Family devastated after 13-year-old Donegal girl commits suicide due to vicious online bullying

carinad is right about the harm done by cyber-bullying. Bullies "block" their victims on social network sites and then proceed to lie about those they've blocked, they insult and denigrate them, and the victims have no idea what's being said or how many of their peers read it. The victims then suffer the effects when others pick up on the stories and shout abuse at the victims, who have no way to respond. Victims of bullies receive series of harassing emails and virus links and online attacks, sometimes anonymous and sometimes from people they thought were friends, as well as in-person, verbal abuse. For a teenager, the effects can be devastating because there's no way to stop it, no escape. Bullies who get away with such attacks do not "grow out of it" but continue into middle age with coteries of helpers who get their sadistic kicks from laughing about the damage they cause. Lynch-mob mentality takes over. With cyber-bullying in particular, going to the police is not simple because there are complex problems of criminal jurisdiction. For teenagers and younger, the schools are the best sites for dealing with it, but parents must pressure both schools and social network sites as well, and they must file expensive civil lawsuits.

woah woah woah! slow down preacher! before obligations to anyone else or god you have an obligation to yourself! it is absolutely disgusting what erin was put through. u cant understand what she was thinking until u have been there urself. its sooo easy to sit there and say 'agh, mortal sin!' having gone through something similar myself, Erin in no way is to be blamed. bullying isnt taken seriously at all! its tragic aswell that childrens lives have to be lost for any notice to be taken. having a website where you can post things to people annonymously is a stupid idea! making it so easy for bullys to torment and harass others! it was asking for trouble the moment it was set up.

If it's so serious then go to the police. They will determine whether or not a crime has been committed... some of this is free speech and some is harassment. The police can decide if is their problem to solve, or leave it at the school level.

BULLYING SHOULD BE TREATED WITH THE UTMOST SERIOUSNESS BY SCHOOLS ESPECIALLY,no chance the horrible lowlife cowards will feel any remorse, or their parents for failing to instill any sense of decency in their nasty progeny.with the lax politically correct non existant dicipline,the schools are powerless to address this problem which drives young and sensitive children to self destruction.IT just goes on and on,because our useless politicoes are in thrall to eu human rights pc crap.and incapable of putting in place legistlation to stamp this out.rip little girl.

tragic, just tragic

Woundedknee. I seriously doubt the parents of the bullies responsable for Erins death have a clue as to what has been occurring. If proven any have they should end up before the courts. I myself am barely able to work this laptop so wouldn`t even atempt to venture anywhere near my grown childrens smartphones etc for fear of inocently causing damage or losing their info. How many parents have even heard of the site Erin was using.How many differant ways and locations are there to access these sites. I haven`t got a clue and sure I`m not alone. From where I stand with very limited knowledge of everchanging technology, I hope that education on the consequences as in this case can at least make some differance.

Jetsnoone . Others will ask where was God when this poor CHILD was agonising in isloation. A child "God only knows" what actual suffering she had gone through to arrive at such a decision.

Ah, I meant first 6 commandment which are relevant to kids today....a false God for them is the internet --- get off and live your life.

Seamus, Kids should not commit suicide to escape the pain bullies inflict. They have a couple of OBLIGATTIONS that they haven't been taught or that they are choosing to ignore. First and foremost, kids must be taught their obligation to God and that is to know that suicide is a mortal sin. Sadly many Irish and American kids are allowed by their parents to ignore faith and God. After God, kids have an obligation to their parents and that is not to inflict tremendous pain on them by hurting or killing yourself....Kids must be challenged like all of us to live up to our obligations to God and parents. A kid who is old enough to harm himself/herself is old enough to understand it is wrong. Aren't the first 4 of the Commandmets about this anyway? Modern world ignores the concept of obliagtion whereas we should all embrace the ones that are right and just.

Jetsnoone. I seriously doubt anyone so far gone to contemplate this action are worrying about what is or is not a mortal sin. Lets not forget its children who are inflicting such agony on other children. Would it happen so often should they be better made aware of the consequences of their actions.

The sister greaves her sister's death by posting on Facebook???...if these kids had there faith intact they would realize that killing yourself is a mortal sin.... Irish still believe in mortal sin, no? Irish kids: please realize that Facebook is crap...get involved with reading, sports, prayer....social networks are brain rot!

We shouldn't call it 'bullying' anymore. We should call it 'criminal abuse' or 'peer abuse' because those come closer to modern understandings of what relentless 24/7 social network abuse looks and sounds like.

Couldn't disagree with you more, Mark Terebin. Cyber bullying is very much in the forefront here in Canada and the US. Here in Ontario, the authorities are taking it very seriously. One week ago, police in London, Ontario entered a secondary school and arrested 8 girls. They were charged with criminal harassment for physical, emotional and cyberbullying. Many schools here turn a blind eye to what's happening right under their noses. I'm glad to see the police intervening in these situations. Hope it continues!

We always hear about the victim, and of course that is right, but we never seem to hear about the bullies. These children need to be exposed, and also their parents, since the children are doing their dirty work on the parents' computer and internet line. If bullies had to face public exposure they'd skulk away like the cowards they are. I'd love to see the parents of one of these tragic victims suing the bullies and their parents. Lastly, why are girls much more likely to bully than boys?

Finn Valley College can begin today, not only by aiding students through any grieving process but by establishing an on-going curriculum that discusses internet use, cyber bullying, protecting oneself, developing a defense system to nullify the bullying source and starting a petition to challenge the website's policies regarding harmful dialogue. Mark Terebin's comments that Ireland and the UK are the worst places where bullying occurs are absurd. He claims he receives no complaints! The community might coordinate an effort to send thousands of complaints.