Saturday, May 12, 2012

Tori Swoape, 15, Death After Being Bullied

I now have information about the second of the five teen suicides from from midweek.  Fifteen year old Tori Swoape ended her life Wednesday, May 8th in Bloomington, Indiana.  According to her mother, and friends, Tori had been bullied. 
Lana Swoape, Tori's mother, said:
"I never thought she could do this. I never thought she would," as tears dripped down her face.  There was name calling. There was rumors. A lot of what Tori went through was rumors.  She was new, and she got teased a lot because ... the girls were jealous because all the guys liked her and the girls didn't”
In what has become the normal response from "officials", Bloomington police Captain, Joe Qualters added:
“We still continue to investigate whether or not bullying may have been a factor in this case. However, we can find no direct relationship. It continues to be rumors circulating on social media sites,”
Bloomington North High School Principal, Jeffry Henderson chimed in:
"We can't find a single incident where she was treated in a disparaging way. There are rumors and innuendoes, but we can't find an eyewitness who can say she was mistreated. She never made a report. I'm certainly not saying it didn't happen, but what I am saying is we cannot find anyone who can substantiate it,” 
Yet, Tori, herself posted to her own facebook wall this message to her tormentors:
'IM NOT TALKING TO NO ONE. so go ahead and spread that RUMOR around! Keep my name out of your mouth. LEAVE MY BUSINESS TO ME!'
Why are the officials so reluctant to acknowledge that bullying is taking place, particularly when the bullying is leading to young lives being lost?  It is my opinion that these "officials" need to have their feet held to the fire.  They need to step up their own awareness, and they need to be reacting to every single instance of bullying that's going on.  Further, as has been suggested by one of the members of the facebook blog page, there should be an active anti-bullying club in every single school around the country.  It is up to us, the grieving families and friends as well as  the concerned citizens, to start holding these officials accountable.  To keep saying that "more needs to be done" is an empty statement if we don't have people willing to step up and start forcing the issue.

This has become a runaway train.  What I want to see in my lifetime is real action being taken to prevent these egregious events from continuing to happen.  There are people who are now saying that they're tired of reading about these teen suicides.  They're missing the point.  I don't love writing about another teen who took their life.  It's something that needs to be done.  It's something that needs to be done because every single person needs to be made aware that this is an enormous problem...in this country, and around the world.  Without awareness, even less would be getting done that it is today.  That's completely unacceptable.  

I wish I didn't have to write this article about you, Tori.  You should still be here, enjoying your youth.  Rest in peace.



19 comments:

  1. truly heartbreaking. Just reprehensible that the school officials and the local law enforcement are not trying harder to find out what happened. I feel like this poor girl was let down. Just because she didn't file a report doesn't mean she should not have been protected. School workers need to be more observant about bullying!!! RIP angel girl, so beautiful and gone too soon.

    *had to post as anonymous because I could not figure out the other posting options.

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  2. I would much rather have tears of joy of these families that justice was done, rather than tears of sorrow. Hence why I hope as I continue my education in law specializing in computer forensics that others will follow. Don't loose hope fellow victims! Your family and friends love you!

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  3. I THINK ITS A DARN SHAME THAT SCHOOLS DONT DO ENOUGH FOR THIS!!!OBVIOUSLY WITH THE RATES OF TEEN SUICIDE GOING UP AND YOU HEAR IT MORE AND MORE ON THE NEWS WOULDNT YOU THINK MORE COULD BE DONE FOR THIS?MY DAUGHTER GOT BULLIED EARLIER THIS YEAR AND ALMOST ENDED HER LIFE WE UP AND LEFT THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND NOW SHES IN A SCHOLL WHERE THEY DO TAKE IT SERIOUS!!!ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS SHAME ON AUTHORITIES WHO THINK THINK THEY KNOW IT ALL!R.I.P ANGEL

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    1. iknow our dad was in the army so we moved to north carolina my sister was a freshman and these girls told my sister that they were going to cut her face with a razor and my mom told the school and they did nothing this happened 2008 so this didnt happen just yesterday pepole its been goin on for a long time and bulling isnt new either its even in the bible and so sad that havent stopped it :(

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  4. such a shame.

