7-year-old's suicide shocks Detroit community

This seriously breaks my heart.

I do everything in my power to deter, stop, and rebuke bullying when i'm confronted with it. I simply will not tolerate it. The ones that fall through the crack like this are the ones that hurt the most, though.

The ability to fight is so taboo right now it is soon to be a national threat.I fought and was paddled when the pricipal asked me if I would ever do it again I stated it wasn't my idea in the first place.I just didn't like getting hit in the face.I then learned Karate and never had to fight in school again.It was quite rewarding sparring while prospective bullies were watching,it saved them and me a lot of grief.Fortunately I became weird and didn't have to worry about fitting in.I got to be me instead.

Originally posted by michaelonats
I think this is about half the story, obviously millions of kids get bullied. NO KID IS GONNA BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO KILL HIMSELF AT AGE 7. Most kids aren't brave enough to brake the rules, you think a kid would kill himself??? You guys have to be paid to post and comment like this. Any1 with a real functioning brain would know that seven year olds are not that brave.

You underestimate the power of a child's intuition. Sure, they may not be able to demonstrate or conceptualize their intuitions into language, but they possess a kind of grok. That, coupled with our collective evolutionary growth with technology that increasingly requires abstraction, may very well have strengthened that grok within the genotype.

I don't understand why kids, who are getting bullied, are resorting to suicide. Why can't kids take a little heckling anymore. I always remember my dad saying when he was in school, they just dealt with the bully on the playground or on some gravel road or they just didn't let the bully bother them.
I literally got bullied everyday from 3rd grade all the way up to my 2nd week into the 9th grade. I went to a private Lutheran School so I didn't know alot of the kids in the public school but growing up in a town of 10,000 people, you recognized ppl. Ive got so many memories of being afraid to ride my bike accross town or go anywhere for that matter because there was a group of about 9 or 10 kids who would chase me and were going to kick my a** if they cought me. I did not know why they didn't like me but every summer I was scared they would catch me. Well, they cought me at the park when I was in 6th grade, I ended up with a broken arm and I was bruised from my elbow all the way up to my shoulder on both arms.
They stole my bike, skateboard. They cought me another time and pointed a BB gun at my when I was passing the one kids house, they told me to stop or they would shoot me. They forced me into his house, no parents were home and now with the BB gun pointed at me and the other kid had a compound bow pulled back and pointed at me, they told me to go in the bathroom, stick my head in the toilet and flush. So I did cuz I thought I was going to die. I got to leave, I got a half a block away and I heard the BB gun fire, I was hit on the right side of my head.
There was the time I was made to drink piss, my dog was poisoned.
Totally messed with all the way up to the week b4 I was going to go to a public school. High School at that. But this same group of guys decided to surround me at the county fair with about 30 other guys, I was shoved, hsd the buttons on my shirt ripped, burned with a cigarette and I took a cheap shot in the mouth that knocked me down to the ground.
I hardly slept that last week of Summer before my freshmen year and I had a lot to think about. Not once did I ever think about killing myself.
You're going to love this. I decided that first week I wasn't going to take anyone's **** anymore. That 2nd week of my freshmen year, I was getting hassled by these guys again who happened to be sophmores. I had enough so I grabbed the biggest guy in their grade who was 6'6 because he was stsrting on me now, well I grabbed him in front of practically the whole school and I kicked his a** and I kicked it good. I was only 5'11.
From that moment, Nobody and I mean nobody messed with me again

So Im going to say it, these kids who are bullied today need to quit being such p****** and stand up for themselves instead of killing themselves. Show that bully he or she is messing with the wrong person. Sometimes a good fist fight is all it takes and it sure is a better option than suicide. Times haven't changed that much since this was happening to me in the late 80s and early 90s. Kids are always going to be kids but I think kids need to toughen up a little bit.

Sorry, I had to share my experiences to make my point. There WAS so much that happened to me I could literally write a 400 page book about it. So when I hear some kid committed suiced because of things the bully said on facebook. I think about how I wish I had facebook when I was growing up.

my stance on suicide has always been.. good! this is a very selfish act telling everyone in your life they've meant nothing but this.. this is beyond horrible and sad beyond description. my heart broke just reading the topic title my heart and prayers desperately go out to this boys family and i will pray for this young man but i'm sure God makes exceptions for the innocent. these bullies need to be made an example of and punished to the fullest extent of the law.. i'm so angry about this but these kids aren't 100% at fault their parents need punished as much or more we're not born to hate it's something we're taught. so sad to think this young man thought this was his only option someone should have caught this before it came to this i know it had to have been going on for a while.

