On Nov. 14, Samantha West found her 10-year-old daughter, Jasmine McClain, dead in her bedroom, hanging from a belt she had apparently tied around her neck.
As authorities in Chadburn, N.C., were preparing to rule the child’s death a suicide, they were alerted by her classmates that Jasmine had been the target of intense bullying.
“Children started coming forward and making accusations that she was bullied — and bullied bad — in school,” said Chadbourn Police Chief Steven Shaw.
According to kids who were aware of what Jasmine was facing on campus every day, it appeared she was being picked on about the condition of her clothing and shoes. Apparently, Jasmine’s family did not have the means to provide the “Gucci, Gucci, Louis, Louis, Fendi Fendi, Prada” our children’s music and media “role models” are all bragging so fiercely about.
Of course, rapper Kreayshawn can’t be blamed for this little girl’s misery, but we do have to ask ourselves as adults what messages our children are picking up regarding the relationship between self-worth and material possessions. It seems both the victim and the victimizers in this sad story are under the mistaken impression that what makes a human being truly valuable can be purchased and worn.
Although bullies have been around forever, stories like these seem to be more and more common. We have to wonder what is causing so many of our children to be so mean and cruel to others. Is it the violence in our media, or is something happening to these kids at home (or school) to make them so filled with the need to hurt others? Or is it some combination of both?
In the aftermath of this little girl’s death, people are demanding harsher punishment for kids who bully others. The saying goes that “hurt people hurt people.” If we take that to heart, then whatever policies we put in place to punish these child bullies, perhaps we should also be mandating some kind of intervention and counseling for them as well.
A Facebook page has been created to memorialize Jasmine at Facebook.com/RIPJasmineMcClain.