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  5. Sometimes it boggles my mind how stupid authorities can be. If you hear rumors of bullying then it is more than likely true. Find out her password, go through her fb. There are bound to be postings in there and also things put on her wall and personal messages. I just wish they would take this more seriously.

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  6. Ya our school says the same thing "we didnt know anything" even though i go up there almost daily..even asked the principal to sign off on a report and he refused...i guess so he can continue playing dumb...ugh this sounds so much like what my daughter is going through right now as we speak...but i will be going to check her out once again cause she just text saying she cant take it come get me :"( its heartbreaking that such a good student cant get an education due to mean ass people...

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  7. Bullying takes many forms and these tragedies continue to mount. Together, we can make a difference ,because many of our children are suffering in silence.

    Please find time to try and make a difference and do not let these children be forgotten.

    http://obesitythunderbay.ning.com/video/seventeen-magazine-to-stop-airbrushing-models

    Thank you for your time.

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  8. My daughter also goes through this at school! She tells me that she dosent care what they are saying and acts like it dosent bother her but I'm still concerned! I'm going to put my foot down with that school! They need to do more about this!

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  9. I'm a mother of a nine year old boy my son going through the same thing bullying it's the worst feeling the world knowing your child being bullied I've complained to his school and they never did anything till one day he got jump by the same three kids who been bullying him The abuse of bullying is going to far we need to take a stand and end bullying for once

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  10. I am a teen age boy and I go through this sort of thing my self it sucks its hard to deal with and sometimes I just feel like giving up. I can't bare to be put down or bullied along with all the other stresses of teenage life, I just have to smile and pretend everything is alright, bit that's not the real me that is the fake me. I can't tell my parents and only a few of my friends..... out of the select few I have already.this is so sad and people need to see the reality of this issue and the fact that it is an issue. We have to stand together to stop this sort of thing and not acpext someone else to do it, we always ask why no one does anything about it, but are we doing anything? I could go on forever....

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  11. this is ridiculous! A school shouldnt have to have a report made to do something about someone being bullied. Kids do it right in front of teachers and what do teachers do... they turn there backs and pretend it isnt happening when in all reality if they would speak up and do something about it, it could save a childs life. There should be severe punishment for bullying. it should be against the law and those who do bully should be punished for it!

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  12. The rich kids, the athletes, and those who are connected to a city or school official are the ones who are mainly tied to the bullying. That's why very little, or if anything is being done about this. There have always been mean kids. But,nowadays it has evolved into destructive forces that are driving our kids to suicide. And the ones who could step up and do something to stop it just shrug their shoulders and walk away. what a sad country we are becoming.

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  13. My child was getting bullied, but when she decided to fight back she got suspended from school. How is that even right. I teach her to stand up for herself, but she gets punished for it.

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  14. I feel extremely sadden by this event. Parents need to be accountable for their children doing the bullying. Bullies seek victims that are vulnerable and present a threat to them. Most "bullies" express Antisocial Personality Disorders"; in which also they may have been victimized as well. Regardless it is wrong. The wrong doers should be prosecuted. Enough is Enough

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  15. And they wonder why Columbine happened. RIP to this poor girl.

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  16. tori was my friend . she was a fun bubbly person and loved to make everyone happy . innocent people die everyday and tori was one . i miss and love you every day and the onky reason why they did that is because they were fucking jealous you are gorgeous and to the bitches that did that ..they have to live with knowing they basically murdered someone . R.I.P. tori nakol swoape . <3 gone but never forgotten . !

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  17. she was one of my bestfriends, and out of habit i wait for her to meet me outside of the library after every class period. i miss her so much. she should be here with me and everybodie else right now... i cant explain the pain i fealt when i was tod that she commited sucide... i miss the way her curly hair was a fro every time it rained, and how she would hate her hair almost every day. i miss the laughs and the jokes, i miss the way we joked about the in school teachers bald spot on his head, and mostly i miss one of the estfriends that i ever had, cause she should stil be here with everyodie right now... </3 :'(

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  18. I think the girls who bullied her she kno that this was never just a little joke. She was a beautful young girl and I know her she did not need all of that. She was a smart girl and the girls who bullied her i have no murisse for them at all. Tori was dateing my brothers friend she was so nice. I hope thet feel bad but it is to late for sorry's.

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