DA warns about cyberbullying after Alabama 10-year-old pushed to kill herself

DA warns about cyberbullying after Alabama 10-year-old pushed to kill herself

An Alabama District Attorney is warning parents about the dangers of cyberbullying after an incident involving a 10-year-old.

In a social media post, Marshall County DA Jennifer Bray’s office said it was made aware of an incident regarding cyberbullying involving a fifth grader at a local elementary school. The incident involved one child creating a Snapchat group with multiple classmates and, once everyone was in the group, the child changed the group name to “(Other Child’s Name) Kill Urself (sic),” in reference to another child in the Snapchat group.

“This group involved 10-year-olds messaging other 10-year-olds to commit suicide. Unfortunately, this is just one example of many,” the state noted.

“As you know, we don’t believe children in elementary and middle school should have unfettered access to cell phones and especially not social media, but we do believe in parental choice. If you decide to allow your child to have a cell phone or social media, please just keep cyberbullying in mind. Help ensure that your child is not a cyberbully and that your child is not being cyberbullied,” the statement noted.

According to statistics from the DA’s office, one in every four teens has experienced cyberbullying. Signs of cyberbullying include increased device use, anger or anxiety after using a device, hiding devices when others are nearby and not wanting to attend school.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, crisis lines are available 24/7 at 988.