October 8, 2009
Judge Tom
1

Cyberbullying claims English teen

She was described as beautiful, kind and caring with a vivacious zest for life. However, 15 year old Holly Grogan of England froze up when it came to dealing with bullies at school. It got so bad, she switched to a private school.

HollyGroganEngland

Holly Grogan

But the bullies followed her. Reportedly, girls at her old school got word to girls at the new school to bully her, and they did just that. She was subjected to a torrent of abusive and humiliating comments on her Facebook wall. When she was called names she didn’t know how to respond, according to her close friend, Chloe.

By September, 2009, the bullying had become unbearable. Holly ended her life by jumping off a bridge into traffic. Her parents and older brother are devastated and in a statement said that her “beautiful smile and infectious laugh” would be remembered by everyone who knew her.

Think before you post or send a message – unintended consequences may be life changing.

HollyGrogan3Bridge

Flowers for Holly

Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

Find great resources in our

Teen Help Network

Leave A Comment

1 Comment

  • Anne
    October 23, 2009 4:32 pm count( 0 )

    This is tragic and never should happen to anyone!