Originally posted by g146541
I endorse this behavior.
This child might have aged and found a mate and muddied up the gene pool.
I suppose someone will now want to write new laws pertaining to bullying and muddy up our legal system again...

I'm going to walk away instead of having thoughts of doing serious harm....

Originally posted by Liquesence
I'm gonna kinda play Devil's advocate here, but not to stir things up or "troll."

Why is everyone focusing solely on the bullying? What with the recent (national) campaigns against bullying, which is terrible (i was bullied as a kid, 'cause i was the dorky smart kid, and i ended up bullying some too), why is no one even mentioning the fact that the kids parents had separated.

The mother told police that her son "had been depressed due to her recent separation from his father; the fact that he had been bullied continuously by the children at school

This is just as significant as bullying, MUCH more common, and can also lead to serious future emotional and behavioral problems.

Everyone is just seeing bullying. While it is certainly a huge factor and should be addressed, and possibly the biggest factor in his death (we don't know for sure), the article goes on an anti-bullying crusade, and everyone on this board is doing the same, and no one is even mentioning how bad separation, divorce and troubles at home are and we should address *those.*

Why is this?

PS: It IS sad that such a young person had so many "perceived" problems as to think suicide was the way out, but where did such a young person GET these ideas????

These are just as important social questions surrounding this incident as bullying, IMO.

ETA: Is it because it (separation/divorce) has become so commonplace and accepted as to not warrant significant attention?

edit on 25-5-2012 by Liquesence because: (no reason given)

I can agree that the parent's actions are the root cause. The child is already depressed, scared, confused, then if someone at school says anything at all, it escalated based on the already aggrivated emotional state and it may be considered much worse than it actually is.
We can't really blame the internet or even tv for the ideas of suicide, they've been around since humanity has been around. We had cousins when I was a child, long before the internet existed and one of them did something similar at a very young age. ...maybe tv did play a role, but not the internet.
A child doesn't think as an adult does... now days, adults don't think as adults should, but that's another topic...
I'm an educator and have had many, many, many classes in child psychology,(which didn't hold a candle to actually working with children, but that, too, is another topic). They go through so much turmoil, even the "well rounded" kids. Their entire lives up until a certain age is a direct result of their home life. If they have a good home life, they have a good hold on things, if they have an unbalanced home life, they don't. If there is a lot of bickering, fighting, emotional turmoil, they're going to suffer from it. Sometimes it's better to be from a single parent home than to be from a home with two parents who constantly fight and bicker.
The story breaks my heart in so many ways

I have a 7 year old son myself and reading this hurts to the very core. I just couldn't even imagine such a thing, just gut wrenching. And at 7 years old how did they not know he was being bullied and do something about it? My son came home once and was a little bit upset and as a mom the first thing I do is ask why! I help him deal with things at school because that is my job, I am his mother and it is my job to still protect him until he is able to do it on his own. I just can't imagine letting your kid be bullied at that age and what about the teachers, how did they not notice this and fix it? I have seen teachers turn blind eyes to these things sometimes though so I can see that happening I guess.

It just is heart wrenching to think of a little 7 year old doing this sort of thing. Little kids at that age reach out in their own ways, you'd have to be an absolute oblivious idiot to not see something was seriously wrong way before he killed himself. Makes me angry because I'd be willing to bet there were signs and it just didn't have to be this way.

reply to post by PurpleChiten


I will give you a star then.
It is best to walk away if you find yourself angry over an internet topic.
There is logic in what I say.
What if this person got to the age where he had access to a tank or a helicopter and then snapped?
Many more could be dead.
It is best for just one, the defective one to be the sacrifice.
My statement was not meant in a mean way but in a logical sense.

