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Donegal girl Erin Gallagher, 13, was found dead on Saturday after being abused online. Facebook

Suicide prevention charity tells teens to seek help after Erin tragedy

Erin Gallagher, 13, was found dead on Saturday after receiving anonymous abuse through networking site Ask.fm.

A NATIONAL suicide prevention charity, Console, has encouraged anybody who is the victim of cyber-bullying to seek help immediately – after a 13-year-old Donegal girl, who had received anonymous abuse online, passed away.

Erin Gallagher, a pupil at a school in Ballybofey, was found dead on Saturday – a day after she had posted messages on the internet lashing out at people who had abused her through Ask.fm, a website where people can anonymously leave questions for members.

Erin’s death is the second in recent weeks to involve an Irish teenager who had been the victim of online bullying – Ciara Pugsley, a 15-year-old from Leitrim, was also found dead having received anonymous abuse through the same website.

Erin’s remains have today been released to her family. She will be buried after a funeral on Wednesday morning.

The founder and chief executive of Console, Paul Kelly, said bullying could “take many forms, and we see the effects that this can have on young people on a daily basis.

“Too often the problem is that the young person tries to deal with the issue on their own rather than trying to get help and support from an organisation such as Console,” he said.

Kelly said anyone who was affected by the tragedy, or who felt particularly vulnerable, could contact the service’s 24-hour helpline at freephone 1800 201 890.

People can also access the charity’s services by texting ‘HELP’ to 51444, or at its website: www.console.ie.

The charity has full-time centres in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Wexford, and also offers services in other counties. Its services are open to people of any age.

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76 Comments
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    Mute jonathan kerr
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:10 PM

    that ask.fm page should b banned .. this is not the 1st time this has happend cos of that page… the girl was a friend of my little cousin.. every1 is devstated… R I P ERIN..XX

    667
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    Mute Dermot Mc
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:10 PM

    Here’s a radical idea, punish those toe-rags who bullied her.
    RIP Eirin

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    Mute HAL 9000
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:26 PM

    The website did not kill this girl, but it must take some of the responsibility. Website-based forums must be competently moderated. If a website-based forum is not moderated, it must be clearly labeled as such. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from taking responsibility for the results of free speech.

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    Mute Adam Hoban
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    Oct 29th 2012, 7:05 PM

    While this is tragic & is a growing issue, we can’t start censoring the Internet! Sites like this cant be moderated, it’s impossible to screen the amount of content submitted to these sites. Having operated open forums and the likes before, it’s typically bullies from the real world that target online profiles & not randomers.

    Parents should be actively checking history & blocking anything they feel can harm their children & schools should be pro actively working to stamp out bullying rather than just letting it go & leaving kids uneducated on the subject.

    35
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    Mute My Two Cents
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    Oct 29th 2012, 7:12 PM

    Simple solution to prevent Cyber Bullying…dont bother logging on to them sites in the first place….

    101
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    Mute Leigh Walsh
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    Oct 29th 2012, 7:54 PM

    My Two Cents; you realise that includes Facebook, right?

    People’s freedoms shouldn’t be limited in that manner because of people that might abuse them; if anything that’s a worse outcome for personal freedoms than outright banning a site.

    17
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    Mute Z?
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    Oct 29th 2012, 8:07 PM

    These Websites are commercial undertakings; they generate revenue from advertising and profiled advertising. The users provide much of the content and advertising revenue is based on number of users. The companies profiting from the forums have a responsibility to moderate these forums, just as a bar or cafe owner has a responsibility to remove abusive customers and to curb anti-social behavior on their premises. Competent and comprehensive moderation is the only means by which a forum can be regulated, and the owners of ask.fm should be questioned on why the forum was not moderated. The “everything is permitted” ideal is not working successfully; cases such as these would not occur if it was. To say “it can’t be done” is equivalent to washing one’s hands.

    19
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    Mute My Two Cents
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    Oct 29th 2012, 8:20 PM

    Hi Leigh….im just saying if someone was prone to cyber bullying my best advice would be for them to get offline from all social networks including the one you mention and get real friends and engage with them in the real world face to face…I hope this clarifies my point.

