TW: Suicide, bullying
An emotionally charged group of parents and students demanded Roanoke County update its bullying policies at a school board meeting Thursday night after the tragic death of a 10-year-old girl by suicide.
Autumn Brooke Bushman died on the morning of March 21. In the months leading up to her death, Bushman had allegedly been the victim of bullying by her classmates.
Students attended the school board meeting and demanded new measures by the division to put an end to bullying in Roanoke County.
“We need to go home and think about the fact there’s a 10-year-old girl in the ground, and something should have been done,” one student said.
A petition is circulating that has gathered nearly 3,000 signatures asking the county to adopt a strict policy that would expel the child and leave parents to find an alternative education solution if bullying was reported by victims more than once.
Autumn’s mother, Summer, also addressed the board saying the school did not follow its own policy for parental notification. She said she didn’t know her daughter had sought counseling.
“My daughter is dead,” she said, before repeating multiple times that the school needed to “protect our children.”
School board members adopted the district’s existing policy on bullying last night which doesn’t spell out any consequences for the behavior. It simply addresses bullying by saying the parent of any student involved should be notified within 24 hours of learning of the allegation.
School board members told those who attended that they weren’t closing the door on potential changes to the current policy.
Roanoke County Public Schools launched a survey to get the feedback from the public that could potentially shape new guidelines for schools in the division.
The school released a statement following Autumn’s death saying it “takes all reports of bullying and conflicts among students very seriously.”
Remembering Autumn: Smile had the ‘power to light up any room’
Autumn was remembered in her obituary as a “warm-hearted child whose smile had the power to light up any room.”
She enjoyed cheer, track, dance and archery and always “prioritized the well-being and happiness of her loved ones.”
Bushman’s dad, Mark, told The Washington Post that his daughter had asked questions after watching a YouTube video on her smartphone about a teenage girl who died by suicide but said he thought the conversation was sparked by curiosity above all else.
Before her death, Autumn had become more withdrawn and quieter.
“It can be hard to tell the difference between somebody’s having a bad day and somebody who needs more mental health help,” said Dr. Susan Gray, a pediatric teen medicine specialist with UVA Health. “I think the patterns that we often see are a departure from their normal so spending more time along in their room, spending time away from their friends, changes in their appetite, eating more, eating less, spending less time with loved ones. And so those are all reasons when people who care about young people should seek help.”
Suicide rates in preteen girls on the rise
Autumn is unfortunately not the first young girl, and she won’t be the last, to die by suicide. There is a growing concern about young girls as suicidal ideation continues to rise.
- Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called youth mental health “the crisis of our time.”
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth ages 10 to 14 with a nearly 50 percent increase in rates in the past decade.
- Data shows that preteen suicide is steadily increasing every year and most pronounced among girls ages 8 to 12.
In response to the growing problem, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended screenings for suicide risk in children as young as 8. The screening is designed to ask youth direct questions about suicide: “Have you wished you were dead? Have you had thoughts about killing yourself?”
Bullying: A significant public health problem
Experts believe that bullying among youth is a significant public health problem.
- According to the Institute of Education Sciences, nearly one in five students in middle and high school reported being bullied.
- A panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control concluded that there is a strong association between bullying and suicide-related behaviors, and this relationship is often mediated by other factors including depression and delinquency.
- Victims of bullying have been found to have a three to five times higher rate of suicidal ideation and attempts, according to a study of middle school students.
- A youth risk behavior survey found that 77 percent of students reported frequent social media use and frequent use contributed to bullying at school and electronically and persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
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Crystal Graham
