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It's hard to imagine what could possibly cause a 10-year-old girl to take her own life, but the answer appears to be bullying. According to TODAY, Ashlynn Connor hung herself at her home in rural Illinois after her classmates tormented her for two years, teasing her about the way she looked and calling her "fat," "ugly," and "a slut." It became such an issue that Ashlynn asked her mother if she could be homeschooled.
While homeschooling wasn't an option, Ashlynn's mother, Stacy Connor, tried to advise her daughter on how to deal with the bullying and even brought up the issue to teachers and school officials, according to the interview. Ashlynn herself is said to have talked to three different teachers, each of whom allegedly told her to "stop tattling."
School bullying has become a serious issue, affecting children of all ages and starting as early as preschool. How do you prevent it from happening to your own child? Dr. Gail Saltz, psychiatrist and TODAY contributor, advised parents to stay aware of their children's feelings. "Children, unlike adults, can look depressed one moment and happy and okay the next. So it's hard to detect when they are actually depressed." Click here to learn how to help your child if you think he's being bullied and watch the heartbreaking TODAY interview below.
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