    58
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    Mute Kevin O'Brien
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    Oct 29th 2012, 9:21 PM

    Calling for censorship shows that you fundamentally misunderstand a) the nature of the internet and b) depression and suicide. How about you spend your time calling for more funding for organisations like Console? Having been depressed myself, the support that organisations like Console and Aware provide is invaluable and far more effective than some token police action on the internet.

    14
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    Mute HAL 9000
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    Oct 29th 2012, 10:09 PM

    @ Kevin –

    A forum is not the internet. It is a service on the Internet. There’s a difference.

    These forums are not public spaces, they are run usually by private companies seeking to make a profit. It isn’t a question of free speech or of censorship, it’s a question of a service provider providing a service in a responsible way. The owners of a forum known to be popular with children and teenagers should be obliged to maintain a content policy in keeping with that target group.

    The Internet is big. No-holds-barred forums are available to adults who want to use them.

    Moderation is not censorship. The censorship argument sounds plausible, but go to your local coffee-shop or pub, start shouting statements and opinions other patrons may find abusive or offensive, and the “no censorship” argument won’t hold much water with the customers, the management or the police, when eventually called.

    The is no argument against free speech here, only and argument for responsible use of the right of free speech. There’s a time and a place.

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    Mute Waffler Hillis
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:17 PM

    I suspect this is an extension of school bullying rather than random web users. Tragic story

    199
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    Mute Raymond Power
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:58 PM

    good point,horrific incident,it’s difficult to imagine such web bullying pushing a young teenager to such an extreme…maybe there is more to this and someone needs to be made an example of.bullying should never be tolerated by anyone including people who consider themselves to be “just spectaters.RIP

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    Mute Stephen Church
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:01 PM

    +1 tragic story , but its not the internets fault.

    53
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    Mute Alan Mc Menamin
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:33 PM

    Erin was by people who knew her a lovely girl. The locality of Ballybofey (where im from) are in shock again as we have lost another young person to Suicide. We have had cases of other children aged 12 & 13 complete suicide because of bullying in Ballybofey and there was no internet on the go then. Its a problem we as a country dont speak about in terms of providing positive action to tackle the substantive issue. Bullying is all our councern from parents & educators to community and state.

    This wee girl will be leave a legacy and if we are to learn anything its that we need to do MORE.

    180
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    Mute Susie Chester
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:40 PM

    So very sad . May she rest in peace. Condolences to her family and friends.

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    Mute Eoj McGovern
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:12 PM

    So sad.

    146
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    Mute Mark Shanley
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:19 PM

    The people who run ask.fm should be held accountable for these deaths. This is not the first suicide caused by that website, it needs banning by all internet providers.

    111
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    Mute Stephen Church
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:04 PM

    yes, its a websites fault that people are cruel, lets ban all air so nobody can shout abuse accross a street, lets ban paper so nobody can write something mean.

    112
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    Mute Simon Blake
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:07 PM

    If you are under 16 I can accept that comment. If you are older you are an utter fool.

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    Mute Damien Knox
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    Oct 29th 2012, 8:33 PM

    By that logic we should hold publicans, and car and alcohol makers for the actions of drunk drivers.

    Not to mention the companies who make knives and other items that are used to stab, injure and kill people.

    I mean if they didn’t make them, then people wouldn’t have done what they did.

    Or if you want to get really technical why don’t you hold “God” accountable for the actions of humanity because if he hadn’t created people, then there wouldn’t be people kiliing and maiming and abusing people.

    See how silly your comment is Mark.

    Shut down ask.fm and another one is going to pop up.

    Don’t blame the site, blame the people using them.

    22
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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Oct 29th 2012, 9:17 PM

    Who ever posts these things are responsible. These sack of blood and organs know what they are doing. This new generation of kids and teens need to learn respect, but some parents should never have had kids either, its only a means to more dole. Someone ever threatened the life of my son, I would probably do time, but my son would still be alive. Harsh but I’m a father speaking, and these things scare me.

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Oct 29th 2012, 9:28 PM

    I meant to say whoever posted it is responsible, obviously, but you cannot blame the website, they would find another way. You have to punish the source, not the outlets. These people should lose something important for life, no dole, never have a driving licence, something that will hurt them for life….

