students.
Ms Rooney said she had opened discussions with acclaimed psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg and beyondblue chairman Jeff Kennett.
“We’ll be running a parent session for parents next week because obviously parents need support,” she said.
“Our emphasis would be on supporting students to deal with the reactions that they have to anything they might find, a sadness, a challenge or a criticism.”
Mr Kennett said the school’s students and staff were bound to be hurting but that it was important not to sweep the issue under the rug.
“It needs to be talked about openly within the school community and there needs to be a positive response to avoid it happening again,” he said.
“I hope they have a very heavy program for helping the students cope with these sad events and to help them develop mechanisms for coping with change.
“It’s very sad for those who are gone but it is even worse for those who are left. But they shouldn’t be blaming themselves because there is only so much you can do.”
If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide contact beyondblue 1300 22 46 36,
Lifeline 13 11 14 or Salvo Care Line 1300 36 36 22.