Suicide of Ryan Halligan
| Ryan Halligan | |
|---|---|
Ryan Halligan
|
|
| Born |
Ryan Patrick Halligan December 18, 1989 Poughkeepsie, New York, United States |
| Died | October 7, 2003 (aged 13) Essex Junction, Vermont, United States |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Resting place | Holy Family Cemetery Essex Junction, Vermont, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Parent(s) | John P. Halligan Kelly Halligan |
| Website | Memorial Site |
Ryan Patrick Halligan (December 18, 1989 – October 7, 2003) was an American student who committed suicide at the age of 13 after being bullied by his classmates in real life and cyber-bullying online. According to the Associated Press, Halligan was repeatedly sent homophobic instant messages, and was "threatened, taunted and insulted incessantly".
His father, John P. Halligan, a former IBM engineer, subsequently lobbied for laws to be passed in Vermont to improve how schools address bullying and suicide prevention. He has also given speeches at schools in other states about the story of his son.
Halligan's case has been cited by legislators in various states proposing legislation to curb cyber-bullying. In Vermont, laws were subsequently enacted to address the cyberbullying problem and the risk of teen suicides, in response. In 2008, his suicide and its causes were examined in a segment of the PBS Frontline television program entitled "Growing Up Online." His suicide has also been referenced in many other news stories on bullying.
Halligan was born on December 18, 1989 in Poughkeepsie, New York, the son of John P. and Kelly Halligan. His family moved to Essex Junction, Vermont, where Halligan attended Hiawatha Elementary School and, later, Albert D. Lawton Middle School.
He was described by his father as a "gentle, very sensitive soul," who experienced some developmental delays affecting speech and physical coordination in his early school years. Although he overcame those difficulties by the fourth grade, "He still struggled; school was never easy to him, but he always showed up with a smile on his face, eager to do his best," said his father.
When Halligan was 10 years old, he suffered bullying at the hands of a group of students at his school because of his learning disorder and because his passion for music (drums and guitar) and his love for drama set him apart. His father said that when Ryan told him he was being picked on, his initial response was to ignore the boys, as they were just bullying him with words. The family said later in a short documentary that Halligan enrolled in counseling, with little success. After that he moved up to middle school, where the bullying continued on and off for the next 2 years.
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