The child was 7 which means he was likely in first grade. Although I do not know if first graders are subjected to values clarification, I do know that discussion of death is part of the process of values clarification in our humanist schools.

here is an example

This technique is used in any subject for any grade level. Common themes of discussion are death, sex, drugs, abortion, suicide, parenting, career choices, etc. Death education is one favorite topic for discussion because humanists believe there is no life after death, and they justify abortion, euthanasia, and suicide. They can use Values Clarification to indirectly undermine students' beliefs about these matters.
Hundreds of examples could be cited. See Child Abuse in the Classroom, edited by Phyllis Schlafly, for documented testimony of many such exercises. Some time ago I was sent a copy of a death education survey that was used in an Indiana high school health class. Most questions required the students to state their conviction about some idea or action (strongly agree, agree somewhat, no opinion, etc.). Here are a few of the 57 questions in the survey:


7. How much of a role has religion played in the development of your attitude toward death? ...

8. To what extent do you believe in life after death? ...

9. Regardless of your belief about life after death, what is your wish about it? ...

10. To what extent do you believe in reincarnation? ...

12. If you could choose, when would you die? ...

14. Has there been a time in your life when you wanted to die? [possible reasons are then suggested] ...

19. How do you rate your present mental health? ...

20. Based on your present feelings, what is the probability of your taking your own life in the near future? ...

24. When you think of your own death ..., how do you feel? A. fearful B. Discouraged C. Depressed D. Purposeless [etc.] ...

25. What is your present orientation to your own death? A. Death-seeker B. Death-hastener C. Death-accepter [etc.] ...

29. If you had a choice, what kind of death would you prefer? A. Tragic, violent death ... F. Suicide. G. Homicidal victim [etc.] ...

www.gospelway.com...

Again, first grade is young to be introduced to such topics, but I would sure like to know the curriculum.

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
This is totally sad, and I hate the media for making a big deal of this family's tragedy.
Imagine how the family must feel having their child be the lead story......

I am curious what defines "The media" in this context?
I did not hear one word about this story until I found it here on ATS.
Who should I be mad at for making a big deal of it?
ATS for allowing it?
The OP for posting it?
Contributors to the thread like you and now myself?

Originally posted by ThirdEyeofHorus
The child was 7 which means he was likely in first grade.

Was he slow?
7 is second grade round here. Kindergarten 5, first 6, etc...
Did I miss something about why this kid would have been held back a year?

It's pretty tragic and sad to hear this.
But, a messed up society will produce these incidents.
The whole concept of marriage and family revolves around the children but it's sad to see that it has become a game for adults.
A feminized society will lead to chaos....

Originally posted by Autumnal

Originally posted by ThirdEyeofHorus
The child was 7 which means he was likely in first grade.

Was he slow?
7 is second grade round here. Kindergarten 5, first 6, etc...
Did I miss something about why this kid would have been held back a year?

I thought that it depended on the birth date as there is a cutoff date. I found your response to be a bit snippy personally.

Missouri law states:

A child is eligible for admission to first grade if the child reaches the age of six (6) before the first day of August of the school year beginning in that calendar year.

dese.mo.gov...

Therefore, In Missouri, if your child happened to turn 7 any time after August of the calender year (for instance my son turned 7 in October so that would mean he was 6 in August that also would mean that he would have been 5 the previous August, so I would not have been able to enroll him when he was 5, but in any case, he was in Montessori pre-school which is far superior to public school so ask me if I care about your misconceptions) then your snippety attitude is all for naught. Capiche? Comprendez-vouz?

Florida law is apparently different as their date is Feb 1 of any calendar year, but my son was 6 in Missouri not Florida.

Here is Florida law

Does Florida law specify an age requirement for admission into a public school first grade?
No. However, Florida law does specify that all children who have attained the age of six years or who will have attained the age of six years by February 1 of any school year are required to attend school regularly during the entire school term. (Section 1003.21(1)(a)1, Florida Statutes). Although Florida law does not provide a specific age requirement for enrollment to public first grade, the provisions of Florida law related to kindergarten admission and student progression dictate that first grade enrollment be limited to (1) students who turn six years old on or before September 1 who have successfully completed kindergarten;

www.fldoe.org...

