The Mysterious Suicide of 12yr Old William.
Dear parent, dear mom...you need to read this story
to prevent this from happening to your child.
This is a story all parents should learn from.
It is a very sad one.
Just follow carefully and read every letter till the end.
This happened 5yrs ago in Georgia, USA.
There was a little boy, William, in his first year in high school
(that is like JSS1 here in Nigeria)
William was a shy boy. He had so little confidence in his own abilities as a result of his small stature, and a rare disease that made his head bigger than normal.
Williams classmates used to laugh a lot a William, and would call him
"Head Master, Head Boy, Head of Horror.."
All sorts of names - but these kids were just being kids.
They had no idea they were damaging William.
William would go to school everyday with fears in his heart,
and he would return home with tears in his eyes.
Such a poor and lonely boy, nobody wanted to be his friend, except Samantha, his
neighbour.
Little William's parents were not helping matters as well.
At home, Williams parents were always complaining about his poor grades.
"You had an F in Maths again?! What are you thinking with your head?
Can't you see Andrew? He's also your mate. Why can't you just be like him for once"
And one Friday...the worst happened.
4 boys met William in class, and
they started abusing him. When he tried to defend himself, they beat him up.
Fed up with life, William went to the middle of the road, and...
He ran into an oncoming truck.
Many people rushed to the scene, and they rushed William to the hospital.
But he died before they got there.
A letter was found in his bag:
It said - "Mom and dad, I'm sorry for not being the son you hoped I would be. I truly hope you find another son who makes you proud. Love, William."
It was a hearbreaking thing to read..
William's mother read the letter and cried her heart out - She was totally torn to pieces..
She had failed her only son. The community had failed William as well.
Listen dear parent, bullying is real and it could come in so many forms..
It could be physical or mental.
Your kids may be bullied in school either by their peers or teachers.
Let me explain - if another kid likes to beat up your kid, for no reason, this is physical bullying.
If they abuse your child, this is emotional bullying.
If a teacher asks other kids to sing an abusive song to your child for failing a class assignment, this is
emotional bullying.
As a parent, if you constantly compare your kids to other children, you are emotionally bullying them.
A example is this statement - "Can't you see Mary? Does she have two heads? Is she not
your mate? Can't you just be like her? You this stubborn girl"
A better way to say this is - "Listen Ann, I know you're a good girl. But I want you to do better, just like your friend, Mary. Do you promise me to do better next time?"
This way your child would feel more confident in her ability.
If your child is being bullied, please call a meeting with the parent of that child, and have a discussion with them.
If a teacher is bullying your child, by calling him names for failing an assignment or a test, please see them and ask them to stop it. This is really dangerous.
If your child is the one bullying people, please don't just think he would outgrow it, help him see that he is causing damage to another person.
Kids who are being bullied would have the following -
Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.
Kids who bully are most likely to -
- Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults
- Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
- Engage in early sexual activity
- Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
- Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults
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