Girl hangs herself after repeated taunts

[NJNetz]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>A teenage girl with red hair hanged herself after being subjected to repeated taunts including being called “Ginger”, “Freckle face” and “Pig nose”, an inquest was told yesterday.

Kelsey Jade Winter, 13, coloured her hair blonde and wore heavy foundation to mask her freckles because of severe bullying by fellow pupils at Teesdale Comprehensive School, Co Durham. She died on August 12 after hanging herself from the handle of her bedroom window.

It was not the first time that the teenager – described by her parents as hard-working and bubbly – had attempted to harm herself. Two months before her death, she told a school counsellor that she had put a belt around her neck and had decided to “end it all”.

According to an extract from Kelsey’s diary, read to the inquest at Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court by her mother, Carolann, the teenager said: “I put a belt around my neck and pulled it tight . . . my face went purple. I took it off. I went to school and told the counsellor and told them not to tell mum.”

Joan Edwards, the counsellor, told the inquest that she saw Kelsey ten times over eight weeks in the months before the teenager’s death but had not referred her to outside help. On one ocassion the schoolgirl had told her that she wanted to “end it all”, Mrs Edwards said.</div>
Source

 

[#1_War_Poet_ForLife]

Being called that is severe? I'm guessing there was more to it than that; she was obviously mentally sick.
It's sad that it happened, but, come on, if she does not have some kind of illness, that's ridiculous. People get called much worse than that.

 

[zєяσ]

She was not mentally tough but didnt school employees do anything to at least lessen the taunts?
And Edwards is obviously not good at her job if she didnt recommend outside help after the girl told her that she wanted to "end it all".

 

[GMJ]

I've got a feeling that this was much more than simple name calling. These "taunts" are just what us outsiders can identify as distinct examples of her being ostracized. I think it's the case where she was a social outcast, and it was this continuous context of living that was too hard for her, not that she was called a ginger.

 

[zєяσ]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GMJigga @ May 22 2008, 06:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I've got a feeling that this was much more than simple name calling. These "taunts" are just what us outsiders can identify as distinct examples of her being ostracized. I think it's the case where she was a social outcast, and it was this continuous context of living that was too hard for her, not that she was called a ginger.</div>
I think it all comes down to mental toughness(which is different for everyone).
Being a social outcast can get to anyone, but due to her lack of mental toughness, she couldn't handle the taunts/threats/insults/etc...
I'm still pissed at the school officials who did little with the amount of information they had of the situation.

 

[Real]

Mental toughness? She was obviously mentally ill. She tells the school counselor that she wanted to kill herself and the counselor didn't do anything. The school failed this girl.

 

[zєяσ]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ May 22 2008, 06:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Mental toughness? She was obviously mentally ill. She tells the school counselor that she wanted to kill herself and the counselor didn't do anything. The school failed this girl.</div>
What i mean is everyone reacts in a different way. The girl couldnt take being a social outcast.
Also, i said it was the school's fault too.

 

[huevonkiller]

I'm sorry for her family's loss.

 

[Real]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (L @ May 22 2008, 09:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ May 22 2008, 06:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Mental toughness? She was obviously mentally ill. She tells the school counselor that she wanted to kill herself and the counselor didn't do anything. The school failed this girl.</div>
What i mean is everyone reacts in a different way. The girl couldnt take being a social outcast.
Also, i said it was the school's fault too.
</div>

That's absolutley true, but I usually associate mental toughness with those that really aren't suffering. This girl had a disease unfortunately.

I just hate how the school didn't do anything. That counselor as an employee of the school district has an obligation to protect that child, and if the child indicates that he/she will do something to harm themselves, I think the counselor should notify the parents. Nothing happened, and as a result a mother and a father lost a daughter.

 

[Chutney]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real @ May 22 2008, 05:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Mental toughness? She was obviously mentally ill. She tells the school counselor that she wanted to kill herself and the counselor didn't do anything. The school failed this girl.</div>
That's the first thing that came in my head too. It seems to be a constant in these kinds of cases: school officials not being proactive enough or showing any sort of foresight.

 

[pegs]

I feel sorry for anyone affected by this girl's death.

Now, what the hell is wrong with kids today? Can they not handle anything?

Jokes aside, I was picked on when I was a kid. I don't remember why, possibly because my friend's older brother had nothing better to do than to push me around. But I didn't think about going and killing myself. Shit, it made me a better person - now, I'm not a complete pussy.

Bullying has always been around. That's a fact. Now, suicide rates are higher than ever, and you hear all the time about kids bitching about getting bullied - that only tells you that kids' mindsets have changed, and they can't handle shit.

Ever heard of "sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you"?

 

[TheBeef]

I cant explain it, but the red hair thing is real....my brother, who is not sensitive to critical treatment at all, goes crazy when anyone makes fun of his red hair....its the one taunt he cant handle....Ive heard other stories of red heads being wierd about any attention their hair gets them, positive or negative, but Ive only seen it 1st hand in my brother....

 

[pegs]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TheBeef @ May 23 2008, 09:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I cant explain it, but the red hair thing is real....my brother, who is not sensitive to critical treatment at all, goes crazy when anyone makes fun of his red hair....its the one taunt he cant handle....Ive heard other stories of red heads being wierd about any attention their hair gets them, positive or negative, but Ive only seen it 1st hand in my brother....</div>

Okay...yeah, I guess that disclaimer is true, because I don't really understand what you're trying to say

Is this just with redheads or something?

 

[Jonah]

There are plenty of redheads who cop it at my school. It's a part of life, if you have flaming red hair then you get insulted.

 

[The Return of the Raider]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Joker @ May 22 2008, 04:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>A teenage girl with red hair hanged herself after being subjected to repeated taunts including being called “Ginger”, “Freckle face” and “Pig nose”, an inquest was told yesterday.