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    Mute Kinsella Dougie
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    Oct 30th 2012, 1:30 AM

    while i agree, its the bullies that need to be held accountable, if you ban the website the bully will find another way.
    the bully is the real problem

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    Mute John Travers
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:21 PM

    Ban ask.fm to hell! Somebody needs to take the initiative and protect our children. As Parents, we know we can only do so much to protect our children on line, and working with computers since 1987, I feel quite lucky to be in the position to understand and use the software available. So many others have only a basic knowledge and may not be aware of what their children are lookin at, or indeed, to whom they are speaking to. Sites like ask.fm has no place in our children’s lives.

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    Mute the lost lenore
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:27 PM

    Banning one site won’t achieve anything long term. We need a wider approach to how schools identify and deal with the issue of online bullying.

    96
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    Mute Dillon Costigan
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:42 PM

    Absolutely agree, Lost.

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    Mute Simon Blake
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:08 PM

    Then block it from your PC.

    55
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    Mute Eamonn Dunne
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:52 PM

    Its unfortunate that after so long in IT, you still don’t get that there is no technological solution for a parenting problem…

    50
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    Mute gingerman
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:52 PM

    What I am more concerned about, is that young kids consider ending their own lives as a viable solution to being bullied. As a society we need to face up to suicide and not pussyfoot around it anymore. Serious money needs to be invested in this area and fast

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    Mute Alan Mc Menamin
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:14 PM

    Completely agree. Well said.

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    Mute Leigh Walsh
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    Oct 29th 2012, 7:54 PM

    If we’re putting serious money against anything it should be stopping bullying in the first place.

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    Mute hsianloon
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:26 PM

    don’t agree with banning ask.fm. how are you going to ban the other countless websites online?

    67
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    Mute John Travers
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:29 PM

    So what do you? Sit back and watch more children die? That’s like saying don’t stop a murderer because there are other murderers out there. If it’s wrong to want to protect innocent wee children then may God look down on us.

    38
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    Mute Hakuin Murphy
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:41 PM

    No John, its like asking that a particular pub be shut down because someone got kicked to death inside of it. Even if you do it it won’t stop other incidents occurring. And just as you wouldn’t punish the publican for a random attack in his business, why would you blame the website owners for the behaviour of its users? Should google be charged with facilitating child porn for example?

    Its an awful tragedy and a terrible waste of a life, but I’d be more interested in seeing those who perpetrated the bullying being exposed in their community or in the papers. If that was a normal consequence of cyberbullying, they’d certainly think twice about torturing another human being

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    Mute Simon Blake
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:10 PM

    Oh Christ not someone bringing god into it. This is the same great god who let it happen. And before you answer don’t bother giving me the brainwashed answer of free choice.

    33
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    Mute Lorraine Gibbons
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:48 PM

    Thats a very sad story but why do teens put up with this abuse. why stay online reading that rubish. they can report it switch it off .they dont have to be on this sites at all they are nothing to do with school work or friends as real friends would not abuse a other friend online. If you didnt like a programe on tv or a song you would turn it off ,so why read something that you dont like over and over till it messes with your head. i just dont get it. people get bullied at school and at work. the child really needs to tell someone and fast.at work people can report bullying.no one has the right to abuse anyone, no matter who the bully thinks they are.they can be taken down.

    46
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    Mute Lj Traynor
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:03 PM

    How do you know whether she could “switch off from it” or not. This may have been an extension of other forms of bullying. Banning the website will change nothing. There are a million others out there just like it. Something has to be done to educate these children that suicide isn’t the answer. Make them aware that there is help out there and that the bullies are not worth throwing your life away over.

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    Mute Aleo
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:39 PM

    We know that now, Lorraine, and as adults we can dismiss or block the trolls – but, for teenagers, fitting in with the peer group means everything. That’s why bullies can manipulate them so easily, and it takes time for them to learn that they deserve better things. I’m sure poor Erin would have learned that too. Such a waste of life.

