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Amanda Todd: another child who just fell through the cracks

It breaks my heart to think that no one stepped up to help Amanda Todd.  Another child just fell through the cracks.
She's the B.C. teenager who took her own life a few days ago, just over a month after posting a video to YouTube telling her story of the abuse she suffered at the hands of bullies.

Then, look around.
Do you know anyone suffering in similar silence? Can you do anything to stop what has become a tragic trend of bullying-related suicides?
The statistics on bullying and suicide are nothing short of staggering. See for yourself here (at Bullyingstatistics.org).
Stories like Amanda’s, as avoidable as they are, not only put a face to the sad statistics -- they show us that there’s something crucial missing in the way our communities and our institutions deal with the young people around us who are in so much pain.
They are a painful reminder of the dialogue that needs to be happening -- at our schools and at our dinner tables -- and if it is happening, then it isn’t happening enough.
It's a heartbreak that stories like Amanda's have to be told before we’re moved to find ways to make things better for victims like her. Again, look around, ask your kids to look around. This is a concrete example of how just one person can make a difference in someone else’s life. I don’t mean to sound too preachy but something’s gotta give to help disenfranchised teenagers feel connected to more than their laptops.
Amanda’s story is leading the CTV National News tonight. I wish she weren’t.  If more people had listened to Amanda, in life, then we wouldn’t be talking about her death.