Bullying Caused 11-Year-Old To Attempt Suicide, Mother Says

CHICAGO — An 11-year-old boy from Chicago's South Side has been put on life support after bullying led him to attempt suicide, his mother said. The boy, who is in grade 4 at Carter G. Woodson Elementary in Bronzeville, was found hanging from a coat hook in his home with a bed sheet around his neck, his mother said in a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for his medical bills.

Jamari Dent is being treated at Comer Children's Hospital. His mother, Teirra Black, said that for months she called his school and reported that classmates were making fun of her son and physically hurting him.

She said the bullying drove him to try to take his own life. Black said Jamari's 9-year-old sister found him hanging in his room, and Black attempted CPR on her son before an ambulance arrived.

In a March 5 post to the GoFundMe page, Black thanked those who've supported her son.

“Jamari is breathing better but doctors suggest an extended period of time before we know the full extent of injury while we wait for him to wake up,” she said in the post.

In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Black said that even Dent's teacher bullied him and made fun of him for having a learning disability. She said his teacher called him "stupid," "dumb" and "retarded."

A group of parents and community leaders gathered for a meeting at Heritage Cafe March 2 to discuss how to combat bullying. Some parents shared stories of their own children being bullied in Chicago schools.

Chicago Public Schools spokesman Michael Passman said the district has reached out to Dent's family to provide support, and assigned crisis assistance resources to students and staff at Carter G. Woodson Elementary.

“This is a horrible tragedy, and the thoughts and prayers of the Chicago Public Schools community are with Jamari and his loved ones," Passman said in a statement. "The allegations that have been made are highly concerning, and the district is conducting a full investigation.”

Passman said CPS has a strict anti-bullying policy and won't hesitate "to hold any adults accountable if it is determined that they violated district policy."

As of Wednesday, more than $14,000 had been raised for Dent's medical bills on the GoFundMe page.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.

The Bully Menace: A Patch Series

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

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Earlier In This Series

• Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words
• America's Shameful Truth About School Shooters And Bullying
• Girl-To-Girl Bullying: Why It’s Different, Difficult To Confront
• Bully Upstander: Whatever He Said Caused Bullies To Back Down
• Bullied 10-Year-Old's Suicide 8th In School District This Year
• 3-Week Nightmare: How Bullying Pushed My Son To Run Away
• Teen Tells Bullies In Video: 'Every Day, I Wear Your Words'
• 'The Hero Myth': Why Expecting Kids To Fight Bullies Is Harmful
• 'Mr. Anti-Bully': Reformed Bully, 12, Sets Mistake Right
• Mallory Grossman Bullying Detailed In Wrongful Death Suit
• Malden Schools Were Non-Compliant Through Bullying Saga: DOE
• 'They All Failed And Changed A Child': Malden Bullying Detailed
• Mom Speaks About Bullying Heartbreak: 'I Feel I Failed Him'
• Why These Kindergartners Start Each Day With A Handshake
• The Bully Menace: 'The Hurt Never Goes Away'
• Bullies And Their Targets The Same: Digital Self-Harm Rising
• Boy, 6, Overcomes Bullying, Heart Condition To Spread Kindness
• Williamsburg Poetry Teacher Helps Bullied Kids Open Tortured Minds
• Bullying Tougher To Confront When It's Bias-Based: Researchers
• Bullied New Hampshire 5th Grader Makes Tearful Plea
• The Bully Menace: 13 Age-Appropriate Reads
• Teen's 'I Wear Your Words' Video Inspires Nashville Songwriters

From The Experts

• 'The Anti-Bully': Talk And, Especially, Listen To Your Kids
• The Bully Menace: Patch Experts Offer Tips To Parents
• Anti-Bully Experts Offer Tips On Sometimes Deadly Encounters
• Understanding The Bully: They're Often Victims, Too, Experts Say

What We've Learned

• The Bully Menace: What Patch Has Learned About Childhood Torture