Schoolboy, 15, bullied to death by trolls on the internet

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Friends say Joshua Unsworth was hounded by internet trolls
The 15-year-old was found dead behind his home in Lancashire

A schoolboy found hanged in his parents’ garden had complained of cyber-bullying on a notorious social networking site, it has emerged, Josh Unsworth, 15, had endured months of abusive messages on his profile on Ask.fm, which has been described by child safety experts as a ‘stalker’s paradise’.
At one point his father Gary, 46, apparently took over the page, threatening to report the abusers to police. Josh himself wrote: ‘Last time I checked, cyber-bullying and “trolling” were a criminal offence.’
Ask.fm has been heavily criticised by anti-bullying charities because it allows users to post anonymous comments or questions – often of a sexual or insulting nature – on the pages of children as young as 13.
It is not covered by British online safety regulations as it is based in Latvia.
An investigation into Josh’s death is at an early stage, and police who have spoken to his family say they have not been made aware he had problems with bullies.
Nevertheless, friends have taken to Facebook to blame bullies for the tragedy.
One wrote: ‘R.I.P Josh Unsworth, we’ll forever remember you! Bullied to death.’ Another said: ‘I hope your bullies can’t sleep at night knowing what they did to you.’
Josh, whose father is sales director of a haulage firm, attended St Cecilia’s Roman Catholic High School in Longridge, Lancashire.

JoshsaHis parents, Gary and Michelle, both 46, yesterday said: ‘Our son Joshua was a thoughtful, loving, compassionate boy. We will miss him dearly.Teachers are understood not to have been aware of problems with bullies, but posts on Joshua’s Ask.fm profile page – which remained online yesterday – make worrying reading. Last September, an anonymous poster wrote that he was a ‘f****** n*****d’. It went on: ‘honestly no one cares for you even your parents don’t want you, there (sic) gunna put you in care’. In response, Josh wrote that his father had looked at his account and planned to report the abuse to police. Messages apparently written by Mr Unsworth followed, demanding an apology and adding he had called the police. Some posts appeared to mock Josh’s father’s occupation, calling the teenager a ‘farmer’, while others accused him of mistreating girls and acting like ‘a player’. In response to a post stating ‘no one likes you’, Josh apparently replied: ‘Let me tell you within that time I have learnt that words are, well, just words so whatever your miserable low life self thinks of me can say to my face or on here knowing I don’t care.’ Many posts however, contained supportive messages, apparently from friends.
Victim: Joshua Unsworth, 15, was found hanged after allegedly being bullied on social media sites

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305332/Joshua-Unsworth-15-bullied-death-trolls-internet.html#ixzz2PtEusLf2
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45 thoughts on “Schoolboy, 15, bullied to death by trolls on the internet”

  3. This needs to be stopped. I just read where a special needs child was just attacked by grade school children. Prayers for his family.

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  4. I had a very good young man who I helped raise and babysat run out of the high school cafeteria due to bullying, ran to the railroad tracks and allowed himself to be killed. Your blog is not funny, but the way you composed the story seemed more like a tale. Please edit the first comment. I am sorry. There was something on another post that seemed a little like you were pulling our leg. Sorry again about the young man. Our local lad was named Ben Brewer.

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    • Ok I understand but may I ask why you would assume I was pulling your leg? also what changed your mind about that assumption? I know I’ve had many laugh at me by talking about it, so I was forced to suffer in silence, until I decided to speak up, well not only speak but submitting the evidence to prove my story, whereas prior to that I was just blowing wind.and nobody cared or believed a word I said, and probably still don’t, considering the ones that it did matter, believed me, and in the end that’s all that did really matter to me, because I had a lot of terrible labels placed on my back and accused of terrible actions, most of what I know not the details and don’t care to know, I set out with a goal of clearing my name,of the accusations,, things that were assumed I committed or was accused, of committing, now after fifteen years for the first time I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel..

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      • If you could edit my words and put the best part in, I will tell you an embarrassing thing. You can leave this in, I am very, very sorry, but I had been reading posts about Fairy Tales ( I follow three) and until I reread and reread it (after I commented) I thought that you were using “trolls” in a whole other context. I am 57 and have many stories about bullying. My oldest daughter’s best friend, Daniel, moved to California, thinking he would be treated better in what he thought was a more open environment. He came back to our town, then moved to Cincinnati to live with his parents. I know what year he took a plastic bag and duct tape, the year my oldest grandson was born, he was taken to the funeral (2004). Everyone could not console the parents but the mother clung to the baby and kept repeating “Take care of your precious boy.” My son has had three friends who chose different lifestyles and ended up either really addicted to drugs and accidental overdose or 2 on purpose.

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  5. I think this is an excellent combination of a good story like a tale with a message and having some fun also. I only have one same sex relationship love story on my blog. I also have a lot of other interesting relationship and love related topics. I am very pleased you are reading my posts now. Please feel free to express, support or add to any of the stories you read. I am very honored! Congrats again on being Freshly Pressed!

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    • Wow lol, I like you already, you made me smile :-), I am writing some of my own thoughts, and including opinions of others that I believe has merit, there’s a probability of 2% fiction, 98% fact and based on real life situations, some of which are mine, your thoughts are appreciated and your concerns acknowledged, I enjoyed chating with you.. cheers lotsa luv

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    • Thank you I see what you mean now, what I wouldn’t give for it to end by just waking up from a bad dream or being rich due to my creative writing which is also a dream… 🙂

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  6. It is disturbing to see people hurt other people for no reason. I find it disturbing to hear adults who know about or witness one child hurting another say, “Well, kids will be kids.”

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  8. It is a shame, very sad. Whatever other reasons there are bullying is reprehensible. The people bullying should be prosecuted. Something needs to change. Thank you for posting about this difficult subject.

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  10. Since losing my own daughter I’ve learned that often many things cause the cup of a person at risk for suicide to overflow. I do wonder what else was going on in this young persons life?

    I currently speak to high school freshman about recognizing the signs & how to help those around them, because as one person said earlier, teachers (parents, coaches, clergy, other mentors) are the last to know.

    Yours, Lisa a partner in Rallying against Bullying, Assault, & Self-Injury at
    Mama … Remember the Music

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    • Considering your credentials, may I ask you a question, all the people that turned their back on me years ago and left me for dead, are now scratching their heads, saying sorry but I don’t know what to say, the way I feel in all honesty I don’t want them to be a part of my life any longer, I don’t even want to see them, my question, is it possible to move pass it and forgive them, I was always under the impression that blood was thicker then water because as far as I’m concerned, I should not be alive right now and I’m amazed that I am and made it through that living Hell.

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      • Just seeing this – I’m sorry for the delay. I’ve updated comment alerts.

        Terry – hate can consume us if we let it. We become bitter and walled-off. Forgiveness isn’t for them … it frees us! Certainly no need to befriend someone who made you feel so terrible it still hurts to be around them. I find myself wondering what was going on in this other person’s life – why did tormenting others – make them feel better about themselves?

        Better to use has happened to fuel and effect positive change the way you are doing here.

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    • It’s always the same story at first, I heard it to many times, I really don’t think that is happening to you, your paranoid so just try to get along with everybody and forget it!!!

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  16. Thanks for visiting my blog, Life As An Art Form! I a returning the follow and look forward to learning more. I wouldn’t want what happened to Josh to happen to any of my children. We’ve got to have zero tolerance; it begins with each and every one of us.

    SomerEmpress

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