11-year old Brony attempts suicide after being bullied

[Dattebayo 446]

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/national_world&id=9420438

 

February 5, 2014 (RALEIGH, N.C.) -- An 11-year-old boy is in the hospital after trying to commit suicide -- the victim of bullying at school.

 

Michael Morones remains in WakeMed hospital with a tube down his throat and potentially life-long brain damage. Michael tried to kill himself, apparently because he could no longer take the torrent of bullying he was facing at school.

"He's the kid that never walks. He dances everywhere," said Michael's mother, Tiffany Morones-Suttle. "He's so full of energy. He's always on the move."

Michael's parents say he was that way even in the face of daunting bullying at school. Michael likes the cartoon "My Little Pony." It turns out, the cartoon has a growing, and perhaps unlikely fan club -- men and boys known as "Bronies." Because of that, Michael was teased so much that ten days ago he decided to do something about it.

"He hung himself off the side of the bunk bed, off the railing," said Morones-Suttle.

His parents got him to the hospital, but the damage had already been done. Oxygen to his brain had been cut off.

"We won't know for months how much is going to heal," said Morones-Suttle. "It could even be years before we find out what potential for healing he has."

You might think Michael's parents would be furious with the kids who were bullying their son, but that wouldn't be in keeping with the show at the center of what they were teasing him about.

"It teaches the most basic moral values to a lot of complex thoughts," said Michael's stepfather, Shannon Suttle.

Fans of the show, like Michael, try to live the motto that friendship is magic.

"I've heard a lot of people say you need to go after bullies and hold them responsible," said Morones-Suttle. "But you know, I don't think that's what Mike would want. I would rather teach people how to do right than turn around than punish, because punishment doesn't always work."

Michael has gotten support from as far away as Ireland, and a lot of money, which is used for Michael's care, but also to start a nonprofit to help with bullying. As Michael's father tells it, it's more than their goal. It's quickly become their mission.

Incredibly, the bullying hasn't stopped. Michael's parents say just Sunday night on a generally supportive website, a few people left hurtful comments. They say that just strengthens their resolve to fight bullying, and makes that mission that much more clear.

Bullying prevention expert Nancy Mullin said Michael's age is right in the prime age for suicides.

"Eleven to 15-year-old boys are very much at risk for thinking about suicide when they're perceived as being gay," said Mullin.

She credits Michael's parents with supporting his interest rather than reinforcing shameful feelings.

"The missing piece here is what the school is doing about this," said Mullin.

Mullin says while North Carolina is one of 49 states with bullying prevention laws, not enough is being done to implement programs.

Michael was scheduled to have a tracheotomy Tuesday.

 

This is god-damned pathetic.

It makes me furious that people are so freakin' cruel.

I have no words. Just...hang in there, man.

Every brony is a homie.

[burnfitbillyboy 505]

That's ridiculous! Do what you want and let people do what they want, there's no reason to be a dick about it.

[Plumbers Crack 4,059]

Sad

[Palle 491]

Can't even get angry... Sad.

I hope he will recover...

[deterioration 443]

Nope - Dids.

[Drifter 851]

I think it's sad that people feel the need to pick on someone else just because they don't agree or understand what they person likes. I myself don't get the fascination teen boys have with the my little pony thing these days, but hell it's better that they like that than something that is not good for them so it's not my place to tell them what to like. I'm sure teen boys wouldn't like some of the stuff I am into so who has the right to stand in judgment of another? Didn't strokes for different folks is my opinion.

 

On the flip side though...I just don't get the whole "I got bullied so I'm gonna kill myself" mentality either, why is that the big thing these days? When I was in school if someone bullied you then you simply meet them out in the back of the school yard after school and settled it then and there. Why is it that a kids first thought these days is I got bullied so I'll show him, I'll kill myself. I don't understand that.

[cyberninja2601 1,106]

@Drifter, I don't understand why you would want to kill yourself either, however you can be bullied much more effectively these days that when we grew up.

 

With social media and the onslaught from facebook, cellphones, twitter it's pretty easy to get a mob to torment someone. Before when you bullied you had to do it somewhat face to face which could mean a good ass kicking if you decided to torment the wrong person.

 

Now you even get people to jump on the bandwagon that never even met who they are harassing just for the sake of harassing since there are no real consequences to them being dicks.

[Drifter 851]

 

With social media and the onslaught from facebook, cellphones, twitter it's pretty easy to get a mob to torment someone. Before when you bullied you had to do it somewhat face to face which could mean a good ass kicking if you decided to torment the wrong person.

 

True...which is why the parents need to be doing their job and monitoring what is going on in their kids lives IMO. Most of these kids now a days that are being bullied or doing the bullying are 11-14 yrs old. At that age they really have no need for a cell phone yet IMO, and personally I would not let my 11-14 yr old use social media till they were a bit older, or if they did then I would oversee what they are posting/receiving. So I would say if people want to stop this bullying/suicide nonsense then it needs to start with the parents.

