ATLANTA — Editor's note: This story discuses death by suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at at 988.
An Atlanta mother is planning the funeral for her 16-year-old daughter who died by suicide on Friday. Lynita Rugless said her daughter, Azaria White, was being bullied online.
“I will never see her walk across the stage, go to prom, get married, have children, any of those things,” said Rugless.
Rugless said it’s been six days since she lost her daughter.
“I kept pushing the door, I was like, 'what do you have behind the door,' and it was my baby," she said.
The mother said she touched her daughter's cold body.
"She was gone,” said Rugless.
White was a sophomore last year at a public school in Atlanta, but Rugless said she was having issues.
“It became a problem to where no one wanted to sit with her in the lunch room and it made her feel really bad so, then we took her out,” said Rugless.
She switched to virtual learning in January. Now, after her death, her mother said she is sure cyberbullying pushed her daughter over the edge. She found her online message history.
“Multiple message of people saying mean things to my daughter, harassing her, telling her to go kill herself,” said Rugless.
Brittney Walters is a counselor at Chris 180, a mental health organization helping students in Atlanta. Walters said cyberbullying is a huge issue - with half of their students reporting being a victim in the last three years.
“Everything from horrific name calling for to spreading rumors to sharing explicit photography without being promoted,” said Walters.
And with more kids using technology, there are more opportunities for cyberbullies to find a mark.
“What makes cyberbullying so dangerous is, it can be 24 hours a day. It’s always there and can follow a person,” said Walters.
However, Walters said there are signs parents can watch for, such as depression, anxiety, avoiding certain spaces, lower self esteem, and self harm.
Rugless said she wants to warn other parents about cyberbullying and apps online that the bullies used to target her daughter.
“Please please be aware of social media there are so many ones I wasn’t aware of,” said Rugless.
And she wishes she could go back in time and just take away her daughter's phone.
“I didn’t know it was this bad,” said Rugless.
Walters said if a child is ever experiencing a mental health crisis, pick up the phone and call 988 to reach immediate help. Chris 180 has other resources on its website.
There is also an online fundraiser to help Azaria’s family bury her.