‘Bullycide’ or Neglect? --- Mother Faces Trial in 12-Year-Old Son’s Suicide

ABC News ^ | 09/09/03 | Bryan Robinson

[bedolido]

J. Daniel Scruggs, 12, had a long document of troubles before he hanged himself in his bedroom closet in January 2002.

[DB]

She may have well been a poor parent but from what I can tell she doesn't deserve to be charged as a criminal. She wouldn’t have been working so hard if she didn’t care. It isn’t like she hasn’t suffered greatly already.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Horribly sad. I wonder, where is Daniel's father now?

[FormerLib]

...Scruggs said she could not get her son to bathe or wear clean clothes.

This just has me completely baffled. How very sad for all concerned.

[DB]

I'd rather see him charged than her.

[Pest]

Whatever happened to the days when a parent of the bullied child would call the parent of the bully to straighten things out?

It also seems like a big problem is that the schools are not really allowed to discipline the bullies.

[Paleo Conservative]

Horribly sad. I wonder, where is Daniel's father now?

How politically incorrect of you to point out the real problem.

[AdamSelene235]

"I have a 12-year-old of my own, and if he was to refuse to take a bath and started smelling, there would be little I could do," Norris said.

Behold the modern Socialist Castrati!

[Arthur McGowan]

Abolish schools--problem solved.

[justshutupandtakeit]

This is one of those stories that needs to be read when one thinks THEIR life is screwed. What a horror. And all these people in the article sound totally clueless and helpless. Running around with their hands on their heads sounds like their approach to the problem.

I agree with the poster who proposed prosecuting the cowardly father who abandoned his family.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

"As a 12-year-old boy, J. Daniel's safeguard's included his mother, his teachers and his guidance counselor, the school nurse, the school administrators, his pediatrician, the school outreach worker, a DCF investigative social worker and a probation officer," the report said.

They should all be tried equally, or not at all!

I feel terribly for the mother, enduring the tragedy of his suicide is amazing, but then these charges seem like cruel and unusual punishment. Her son is dead.

[I still care]

This is one of the most tragic stories I have read on FR. The mother sounds so terribly overwhelmed.

[dbehsman]

"The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry recommends that parents encourage their bullied children to talk about their problems and let them know what they are not at fault. They should also: ......

Seek help from the child's teacher and school guidance counselor. Find out what programs the school or other schools are implementing to combat bullying."

Total waste of time and energy. Talking to a brick wall is far more productive and helpful. At least with a brick wall, you know that your never going to get anywhere upfront.

"They should not encourage the child to fight back."

Totally, completely dead f***ing wrong! I speak with experience on that one! ALWAYS FIGHT BACK! Damn the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for even thinking otherwise!

[EagleMamaMT]

Totally right. Talking to the school, in my son's case, did no good whatsoever. They couldn't have cared less. After several repeated talks with the principal and school counselor, my husband and I finally told our oldest son, who was being bullied, to fight back and we'd back him to the hilt. A couple of days later, the little bullyboy started up on our son in the hall and our son grabbed him and shoved him up against a locker and held him there, and told him he'd wipe the hall up with his sorry butt. End of bullying problem.

[dfrussell]

The mother sounds so terribly overwhelmed.

More appropriate, the mother sounds like an overwhelming idiot

[dfrussell]

"The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry recommends that parents encourage their bullied children to talk about their problems and let them know what they are not at fault

So, rather than take a bath, the kid hangs himself...

Yeah, now that's a rational decision... and the mother is a teacher's aide in the same school, knows what's going on and does little?

At the risk of being cruel, this sounds like a genetics issue to me.

[dfrussell]

I agree with the poster who proposed prosecuting the cowardly father who abandoned his family.

Eh?

Let's see... in most court systems, the father has no rights and men in general have been treated like crap for years... a convenient source of funds and sperm donors.

Many women run their mouths, but want the $ -- either from some poor schmuck or the government.

Men walking is the outcome of women's lib. They asked for it. They got it. Don't complain about the outcome, because in many instances, like this one, men weren't involved.

[LurkedLongEnough]

How politically incorrect of you to point out the real problem.

Thank you. May the Lord have more mercy than I would show the bugger.

[u-89]

I remember a couple of kids that were tormented badly, horrendously so and it was obviously taking a heavy toll. The school did nothing to help them. Actually they got punished rather than their tormentors. I always felt these poor souls would either soon be institutionalized or grow up to be serial killers - criminally or as scientists for the DOD developing sinisterly lethal weaponry.

[adaven]

They should not encourage the child to fight back.

Bzzzzt! WRONG ANSWER! I will teach my daughters to fight back, and I will start early. I will have them trained professionally in self-defence, and I can't wait for the day I can take them to our local shooting range.

Don't fight back? HAH! What MORONS!