    26
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    Mute Brendan Cox
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    Oct 29th 2012, 7:37 PM

    Forgive me if I’m naive here but anonymous posting is generally anonymous, but does it not leave an electronic trail somewhere? Given the serious nature of the outcome to that poor girl and her family could an investigation not try and trace the ip address from which the posts came, get a timestamp from the service provider. Even if its an internet cafe then they may have security cameras that could be used to identify or at the very least narrow down the people who made the girl feel like this was her only option. These people will most likely not be experts in covering their tracks in such detail. The most disgusting part of all this is that the people who bullied her will probably be at the funeral or posting condolences on her facebook page.

    40
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    Mute Kinsella Dougie
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    Oct 30th 2012, 1:26 AM

    its common knowledge who the bullies were in donegal, and i hope that the bullies get the full force of the law. the main bully has seen suicide in her family, shame on them, 13 or not they should be jailed, this was murder what ever way you look at it

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    Mute mart_n
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:38 PM

    How many people have killed themselves because of the financial difficulties that have been foisted upon them through unemployment and government spending cuts? You don’t hear people calling for politicians to be held accountable for their deaths.

    Stories like these are tragic, but the media seem to be having a field day with them recently. Aren’t there strict guidelines on how the media portray these things? I’m pretty sure that sensationalizing and placing the blame on any one particular thing is advised against by most suicidologists. It vastly over-simplifies what is a very complex and personal experience.

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    Mute Alan Mc Menamin
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:45 PM

    Stories like these are personal but this story is not sensational, it REAL and unfortunately a young girl is no longer with us as a result. How real do you want it to get.

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    Mute Maria
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:39 PM

    Alan: of course it’s real. However it is a recognised problem that one suicide can lead to another, especially amongst teens. The type of media attention given to a particular story might just make the idea seem attractive to a troubled young person. They might think “Then they’ll understand”

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    Mute Alan Mc Menamin
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:52 PM

    Maria, thats not the point. The point being that we as a society should shy away from the topic of suicide so that we can tackle it and come up with mechanisms to address it. The media may give it attention but surely we could use this “attention” to good use and not just blame the media. If thats the case, what about the attention given to the politicians on nearly ever talk show on TV as if they were the experts.

    Yes when someone completes suicide, the community is on edge as to or if someone else will complete suicide. We have seen this in this town when 3 young people followed suit and again the media at that time were not as accessible.

    21
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    Mute Leigh Walsh
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    Oct 29th 2012, 7:56 PM

    What? I do. I call Joan Burton a murderer all the time too.

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    Mute JakkiB
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:09 PM

    Bullying in schools has not even been dealt with in this Country as it is the usual “doesn’t happen here” cover ups! Parents talk to your kids and find out what is going on for them and I dont care about their privacy as you must be a parent and not their best friend, My daughter was bullied for years and I had to deal with the system which was in complete denial……God Bless this poor girl and her family & friends

    33
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    Mute Pauric Duffy
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:35 PM

    I think the problem here is that with sites like this, there is no escaping the bullies. Even when you go home. Ask fm are a platform & surly can’t ignore this. Yes she was being bullied at school but it was the online abuse that drove to this tragic end.

    23
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    Mute Martin Grehan
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:25 PM

    Absolutely heartbreaking. People need to move away from the reactionary: “Let’s ban website x” towards a more proactive, what exactly are the societal issues allowing bullying to fester and cause a child with their whole life ahead of them to kill themselves.

    23
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    Mute dearg doom
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:16 PM

    People get the same hassle on a lot of sites like facebook and youtube, which I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t want to go without.

    The problem is people are cruel, only in real life there’s something to stop them from saying every little horrible thing that crosses their mind. People are not so keen to have these conversations face-to-face due to the backlash from the victim and anyone else present.

    If the actual perpretrators, even just some of them, were tracked down, and I’m sure that’s possible, they should be made see their damage in real life. I’m sure noone would want them at the funeral, but you could imagine how thoughless people would become a bit more aware of the rubbish they come out with online.

    21
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    Mute Lucy Allen
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    Oct 29th 2012, 8:23 PM

    Looked at ask.fm out of interest, chose a random profile, the language and abuse by the user and people commenting was crazy, these were pages of KIDS trading random, cruel insults and lured comments. I think people and parents should wake up to the double lives some young people are living online. I know this is only part of a bigger picture, as on twitter i have seen self harm, suicide and anorexia pages! Moderators r used on forums, why are these sites not watched more closely?

