The following story was submitted anonymously.
I cannot tell you much about the person that sent this in. What they asked me to share was they are female, a college student, and someone close to me.
She asked that I add she is not a WordPress user or a writer. She is simply someone passionate about suicide prevention and anti-bullying.
I knew a lot of girls in high school that had problems with people online. My best friend talked about killing herself once after someone bullied her on Facebook. I asked her to tell me what happened, but she didn’t want to talk about it.
Three months later my friend tried to commit suicide. I felt like I should have asked her more questions. I should have done more. There was nothing I could do. She still gets therapy for this incident now.
Last year there were five kids in my town that committed suicide because of bullies online. Internet bullying needs to stop now more than ever. It’s getting worse. No one seems to be doing anything about it in the schools. People are dying. It all upsets me so much.
We have to do something before it’s too late.
STMND Notes from: Daydreams
I’ve heard these stories from our anonymous poster before. Like I said, this is someone close to me. We’ve often exchanged these horror stories over the phone and in person.
Some of you may know I’ve had my own experiences with internet bullying. Some of you may not. What I can tell you about it is it’s one of the chief reasons I remain semi-anonymous online.
What happened to me a few years back changed my life and taught me a valuable lesson. Not only do words hurt, but they could quite possibly push someone way over the edge. Perhaps, even towards suicide. This wasn’t the case for me, but I certainly came close.
Before Rara left, I remember her doing a story about internet trolls. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the term, an internet troll is someone who belittles, bullies, or just bothers someone else online simply for their own amusement or attention-seeking behavior. They are often lonely people that would never say these horrible things to anyone in real life. They feel strong behind the safety of a computer screen.
These are the bullies a lot of the time. They are the reason some of these teens and young adults go through with this. Other times, it is someone close to the person being bullied, and they simply “hide” under a false name online. Whatever the case, our anonymous poster is right – this needs to stop.
If you or anyone you know is being harassed or bullied online, contact your local law enforcement to take the proper steps first.
Then, please browse through our updated Resources page here on STMND. You will find helpful links for suicide prevention and much more.
Stories that Must Not Die 
Thank you for sharing this with us. You are so brave & I’m proud of you! Always stand up for what you believe in just like I told you.
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Thank you for posting this and the link to resources. This is so sad. A friend of mine took down her blog due to trolls, their minions and death threats. Yes, death threats over a comment about a book review. Trolls hide behind their computers and… well, we know what they’re like. Trolls are also losers. They always will be. And to your writer – tell your friends that more people are with them than against them – a lot more. You are loved.
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Thank you so much for your kindness. It’s really a shame your friend had to take down their blog. I’ve seen it happen countless times, though. The death threats are just plain sick. Sadly, it doesn’t surprise me.
The best thing we can do is spread awareness that hopefully leads to understanding.
I will relay the message to our poster.
You guys are what make this place a great support system & I know she is touched.
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People can just be so cruel… I really don’t understand how that kind of mind works.
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There are also ways of reporting online when one is on the receiving end of abuse, but it does depend on the website or service in question as to how far the accountability goes.
I thin the only way we’re going to beat this is by continuing to educate those around us and the younger generations.
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Exactly, faith. It never hurts to send out a list of safety tips through the schools to send home. I wrote up one for CardCastles a few years back & a few schools wound up using it.
Teachers have told me proper communication between home & school really helps, but the relationship between parent/guardian & child is key.
Teenagers generally can’t stand their parents, though so this becomes more difficult. They are harder to reach. They sometimes feel alone.
I think that’s where organizations that specialize in this come along. Any place that can provide somewhere for them to vent about it, could perhaps make them feel less alone & more at ease.
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And if they have face-to-face contact they’re not going to be spilling their hearts out to potential threats online. Just think how many unsavoury types find their young victims online because of how easy it can be to present a fake front.
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The numbers would shock anyone. There are so many predators, bullies, trolls, “catfish”, liars, and much more due to that fact of an easy masquerade, faith. It’s sickening. They prey on kind, naive types.
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