[Playertd 177]

I don't get what's stopping the kids who are getting online bullied from turning off their facebook/twitter page....it's easy to bully online but it's also super easy to ignore it.

[techno 3,509]

True...which is why the parents need to be doing their job and monitoring what is going on in their kids lives IMO. Most of these kids now a days that are being bullied or doing the bullying are 11-14 yrs old. At that age they really have no need for a cell phone yet IMO, and personally I would not let my 11-14 yr old use social media till they were a bit older, or if they did then I would oversee what they are posting/receiving. So I would say if people want to stop this bullying/suicide nonsense then it needs to start with the parents.

I disagree my teenagers had mobile phones their girls and I like the fact there safer when walking too and from school or out with mates if they carry one, its a quick call to me or someone, same if routines change.

Social media I find if used in the manner intended is fine, as you say parents should take an interest also i woukd argue its not the tool it's the user.

Look at the gun dispute in america as an example.

One more thing who's to say this didn't happen more often in the past these days with more news coverage more stories are being broadcast.

[Dattebayo 446]

I was never a "love and tolerate" type of brony. String the bastards by the eyelids, I say.

 

On the flip side though...I just don't get the whole "I got bullied so I'm gonna kill myself" mentality either, why is that the big thing these days? When I was in school if someone bullied you then you simply meet them out in the back of the school yard after school and settled it then and there. Why is it that a kids first thought these days is I got bullied so I'll show him, I'll kill myself. I don't understand that.

It's not a "Ha, that showed them" thing, by far.

Being bullied eats away at you to the point of feeling empty. I can't describe the feeling really, it's just horrible. And if it keeps on going and going and there's nothing you can do about it...

Things can get pretty desperate.

 

I, myself, was bullied when I was little, and I developed a hard shell as a front to prevent any further attacks. It certainly worked, as I traded a few suspensions for a (school) lifetime of untouchability.

I got really good at fighting, too. It's sad it had to come to that, but such is life.

The interwebs is truly the only place I can be myself.

Ironic, isn't it?

 

 

Nope - Dids.

I don't even want to know what you posted.

[Drifter 851]

 

One more thing who's to say this didn't happen more often in the past these days with more news coverage more stories are being broadcast.

 

 

No problem, we don't agree on the kids with phones thing, no biggie. My thoughts on that though would be if it's for safety reasons then get a prepaid phone and it solves that issue. I just don't think a kid 11-14 years old needs a phone. My sister let my Niece have one when she was 12 yrs old, she pays almost $100 per month for her to have the phone. She said it was for safety too, but yet what it boils down to is she is paying $100 per month so my niece can text every 15 seconds because that's all she does. I just don't agree with kids that young needing a phone, but again that's just me.

 

Far as the suicide thing- I believe it didn't happen as much in the past though as being true because of a few reasons. News has always been out there, back in the 70's-80's when I was growing up there was basically just three UHF channels and two VHF channels on TV (no cable) so there may not have been as many outlets for news, but because of that fact anything that was actual "news" such as a kid killing themselves due to being bullied surly would have been on the news when it happened. Plus you hear more of this sort of thing even in local schools here now. My niece knows a couple girls that are "cutters" because they have problems dealing with things. We never had kids cutting themselves back years ago. So I do believe that this suicide and cutting and all this stuff is mostly more prevalent in the past 10-15 years than it ever was back 20-30 yrs ago.

[Drifter 851]

 

t's not a "Ha, that showed them" thing, by far.

Being bullied eats away at you to the point of feeling empty. I can't describe the feeling really, it's just horrible. And if it keeps on going and going and there's nothing you can do about it...

Things can get pretty desperate.

 

 

I understand, but that's also my point though to a certain extent. My point was that back when I was younger kids were bullied as well back then, but they never tried to kill themselves or hurt themselves in any way. And that's what I am getting at. I don't mean this in an ill manner or to insult you or anyone else Dattebayo because you know I like you your a pretty good dude so please don't take this the wrong way but I just don't know how else to say this than to just say it like this....

 

These days it seems kids that are bullied just automatically hang their head in shame and get all emotional and depressed and then start doing things like cutting themselves or trying to kill themselves. Back when I was a kid it someone bullied you then you didn't get all emotional and depressed, you called that F'er out and you had a fight and kicked his ass and normally that would be the last time he would bother you after that. And if he ended up kicking your ass then usually he would still stop bothering you because even though you lost you earned his respect for standing up to him.

