Ashlynn Conner, who was only 10 years old, attended RidgeFarm Elementary in Illinois. She was anhonor student in the 5th grade who wanted to become aveterinarian. She was also a victim ofbullying, with friends calling her a “slut” and also calling her “fat andugly.”
The little girl begged her parents to let her be homeschooled so she wouldn’t have to deal with bullies. Her mother told her “no,” and when thepressure got too great, the little girl hanged herself in her bedroom closet.
The little girl’s mother, obviously distraught by whathappened, said “I thought my kids are strong kids, and that my words for themfor guidance and advice was going to have more weight than what these kidscould be saying.”
The girl’s family is now speaking out for other children whoare being bullied. Kim Wright, Ashlynn’s aunt, told ABC News: “If she justsaves one child from being bullied, if one bully gets this message and thinksabout it and says, I’m not going to make another kid feel that way … she did it.”
The Obama Administration has been speaking up againstbullying, but there is a trended increase in the number of young children dyingas a result of the practice. Cyber bullying is also becoming a problem, withteens taunting one another over the Internet. If your child shows a lack of interest in going to school or adisinterest in school functions, you may want to intervene to see if there issomething deeper going on.
