Bullying NOT the reason why 15-year-old girl jumped in front of the bus even though her death was taunted online
18 Jan
- Amanda Cummings, 15, died December 27 after jumping in front of a bus
- Initial reports though bullying was the cause due to rude Facebook posts
- Suicide note made no mention of bullies, just despair
- History of depression, increased drinking, and bad break-ups all contributed
By
Craig Mackenzie and Meghan Keneally
Last updated at 5:14 PM on 17th January 2012
Bullied: Amanda Cummings was picked on at school, according to her family
Claims that the Staten Island teenage girl who jumped in front of a bus to kill herself did so due to bullying are now being rebuffed by police.
Amanda Cummings, 15, died over the holidays, and while some friends and family were certain that she was bullied, official investigators have ruled that out as the main factor in her suicide.
Instead it is now thought that her tendancy to fall hard for boys, her history of depression, and an increase on her drinking and smoking, all converged to a tragic tipping point.
‘No one had any previous signs of her being bullied,’ a source close to the case told The New York Post.
Though bullying may not have been a contributing factor to her suicidal mental state, it certainly reared its’ ugly head after her death, as commentators made scathing jokes on a Facebook memorial page.
One of the harshest messages, from Stephen Ephrem Green, played on her last name, saying: ‘Bus was cummin’ Bitch was watchin’ Oh hurry Amanda Your bus cummin.’
On December 27 at about 7:30pm, witnesses saw Amanda jump in front of an oncoming city bus. Hours before, she had posted to Facebook: ‘… Nd ill die tomight crying over you..’
While the national problem of bullying- and the cruel Facebook postings post-mortum- may have had investigators initially looking into the tormentings of teenagers, other evidence points to personal problems as the biggest cause.
She had been hospitalized in 2009 for cutting herself, but the doctor’s notes make no mention of bullying ever being an issue.
Her death came weeks after revealing posts appeared on her public Facebook page, in which she talked about ‘feeling depressed’ and asks ‘what did I do to deserve this?’
In one disturbing post on December 1 she said: ‘I’ll go kill myself’.
Facebook abuse of Amanda: A sick poem from Steven Ephrem Green and a mocking image
Tribute page on Facebook to Amanda who jumped in front of bus clutching a suicide note
Taunting: Facebook users continue to harass Amanda Cummings’ through the social media site even after her death
On December 6, in what appears to be a cry for help, Amanda posted on her Facebook: ‘When i say im ok i want that one person t look me in the eye, hug me say no ur not’
Three days earlier, the natural blonde who recently dyed her hair black, said: ‘Worst sat nite ever i cnt believe this is happening what did i do to deserve this.’
She later talks about; ‘mad people are turning against me :’( im spending this sat nite alone in my room crying’.
Amanda herself did not even cite bullying in her extensive four-page suicide note. Instead, she sounded like a sad and love-lorn girl who had just broken up with a one-time flame.
In the note, she confessed to being the reason behind her most recent romantic failing, saying that she was sorry for coming between her crush, Devon Rodriguez, and his suspected love interest Rebecca Natali.
She finished the letter with the haunting words: ‘I don’t deserve to live!’
Funeral: Mourners said an an emotional farewell to Amanda at a packed church in Staten Island
Enough love to fill the world: Amanda’s family said the 15-year-old’s only wish was to have that love returned to her
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As a bully victim myself Amanda wasn’t bullied. In reality she had herself to blame because she was the one that choose to drink, choose to use drugs, choose to cut, choose to do etc, and as a matter of fact I read up that her boyfriend was 19 years old while she was fifteen FIFTEEN. What kind of parents doesn’t supervise a child like that?
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So, as USUAL.. the media gets a hold of a ‘bullying’ story and blows it ALL out of proportion, getting millions of people all worked up about it! It was the PARENTS’ RESPONSIBILITY to intervene, and not allow her to ‘cry for help/ on some stupid Facebook page…!! Where was the direct face-to-face communication between parent and child..? And funny now there was no mention of ALCOHOL until now…. which everyone knows is a DEPRESSANT… what the heck was she doing drinking at that age….?? Funny how booze never seems to be mentioned in situations like this, when it is often a huge factor. And she was ‘falling hard’ for guys already…?? She was only 15!! Again, where were the parents…?? Why was she allowed to get into such heavy relationships so early..? Whatever happened to parent keeping a close eye on kids, while they learn about dating, puppy love, and so on….. and was she not getting counseling for her problems…? So many unanswered questions….
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