It's a terribly sad day when a child dies before their time. But when I read the story of a 7-year-old boy who had been found by his 14-year-old sister after committing suicide, I was beyond shocked. Not a lot of information has been released about the boy except to say that he had been depressed lately. I still wonder though, he was so young. Did he really know what he was doing by committing suicide?
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I'll admit the boy sounds like he had a pretty bad time lately. His mother told the police that he had been depressed because he was bullied by kids at school and around his neighborhood, plus his parent's recent separation wasn't making him feel any better. Although I wonder how much he could really understand about suicide, being so young, but Polly Gibson, a child psychologist at the University of Michigan, says that they still need to be considered:
Any time a child makes a threat or engages in talking about suicide, it should always be taken seriously. We shouldn't think that because a child is a child, there's no way (he or she) can act on those behaviors.
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This is not the first time that bullying by peers has led to a child's suicide. It's absolutely terrible what has happened and his mother couldn't be more shocked. Neither could I. Although the city of Detroit, where the child's family lives, has anti-bullying legislation, clearly there isn't enough being done about the issue.
What do you think of this 7 year old kid's suicide? Do you think parents and the government can be doing more to stop bullying? Share with us in the comments below!
Image via JKleeman/flickr
