A distraught mother has claimed that her 11-year-old son was driven to suicide by bullies at his school.
Thomas Thompson took an overdose of painkillers after other pupils picked on him because he was clever and well-spoken, she said.
Sandra Thompson found her son in his bedroom when she returned home from work in the evening.
These strategies just might save a life.
Bullying can be a serious problem for any child, but for children with a medical challenge such as epilepsy, the risk is increased. Knowing the facts about bullying is the first step toward preventing victimization of children and teens with epilepsy or other medical conditions, and keeping them safe.
What exactly is bullying, and how does it affect the children involved? Bullying consists of aggressive behaviors that are repeated over time and involve an abuse of power by the perpetrator. It may take the form of verbal or physical abuse, or, especially for girls, cyberbullying through social media. The child who bullies learns how to use power and aggression to control and distress another, and the child who is victimized learns about losing power and becoming trapped in an abusive relationship. The lessons for both parties are clearly destructive. Contrary to what some people may think, bullying is not a normal part of healthy adolescent development and the suffering it causes may start early and last a lifetime.
