Research finds bullying link to child suicides

Nearly half of suicides among 10 to 14-year-olds are due to bullying, according to research out today.

Charity Beatbullying said of 59 cases of child suicide reported in the national media between 2000 and 2008, 26 were definitely connected to bullying.

But research suggested up to 78 out of the 176 official total of suicides in the age range were actually victims of bullying.

Official data also recorded 1,769 suicides of 15 to 19-year-olds between 2000 and 2008, Beatbullying said, which indicated that the total number of bullying-related adolescent suicides could be in the hundreds.

The charity found that that every child suicide case related to bullying cited school as the main place of persecution.

Of these, four cases also cited cyber bullying - where bullying takes place online, by email and on social networking sites - as a contributory factor.

Beatbullying's report was published to mark the second anniversary of the death of 13-year-old Sam Leeson, who hanged himself after being bullied physically and over the internet.

Chief executive Emma-Jane Cross said: "The connection between bullying and child suicide is undeniably clear and the lack of clarity and research in this area is unacceptable - we need action and we need it now.

"Government need to take a long, hard look at the issue to understand why children as young as ten are taking their own lives.

"It's a distressing subject but one which must be investigated as a matter of urgency if we're to help our young people and prevent them taking such desperate action - suicide should never feel like the only option for any child or young person."

Sam Leeson's mother, Sally Cope said: "Two years ago my 13-year-old son Sam took the tragic decision to take his own life as a result of bullying, so I know from personal experience just how devastating the consequences of bullying can be, and the void Sam's death has left in my family.

"I urge the government to take action to fund anti bullying work in schools and make the information regarding child suicides available so that organisations such as Beatbullying can work alongside them to prevent further deaths."

Beatbullying's research indicated a higher tendency of bully-related suicide among girls aged between 10 and 14, with 65% of such deaths coming girls.

Its research was independently verified by Dr Benjamin Richardson at Warwick University.

Commenting on the report, Education Secretary Michael Gove said: "It's unacceptable for even one child to be bullied - that's why I have made tackling bullying a top priority.

"Our Education and Children's Bill in the autumn will put heads and teachers in control, giving them a range of tough new powers to deal with indiscipline, including bullying."