    20
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    Mute John Conniffe
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    Oct 29th 2012, 9:03 PM

    Automatic filters aren’t much good for context yet, and companies aren’t prepared or cannot afford to pay a team to work 24h to manual examine each post in context.

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    Mute Eileen Gabbett
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:33 PM

    This is just so very sad. It is hard to imagine that a 13 yr old girl felt that this was her only option . Suicide has so many victims and no answers . R I P .

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    Mute Phil Dargan
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:41 PM

    There’s an Unsigned irish band called Friends of Emmet – http://t.co/I76SGOg working raising suicide awareness in the US. All proceeds from their track Coming Apart goes to Suicide prevention. They’ve featured heavily on MTV, VH1, ESPN (yes, really) Good morning Canada, as well as others.

    They want all school journals to have numbers of suicide & depression hotlines printed in them but the manufacturers won’t. They say people don’t want it there.

    Not talking about it doesn’t make it go away. It should be part of the civics program.

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    Mute Maria
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:55 PM

    This is really awful – only 13 years old. However I am concerned about the media attention it is getting and hope the guidelines on media reporting of death by suicide are being followed. I also think that there must have been other contributory factors. It was probably easier for family and even the child herself to believe that the online bullying was the sole reason. It’s also convenient for the media. I assume she posted on the site anonymously and if so it was unlikely an extension of school bullying. Other things must have been going on.

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    Mute Alan Mc Menamin
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:21 PM

    Maria, heres what one of the posts from her SISTER. and below it a post Announcing it on DonegalDaily.com

    http://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/10/29/no-one-deserved-what-you-went-through-sisters-heartbreaking-tribute-to-bullied-girl/

    http://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/10/28/tragedy-as-13-year-old-dies-by-suicide-amidst-claims-of-on-line-bullying/

    There may have been many things going on, but we must remember that another of our youth has been lost to suicide!!! So even ifs its easier for the family to believe that the sole reason was online bullying it doesnt detract from the fact that she is gone and BULLYING was a significant factor, online or otherwise.

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    Mute Eileen Gabbett
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    Oct 29th 2012, 6:41 PM

    Alan
    Well said .

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    Mute Rosaleen Currie
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    Nov 3rd 2012, 3:28 PM

    ERIN WAS MY NIECE. THE BULLYING WAS GOING ON AT SCHOOL AND ON NET .MAYBE IF POLICE HAD DONE SOMETHING FOUR WEEKS AGO WHEN ERIN TRIED TO END HER LIFE WE WOULD NOT BE IN THIS SITUATION TODAY. STAMP OUT ALL BULLYING .

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    Mute Dhakina's Sword
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    Oct 29th 2012, 11:46 PM

    I am so sorry for this families loss. My own daughter is the same age, and I can’t imagine their pain. There is, however , something that we can do to try and prevent this happening again. That is, to educate ourselves regarding the few per cent of the population that are incapable of feeling compassion, remorse, or having feelings of empathy. Unfortunately, this problem exists from the cradle to the grave. Unless we accept this horrifyingly reality, we may be condemned to repeat these mistakes forever. We can continue to persist with the notion that there is some good within everybody, but science has now proven that view incorrect. Two to three per cent of our populations are now known to be psychopathic. Men, women and children. I apologise for mentioning this subject at this time, but I think it is important to do so.

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Oct 30th 2012, 1:32 AM

    Stop trying to find a way a lunatic….. Damn apple!

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Oct 30th 2012, 1:33 AM

    Stop trying to find why!! Apple!! Sorry:)

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    Mute censored
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:01 PM

    Many people are blaming ask.fm, might as well blame the internet.

    Why do these kids apparently get so much pleasure out of tormenting others? Why doesn’t this happen in other countries?

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    Mute HAL 9000
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:10 PM

    Irish culture places a high value on social interaction. Bullying is a negative representation of this social interaction. It “casts” the victim “out” of the social group. The Internet allows for de-individualisation, a loss of ethical responsibility through anonymity. These two factors combined may answer your question.