Kelsey Jade Winter, 13, coloured her hair blonde and wore heavy foundation to mask her freckles because of severe bullying by fellow pupils at Teesdale Comprehensive School, Co Durham. She died on August 12 after hanging herself from the handle of her bedroom window.

It was not the first time that the teenager – described by her parents as hard-working and bubbly – had attempted to harm herself. Two months before her death, she told a school counsellor that she had put a belt around her neck and had decided to “end it all”.

According to an extract from Kelsey’s diary, read to the inquest at Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court by her mother, Carolann, the teenager said: “I put a belt around my neck and pulled it tight . . . my face went purple. I took it off. I went to school and told the counsellor and told them not to tell mum.”

Joan Edwards, the counsellor, told the inquest that she saw Kelsey ten times over eight weeks in the months before the teenager’s death but had not referred her to outside help. On one ocassion the schoolgirl had told her that she wanted to “end it all”, Mrs Edwards said.</div>
Source
</div>

I find it interesting that one can post an entire article about a girl committing suicide, ...then scan down... the author's signature shows a man clapping. Sometimes, you need to think about the public face of what you are doing.

 

[GMJ]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Return of the Raider @ May 23 2008, 11:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I find it interesting that one can post an entire article about a girl committing suicide, ...then scan down... the author's signature shows a man clapping. Sometimes, you need to think about the public face of what you are doing.</div>

So we should expect everyone to change their signature for each post? (Take that one step further, think about the logistics, and that's a joke in and of itself)

Or maybe because he posted this story he's not allowed to like Batman, or maybe he should stop being excited about the movie.

I think you're just being a sour puss.

 

[Kid Chocolate]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Return of the Raider @ May 23 2008, 11:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Joker @ May 22 2008, 04:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>A teenage girl with red hair hanged herself after being subjected to repeated taunts including being called “Ginger”, “Freckle face” and “Pig nose”, an inquest was told yesterday.

Kelsey Jade Winter, 13, coloured her hair blonde and wore heavy foundation to mask her freckles because of severe bullying by fellow pupils at Teesdale Comprehensive School, Co Durham. She died on August 12 after hanging herself from the handle of her bedroom window.

It was not the first time that the teenager �" described by her parents as hard-working and bubbly �" had attempted to harm herself. Two months before her death, she told a school counsellor that she had put a belt around her neck and had decided to “end it all”.

According to an extract from Kelsey’s diary, read to the inquest at Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court by her mother, Carolann, the teenager said: “I put a belt around my neck and pulled it tight . . . my face went purple. I took it off. I went to school and told the counsellor and told them not to tell mum.”

Joan Edwards, the counsellor, told the inquest that she saw Kelsey ten times over eight weeks in the months before the teenager’s death but had not referred her to outside help. On one ocassion the schoolgirl had told her that she wanted to “end it all”, Mrs Edwards said.</div>
Source
</div>

I find it interesting that one can post an entire article about a girl committing suicide, ...then scan down... the author's signature shows a man clapping. Sometimes, you need to think about the public face of what you are doing.

</div>

Probably the stupidest post I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot.

 

[cpawfan]

This is the Heavy and Mature topics forum. Please try to stay on the topic

 

[Lavalamp]

I have a bud who has red hair, I've never heard anyone taunt him because of it before, or call him those names.

 

[huevonkiller]

I've heard about this red hair thing for years but did not think it was this big of an issue. Poor girl, she needed help.

 

[bbwchingy0007]

This has happened 3 times in the past 3 years in the town where I live. I sat next to one of the guys in French :S

 

[Kid Chocolate]

Fire Crotch!

 

[Денг Гордон]

I blame South Park. In the past, you obviously had things like fire crotch (as said above), but I don't know about anyone else, but I had never heard the word ginger until that episode of South Park about the ginger kids. (Not blaming South Park for the taunts and ostracism, those kids obviously need to mature and grow up themselves, but for the spreading of the term ginger). Not going to blame South Park for the taunts. If a kid thinks emulating Eric Cartman is a good thing, well, that kid isn't going far anyhow.

 

[zєяσ]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BG7 Lavigne @ May 24 2008, 02:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I blame South Park. In the past, you obviously had things like fire crotch (as said above), but I don't know about anyone else, but I had never heard the word ginger until that episode of South Park about the ginger kids. (Not blaming South Park for the taunts and ostracism, those kids obviously need to mature and grow up themselves, but for the spreading of the term ginger). Not going to blame South Park for the taunts. If a kid thinks emulating Eric Cartman is a good thing, well, that kid isn't going far anyhow.</div>South Park normally makes fun of society. Society doesnt base itself on South Park.

 

[Lavalamp]

lol some things in South Park aren't based on society lol. Most kids don't cut up other kids' parents and put them in a chili.

 

[Kid Chocolate]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ May 24 2008, 09:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>lol some things in South Park aren't based on society lol. Most kids don't cut up other kids' parents and put them in a chili.</div>

Really?

 

[pegs]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kid Chocolate @ May 24 2008, 09:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ May 24 2008, 09:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>lol some things in South Park aren't based on society lol. Most kids don't cut up other kids' parents and put them in a chili.</div>

Really?
</div>

I don't know about that one.

 

[Lavalamp]

Cartman kills some kid's parents and puts them in a chili, then the kid eats the chili.

 

[zєяσ]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ May 24 2008, 09:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>lol some things in South Park aren't based on society lol. Most kids don't cut up other kids' parents and put them in a chili.</div>
You dont doubt something like that would ever happen(ed)?

Fact of the matter is that they make fun of many aspects of society. Do you really think Al Gore is running around and warning people about "manbearpig"?

 

[o.iatlhawksfan]

This girl must've had very low self-esteem, and poor family suppourt.