Virginia 10-year-old takes her own life after standing up to bullies

It started with small adjustments that had deep significance in retrospect. Once brimming with energy and laughter, Autumn began dressing in darker hues. Her dazzling smile dimmed. She started to distance herself from the world she had so boldly embraced, slept more, and played less.

“I didn’t see anything that told me something was seriously wrong,” Mark Bushman remarked.

But in the final weeks before, it did appear to lessen her brilliance.

“May I please skip school and stay at home?”
The pair claims that after they informed school officials about the bullying, they received assurances that the matter was being handled. However, Autumn’s parents now feel that their attempts were insufficient.

Autumn’s mother, Summer Bushman, stated that she had previously discussed suicide awareness with her older daughters, who are aged 12 and 17. But she never thought she would have to talk to her daughter, who is ten years old, about the same thing.

Summer said, “She came to me crying a few weeks ago and she was really upset.” “You know, Mom, I’m just, I’m really stressed out,” she remarked. Someone is bullying me. Would it be possible for me to skip school tomorrow?

The stress was too much for Autumn. Mark, her father, voiced his sadness and aggravation at not being able to keep his daughter safe while she was in school.