 

I am not advocating violence, and I know some people will disagree with me on this and that is fine, but I just feel that society today with all it's good intentions about raising kids to be a certain way is actually having the reverse effect and it is turning some kids into meek depressed kids that have no self value and no inner strength and that in turn creates problems like wanting to kill yourself at 11 yrs old. Like I said I know some people wont agree with me, but there's a time when standing up for yourself and kicking some ass does a world of good.

 

I'll get off my soap box now

[Dattebayo 446]

I understand, but that's also my point though to a certain extent. My point was that back when I was younger kids were bullied as well back then, but they never tried to kill themselves or hurt themselves in any way. And that's what I am getting at. I don't mean this in an ill manner or to insult you or anyone else Dattebayo because you know I like you your a pretty good dude so please don't take this the wrong way but I just don't know how else to say this than to just say it like this....

 

These days it seems kids that are bullied just automatically hang their head in shame and get all emotional and depressed and then start doing things like cutting themselves or trying to kill themselves. Back when I was a kid it someone bullied you then you didn't get all emotional and depressed, you called that F'er out and you had a fight and kicked his ass and normally that would be the last time he would bother you after that. And if he ended up kicking your ass then usually he would still stop bothering you because even though you lost you earned his respect for standing up to him.

 

I am not advocating violence, and I know some people will disagree with me on this and that is fine, but I just feel that society today with all it's good intentions about raising kids to be a certain way is actually having the reverse effect and it is turning some kids into meek depressed kids that have no self value and no inner strength and that in turn creates problems like wanting to kill yourself at 11 yrs old. Like I said I know some people wont agree with me, but there's a time when standing up for yourself and kicking some ass does a world of good.

 

I'll get off my soap box now

I agree, really. But times have changed, 'spose. 

It's just that some people are just not fighters, some are just sensitive.

This would've been a happier story if the poor guy just had enough of that guy's sh*t and plain kicked that guy's ass.

 

Unfortunately, it wasn't...so it's not. :/

[Shocketh 85]

Saw this on facebook the other day, really sad. 

[cyberninja2601 1,106]

True...which is why the parents need to be doing their job and monitoring what is going on in their kids lives IMO. Most of these kids now a days that are being bullied or doing the bullying are 11-14 yrs old. At that age they really have no need for a cell phone yet IMO, and personally I would not let my 11-14 yr old use social media till they were a bit older, or if they did then I would oversee what they are posting/receiving. So I would say if people want to stop this bullying/suicide nonsense then it needs to start with the parents.

 

 

I agree to some extent that parents have to take responsibility. I have 2 kids. A daughter 15 and son 17. They got their phones (prepaid) for safety reason and the to able to be in touch. That allowed them to participate in all the school clubs and get a ride home or let us know they would be late. They had to agree with the phone that we are allowed to look at it any time we want.

 

Unfortunately schools have come to expect that kids have the technology. There assignments are posted on facebook and some class discussions are encouraged to occur on facebook. I don't agree with it, but I can't fight the school board and win. 

 

I don't get what's stopping the kids who are getting online bullied from turning off their facebook/twitter page....it's easy to bully online but it's also super easy to ignore it.

 

I disagree. Even if you turn off you phone the world around you sees what is happening and it is still a source of torment. It's impossible not to notice a large group talking about you and making fun of you

 

 

I understand, but that's also my point though to a certain extent. My point was that back when I was younger kids were bullied as well back then, but they never tried to kill themselves or hurt themselves in any way. And that's what I am getting at. I don't mean this in an ill manner or to insult you or anyone else Dattebayo because you know I like you your a pretty good dude so please don't take this the wrong way but I just don't know how else to say this than to just say it like this....

 

These days it seems kids that are bullied just automatically hang their head in shame and get all emotional and depressed and then start doing things like cutting themselves or trying to kill themselves. Back when I was a kid it someone bullied you then you didn't get all emotional and depressed, you called that F'er out and you had a fight and kicked his ass and normally that would be the last time he would bother you after that. And if he ended up kicking your ass then usually he would still stop bothering you because even though you lost you earned his respect for standing up to him.

 

I am not advocating violence, and I know some people will disagree with me on this and that is fine, but I just feel that society today with all it's good intentions about raising kids to be a certain way is actually having the reverse effect and it is turning some kids into meek depressed kids that have no self value and no inner strength and that in turn creates problems like wanting to kill yourself at 11 yrs old. Like I said I know some people wont agree with me, but there's a time when standing up for yourself and kicking some ass does a world of good.

 

I'll get off my soap box now

 

I think people feel a lot more isolated these days and that lead to the problem. I live in a rather large community with lots of kids. I never never see kids playing outside. When I grew up there were kids out everywhere. The park is one street over, it's always empty. One sure way to not be bullied is to show up to school with 10-15 friends. 

 

Also these days if you call someone out the next thing you know is someone bringing a gun to school. 

 

Peoples values are all messed up.

