Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Family of bullied Florida girl seeks funeral donations.

Tricia Norman requested donations to a crowd funding campaign to help cover the $5,400 funeral bill for her daughter, Rebecca Ann Sedwick.



The family started a donation campaign to pay for her funeral.

The family of a 12-year-old Florida girl who committed suicide last month after being bullied at school and on the Internet, started a crowd-funding effort in Tampa to help pay for her funeral expenses. They need $5,400 to cover her funeral and burial costs.

Within hours, the campaign had already raised $2,495. Any funds that remain after the funeral expenses are paid will be donated to The Jaylens Challenge Foundation, an anti-bullying organization, in an effort to help others in cyber bullying situations.

"I am angry that I had to lose my daughter to bring this serious cause to light," Tricia Norman said.

Rebecca was bullied in school and online.

Rebecca Sedwick became severely depressed over repeated bullying in school and in person. Recently the bullying increased in intensity and went online through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Rebecca was threatened, harassed and even beat up on one occasion.

She was told repeatedly to kill herself by as many as 15 girls. And one day she did. In desperation, Rebecca climbed a tower at an abandoned cement plant and jumped to her death. Two girls, ages 12 and 14, have been charged with felony aggravated stalking in the case, and a Florida sheriff said previously that many more girls were involved.

Florida seems to be the stomping ground for bullying and cyber bullying and now there is a new term -- cyber-mobbing. Electronic bullying is another form of harassment that Rebecca Sedwick was forced to endure; however, it was not your average online bullying, it become a lynch-mob, what some would call cyber-mobbing.


What is cyber-mobbing? 

Cyber-cruelty that involves a group sharing the same malicious mindset or intent.


The authorities in Florida said that as many as 15 girls ganged up on 12-year-old Rebecca Ann Sedwick and teased her, bombarding her with online messages such as "You should die" and "Why don't you go kill yourself."

There is a cyber-bullying law in Florida that Governor Scott recently signed. Sheriff Judd said if he determines that he has credible evidence against any child that may have been involved in this tragedy they plan on holding them criminally liable.

We didn't need another wake-up call to remind us that words kill both emotionally and literally. Cyber bullying, with the extension of cyber-mobbing, can obviously lead to a deadly ending. It did for Rebecca Sedwick. She never even reached her teens. She was just 12 years old.

We don't need any more wakeup calls.

Take cyber bullying and cyber-mobbing seriously.

Too many children are dying.

If you or someone you know needs assistance with funeral or burial expenses, let us help. We’ll start a donation page for you to assist you financially.

www.funeralfund.com

The Source

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