Another young girl committed suicide
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
United States
April 21, 2016 7:58am CST
Tuesday morning, about this time of the moring, three Sheriff's cars flew up our road with lights and sirens. They were followed by an ambulance. We don't hear sirens very often so we knew it was something bad. We 'assumed' it was an accident.
I watched the news that night to see if they would talk about an accident, but nothing. I searched online and nothing. Yesterday my husband was next door talking to the neighbor and now we know what happened. It seems the parents of a 13-year-old girl were divorced. The girl was living with the father, just a few miles from here. Tuesday she had enough and shot herself. The reason, she was being bullied.
Today in the paper is just a two line obituary saying that she died at home and funeral arrangement have not been released yet. I know she is just one of many who have done the same thing for the same reason. But she is one too many.
This goes on in big cities and small towns alike. You can't hide from it. When will it end?
RIP Ashley Marie Ratledge....
Photo: pixabay.com/en/angel-stone-angel-memory-mourning-1038764/
17 people like this
17 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
21 Apr 16
Yes it sure is. I can't imagine what they are going through.
1 person likes this
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
23 Apr 16
I wish there was a button we could push to make out teens tell us how they are feeling and what they are thinking. It seems that when they get to a certain age, they tell us NOTHING!
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
21 Apr 16
This is just so sad! Bullying is a huge problem and a difficult one to fix. It's such a shame that children can be so cruel! That really tells me that the parents of these children did not teach them kindness. So many children aren't being brought up like they should be! My prayers go out to the young girl, her loved ones and the bullys. I pray that God changes their hearts!
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
21 Apr 16
Parents seem to be missing from the lives of their kids in many cases.
4 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
21 Apr 16
@sgbrown I agree, case in point my husband's son/wife. They couldn't wait to have a baby and as soon as possible she went back to work. Now she is expecting the next one and I imagine she will do the same thing. They are 'adults' not kids, so should think more about raising a kid not just having a kid.
1 person likes this
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
21 Apr 16
@AbbyGreenhill I know and it's really sad. I hate to say it, but I think too many moms are working when they should be home with their young children. I know it is not always possible, but I really think it would make a difference. :)
@purplealabaster (22094)
• United States
22 Apr 16
Things like this make me hurt inside, because a child so young should not experience something so horrible that they want to end a life that has barely started. We should protect our children, but that seems like a more difficult task these days than it has ever been in the past, and I fear it will only get worse in the future.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 16
I agree, it is getting worse and will probably continue to do so. this has shaken up our little town.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
21 Apr 16
It sure is, but how to stop it?
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57836)
• Centralia, Washington
21 Apr 16
@AbbyGreenhill I know how I would work it if it involved my own kid. People would say they need to work in order to bring in food and shelter. And they are right. Somehow or other society needs to juggle kids and work better. We need more hands on time with our kids. And adults need to show better examples of what a decent human being is.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 16
According to the neighbor, dad and daughter was very happy together. Of course things go on that the 'world' doesn't know about.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325696)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Apr 16
@AbbyGreenhill People can put on a very good 'face' when they want to.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 16
@JudyEv I can only go by what our neighbor said and according to him family life was fine. This is a small town there will be talk at the beauty shop I'm sure.
@karjatwala (1120)
• Pune, India
22 Apr 16
With the separations and divorces of parents, children get the brunt of it. As long as families break, this is bound to happen.
@karjatwala (1120)
• Pune, India
23 Apr 16
@AbbyGreenhill You may feel everything is going well, until suddenly something may happen and the tables are turned. Like the proverb "the last straw on the Camel's back".
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 16
Obit says she plays tennis with her mom all the time and she helps her dad on their farm. She was an honor student...
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
21 Apr 16
so sorry to hear of this.I hate hearing this kind of news.More and more are getting bullying.
It is not going to end.Not sure what is the solution to this.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
21 Apr 16
I don't know if there is a solution, it isn't easy to understand.
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
21 Apr 16
@AbbyGreenhill yes,it is not easy.We are losing too many young people.
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
22 Apr 16
I just hope that if I ever have kids I foster them to be mature enough to know to come to me for help, that I will listen, and that I will do whatever it takes to put an end to the harassment. It's sad when this happens, and even sadder when that is the end result.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 16
I don't know if this girl's parents knew or didn't know, not much has come out about this. Unfortunately, you've seen it on the news, some of the kids who tell their parents still end their lives. There are no cut and dry rules and no clear end to this.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306049)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
22 Apr 16
That is so sad. I agree, if there is only one, it is one too many.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 16
They have her photo with her obit - very pretty girl..
1 person likes this
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
22 Apr 16
That is very sad news. Bullying has gotten so bad. I know a girl who was beat up in the bathroom by other girls. It was posted online. She was devastated. Yet it took months to get the school to look at the video and take action. Really disappointing.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 16
It's rough out there for sure and it doesn't seem that much has changed although there is so much talk about it.
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 16
Kids see (and feel) differently than adults. We will never know what pushed her over the edge but I know the schools in our little town have grief counselors etc. at the schools to help the other kids.
1 person likes this
@vickyrose (2235)
• Cooma, Australia
21 Apr 16
Very sad, a very young life that hasn't even started yet.
@Gabugs (1895)
• United States
23 Apr 16
@abbygreenhill Its devastating when this happens to anybody- - -especially to children. It makes me wonder at the risk of not sounding harsh: why would her mother not know what was going on in her daughter's private life?
Perhaps your post could serve as an eye-opener to parents to realize the aftermath of bullying.
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
21 Apr 16
This is terrible to hear, i feel for her parents.
Something i have never understood,
1-what starts bullying?
2-what exactly do the bullies get out of it?
3- for the parents know their children are bullies?
4- what do they as parents do to stop it?
i wonder how the bullies could live with themselves knowing how much pain they have caused
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
21 Apr 16
The bullies like to be in control...but in order for the parents to do something they have to know that their kids are bulling other.