 

Parents are also not parenting in a lot of cases because they are too busy earning a living 

[techno 3,509]

No problem, we don't agree on the kids with phones thing, no biggie. My thoughts on that though would be if it's for safety reasons then get a prepaid phone and it solves that issue. I just don't think a kid 11-14 years old needs a phone. My sister let my Niece have one when she was 12 yrs old, she pays almost $100 per month for her to have the phone. She said it was for safety too, but yet what it boils down to is she is paying $100 per month so my niece can text every 15 seconds because that's all she does. I just don't agree with kids that young needing a phone, but again that's just me.

 

 

 

 

Nah its all fine man i know how much the damn things cost, and your right about the whole text thing my mid to late teen daughters never see to put their phones down, thank god for unlimited text contracts

[Docwagon 856]

 News has always been out there, back in the 70's-80's when I was growing up there was basically just three UHF channels and two VHF channels on TV (no cable) so there may not have been as many outlets for news, but because of that fact anything that was actual "news" such as a kid killing themselves due to being bullied surly would have been on the news when it happened. 

 

News tended to stay more local in those days.  You didn't have 24 hour news channels who needed to fill their air time so they showed stuff from all over the country to everyone all over the country.  It loses context, because all news is reported like its local news.  Take the 'knock out game' coverage.  Every news cast made it sound like it was an imminent danger to YOU THE VIEWER, regardless of the fact it happened six states away and your state never had a single confirmed instance of it.

 

The media is also much more savvy about what people will watch, and its all about ratings.  "If it bleeds, it leads" is too simplistic now.  They know what will generate maximum outrage, which generates maximum exposure.

[Diddums 4,346]

Gary if you don't pick an avatar, I'll pick one for you. I hope you like pink tricycles.

[Drifter 851]

 

News tended to stay more local in those days.  You didn't have 24 hour news channels who needed to fill their air time so they showed stuff from all over the country to everyone all over the country.  It loses context, because all news is reported like its local news.  Take the 'knock out game' coverage.  Every news cast made it sound like it was an imminent danger to YOU THE VIEWER, regardless of the fact it happened six states away and your state never had a single confirmed instance of it.

 

The media is also much more savvy about what people will watch, and its all about ratings.  "If it bleeds, it leads" is too simplistic now.  They know what will generate maximum outrage, which generates maximum exposure.

 

 

Doc...we are close to the same age, so...if what you said was true...you telling me if a kid in 1980 killed himself because of being bullied it would not make the main stream news?? Sorry doc, I always like and agree with you, but that one I do not agree with bud. I remember back in the day everything was broadcast. I remember news stories from states and people I never thought of back when I was a kid. No biggie but I just don't agree I guess.

[techno 3,509]

Gary if you don't pick an avatar, I'll pick one for you. I hope you like pink tricycles.

Go for your life

I don't have a way to do one as I only have my phone.

Edit....well look at that apparently it is possible.

[deterioration 443]

I don't even want to know what you posted.

Nothing of value. This is an interesting thread.

[Drifter 851]

EDIT

 

NM- not even going to lower myself. Have a good day.

[Corey the Kiwi 83]

Carrying on from what Datte has said, the pure size of social media has resulted in cyber bullying being the main form of bullying. It is rarely the physical bullying it used to be, at least in my experience, but much more personal. People often say that the child can just turn off their social media, which I agree with in some aspects, but that is basically giving up; letting the bully change who you are. 

 

With that being said I have been lucky and have never really been bullied in my life. Of course there have been occasional things but those have been one-offs. Even within my school I do not see very much bullying at all; of course that could just speak volumes for the case that the children who are being bullied become isolated and alone. We can all say things like "toughen up" or "they are just over-reacting" but I think we must realise how alone and depressed you must be to seriously consider committing suicide. 

 

Also with what Drifter has been saying, although I believe in standing up for yourself, with cyber bullying it is never generally a sole bully or a few bullies picking on you. It is often just one person starting it and, all of a sudden, the whole of the school is talking about you. So calling a bully out and fighting them is hard when it is large groups of people that are doing the damage. 

[wapntake 23]

I can relate to the misery this lad felt, when i was at school (in the 1970s) i was the fat little kid with national health specs and i had a horrendous time at school, there was no physical bullying it was all mental (constant name calling and threats etc) but at least when i came home it stopped until school the next day whereas now with social media it's constant, my parents never knew about this as back then getting your parents and teachers involved made the situation a lot worse, the only pleasure i got was that now and then they got caught bullying someone and got the cane for their troubles, i hated every minute of school because of this and blame it (and them) for my lack of self belief and confidence through my life. i never thought about taking my own life all i wanted was revenge and to get my own back somehow which i did to a few of them in later life as i saw a couple of them out and told their wives what they did and how it has affected me and felt no guilt in doing so after, i still feel bitter even now towards these people and will probably always will do.