The Bullying Doesn’t Stop After Suicide

Amanda Todd was a young and beautiful teenage girl who committed suicide in the wake of bullying. After her tragic death, something horrific happened: the bullying didn’t stop. It happened right here on this blog. Posts with commenters  as far away as Italy felt as if they had the right to continue the online harassment that Amanda Todd suffered in life. However, there was a slight change in the target(s) of the abuse. The family.

Just recently, little angel Rosalie Avila committed suicide at thirteen years old, leaving behind a heartbreaking letter behind for her family. She was recently taken off of life support. However, the family states that buying hasn’t stopped.

Mom was directed to see a picture of a grave telling her to next time “tuck her daughter into it”.

Why in the world would people subject others to something so horrific? Are we becoming less human every day? What is going on with us as a society? I have a few theories about it.

1.  With today’s culture of cell phones and other devices, we are very disconnected from each other.
     There are tons of cases where people have taken out their phones to video tape situations instead
      of helping a human being. The Internet, while connecting people, has this way of isolating us and    
     putting us in the “other” category. “It’s happening over THERE” mentality.

Do we just have less empathy as people today? What is wrong with our society where we can do these things? I’m not sure. I believe certain circumstances also change the way that we view a situation. For example, being alone versus being amongst a crowd. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Mob mentality” or “crowd mentality”. There are things that we do in a group versus if what we would do alone.

During the 20th century in World War II, I believe that had that war not happened, most people that were adamant participants in the Holocaust as guards would have lived their entire lives without hurting a soul. However, if you put that person in Buchenwald, give them almost unlimited power over others, and the worst of us can come out.

The same thing today. We know that a human being as committed suicide, but it’s something that we’ve always done as humans; remove the humanity of others in order to bring harm and violence upon them.

How perfectly logic and intelligent people can dehumanize Jews, Black people, Romani, and the disabled, and hurt them physically and emotionally. Internet trolls have this behavior down pat. They enjoy getting a reaction from people whether it is positive or negative, mostly negative.
                                                                                                                                      


It is all too often that the bullying doesn’t stop after your loved one has taken their life. Now the family and friends often find themselves defending their loved ones who have passed and it can be brutal, furious, and tragic all at the same time. You start to wonder what kind of people could sit at a computer screen and send a complete stranger something so terrible and so incredibly insensitive at a time you know they are hurting.

I am no psychologist so I can barely speak for others and the behavior that they portray. However, if you’re considering suicide, you must know that once you’re gone, your family and friends are the ones that will confront the same behavior. This is why when one person decides to take their lives, it can affect everyone that cares about you and love you. Suicide is often a tragic and painful circle that never stops dealing pain to others.


If you are suicidal, please don’t mistake what I’m saying. I’m not saying that don’t take your life because your family may get bullied. What I am saying is that suicide is not a solution to any problem.  Ever.

If you are living with the aftermath of a loved one’s suicide, you should take time for yourself. Unplug yourself from social media and the world of the Internet. Don’t give people a clear path to hurt you. Surround yourself with only those people whose energy is positive and that can bring something to your life.  Don’t give these leeches an avenue into your life. Give yourself some time to heal, reminding yourself that you don’t owe anyone anything.

People will make their ignorance known whether you’re on this Earth or not. You have to just keep pushing. You have to just keep moving through, taking one day at a time. Suicide is not the answer and it never truly is.

Not one more life lost to suicide. Not one.