    Bullying is not an activity practised solely by children. More adults actively bully other adults and children than child bully other children or adults.

    This website has provided ample examples.

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    Mute Simon Blake
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:13 PM

    Have you heard of a place called North America?

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Oct 29th 2012, 5:14 PM

    “Why doesn’t this happen in other countries?”
    I think you’ll find it does.

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    Mute censored
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    Oct 29th 2012, 8:27 PM

    A reasonable response from HAL 9000, and then two imbecilic replies. I think I get the point.

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    Mute Patricia Martin
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    Dec 14th 2012, 10:21 AM

    it happens in all modern countries ,the US being one of the worst.
    In Australia many schools have programs to counter the bulling , only works if teachers, kids, parents and so on are open to diligent awareness of what is happening to the children on a day to day bases .

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    Mute Pauric Duffy
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    Oct 29th 2012, 8:51 PM

    Brendan, she has named her tormentors on the site itself. Everyone knows who they are already.

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    Mute HAL 9000
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    Oct 29th 2012, 4:17 PM

    Currently calculating probability of regular thejournal.ie comment-poster reaching implosion point. Responsibility will be held by all.

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    Mute Marion Noonan
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    Oct 30th 2012, 4:06 PM

    God bless Erin her family and the families of all young people who have commited suicide because of bullying, I live and work in Erins home town, Ballybofey, I don’t know her or her family or the families of the girls who where bullying her, but many of the people I work with knows Erins Mother or the parents of the so-called bullies, everyone i meet is in disbalief that the extent of this Childs bullying was allowed to continue to the point that Erin had felt she had no option but to take her own life. All to often, young people commit suicide without trying to seek help, this did not happen in Erin’s case, the media seems to be blaming syber bullying for this Childs death and although syber bullying played a part, this girl has been Physically and mentally bullied by the same crowd of girls in her own School for months, the School Principal was fully aware the bullying was taking place as was the local Garda, Erin’s Mother pleaded with both to help but no-one helped Erin. The School is now offering there full support and the Garda is carrying out an enquiery. The Adults who ignored this childs many pleas for help should hang there heads in shame.

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    Mute Patricia Martin
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    Dec 14th 2012, 10:15 AM

    In reality what could the on-line or face to face bullies be charged with ?
    The school could have programmes to educate the teens and younger to school bullies
    parents should and must educate on teens /schools bully ?? to bring in the police social services etc means it has already gone too far.
    I want to think that people were aware that it was possible for this to happen, copy cat etc. who were the adults who ignored the childs pleas for help.

    hope the family can support each other at this time, kindness and love don’t cost any one a penny
    I am so sorry that this family have such suffering to live through.

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    Mute Andrew Telford
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    Oct 30th 2012, 7:57 AM

    Ban ask.fm huh? Whom might you suggest should ‘ban it’?

    You people realize there’s no management or governing council over the Internet right?

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    Mute Michael Spencer
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    Oct 30th 2012, 11:08 AM

    *abusers

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    Mute Arron Tuohy
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    Oct 29th 2012, 9:26 PM
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    Mute Michael Skellig
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    Oct 29th 2012, 11:37 PM

    Shouldn’t have comments open on this.

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    Mute Michael Spencer
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    Oct 30th 2012, 11:06 AM

    I’ve never used ask fm and therefore never had any problems with it , the girl didn’t have to make an account , but does this make it right….NO , think the abused should be identified and I’m sure they will live with that on their conscience for the rest of their lives. And rightly so R.I.P .

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    Mute June Kennedy
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    Dec 17th 2012, 5:12 PM

    Off topic, but maybe relevent too.

    Over the last 10 years with the rise in Mass shootings in schools etc, and teenage and adulescent suicides I wonder has the effect of the Mosquito security Device, used by shop keepers etc, and only heard by teenagers, effected our young.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mosquito

    It is widely used in Ireland and not heard by adults. It is used to move on loitering teenagers who hear an irritating buzzing sound. Note mothers chatting outside shops with babys in prams can not hear the sound but what is it doing to the young child.

    Just a thought.

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