A twelve-year-old girl in Hafnarfjörður has been bullied and abused by a group of children of the same age. The girl has not attended school for several days and is now in hospital after attempting to take her own life, reports Vísir.
According to the girl’s mother, Sædís Hrönn Samúelsdóttir, her daughter has been bullied for about a year. It is believed that about thirty children have participated in this, both her fellow students from Hraunvalla School in Hafnarfjörður and students from other schools. The girl has been repeatedly told to take her own life.
“She is still in the hospital. She tried to take her own life. She doesn’t go to school anymore. The study counselor is supposed to meet her once a day. The teacher had already talked about seeing her once a week. She hasn’t been to school for more than half a month now,” says Sædís.
The mother says the girl has a hard time connecting socially and doesn’t always read situations correctly. Sædís says that she reported the attacks her daughter suffered to the police, who take the case very seriously.
Sædís has also published on Facebook some of the messages the girl has received from other children. In many of them, she is told to take her own life and is celebrated when she says she tried.
Sædís says she is half numb after everything that has happened. She is almost hopeless because of the situation, but Children’s Protection is now doing its best to help with the case.
Kolbrún Baldursdóttir, psychologist and city representative of the People’s Party, says: “I am always struck by the fury and anger of the perpetrators. Ruthlessness. There is no empathy. Then they try to aim at the head, which is extremely dangerous. It is lucky that there were no major injuries.”
She says that bullying and violence are never justified, no matter who experiences it, where and when. She says that the child welfare system also needs to reach out to the perpetrators.
“This continues into adulthood. As a psychologist, I have often had people with me, adults, who are still experiencing regret for having mistreated other children. Are meeting them as adults on the street. This stays with you,” says Kolbrún.
She says social media and the internet play a big part in increased bullying, but there are other things that also need to be taken into account.
“So we have to think about the conditions these children live in, where is the parents’ responsibility, where is the supervision?” asks Kolbrún.
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