Further, a google search of Michigan law states thus:

(2) A child becoming 6 years of age before December 1 shall be enrolled on the first school day of the school year in which the child's sixth birthday occurs, and a child becoming 6 years of age on or after December 1 shall be enrolled on the first school day of the school year following the school year in which the child's sixth birthday occurs.

www.legislature.mi.gov...(S(txcbi5memm3ror45vil4lcju))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-380-1561


So if the child became 6 after Dec 1 he would have to enroll in the next year, after which he would turn SEVEN after Dec of THAT school year, therefore he would STILL be SEVEN before the end of the school term.

I would therefore recommend some civics classes for you, and in addition maybe charm school.

Originally posted by ThirdEyeofHorus
I thought that it depended on the birth date as there is a cutoff date. I found your response to be a bit snippy personally.

Yes it does but you have to be on the rare end to have a birthday that puts you into first grade at age 6 which is why I ASKED the question I asked.
Asking you if there was something you knew that I did not is snippy? Must be how you read it.

I would therefore recommend some civics classes for you, and in addition maybe charm school.

Civics lessons would not help me. You being able to read what you posted might though. If you want me to go to charm school then it is high time for introspection. What you are getting here from me is simply what you have offered to me in the past. Garbage in =garbage out.

Now, I asked because I genuinely wanted to know if there was some cognitive or developmental issues with this kid that I did not see in my initial reading. You apparently need to prove that technically, you are only 75% wrong and that I am not nice. Seems like a crappy thread to get on a personal crusade in.

reply to post by Autumnal


Do you really have to argue this point with me? I have just shown you that dates vary and you still have to try to be right somehow. Get over it. And no you are not nice, it just never occurred to you that some kids are not 6 during any given time in first grade so you assumed that the kid had to have been held back. That is understandable of course, as I did take the time to look up laws in three different states.

However, I will take your concern about the child as genuine consideration.


GIven this response;

Civics lessons would not help me. You being able to read what you posted might though

I am not betting on either civics class or charm school to be of much help.


In the end, would it have mattered that much ultimately had he been in second grade? At 7 how did he come to find out ways to commit suicide?

Originally posted by Human_Alien


I blame parenting (or dysfunctional home life) first.
Television/movies second.
Magazines/media thirdly and school.... last

Don't think the media will be before school, it barely exists in a 7 year olds life.

Originally posted by Macabe
Question is how did a 7 year old know how to commit suicide? Did he see something on the web - a video from some sick site that gave him the idea of tying a belt around his neck? Usually self-inflicted deaths of children at this age are accidental, like swallowing medicine they find or playing with a gun/fire. This just raises some really disturbing questions, beyond the bullying issue.

Intelligence and imagination are all that are required. The same intelligence and imagination that likely led to his being bullied. Stop looking for secondary enabling factors. They are NOT the problem, though attacking them would assuage the conscience of people who really don't give a damn.

True story.

reply to post by Greensage

I cannot swallow this and not feel something is terribly amiss here...

The video "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America" has some info about child suicides sky rocketing over recent times.
It shows a statistics chart that is pretty shocking (@8 min. point).

Originally posted by Swamper

Originally posted by Human_Alien


I blame parenting (or dysfunctional home life) first.
Television/movies second.
Magazines/media thirdly and school.... last

Don't think the media will be before school, it barely exists in a 7 year olds life.

I disagree about media not existing in a 7 year olds life. Constant TV, constant video games, they're over-exposed in many cases. However, I still put most of the influence on the parenting. If it was school as the major contributing factor, there would have been a large number of suicides in the same class, not just one. This is a very localized event, the parents are the major influence not only physically and psychologically but possibly biologically as well.
It all starts at home. All the crazy lawsuits, all the screaming and shouting, all the putting blame on others... the parents are the primary caregivers and the people who have the most influence on a day to day basis. They are hurting and didn't cause it intentionally, but they are the root cause. I wonder how many times they had screaming matches and one of them shouted "I'll just kill myself" or something of that nature? Those things stick in the minds of children, they're not adults, they don't have the critical thinking skills yet and they don't have the coping skills yet.
There are many people having children that shouldn't be because they aren't ready. They haven't matured enough to take care of themselves, let alone take care of a child.
You have to get a license to drive a car, you even have to get a license to catch a fish, but any ****** &(*#@# can have a child