Officials Urge Parents To Monitor Children's Social Media Use Following Death Of 10-Year-Old
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Santa Ana police provided an update Wednesday on their investigation into the death of a 10-year-old girl by apparent suicide that happened earlier this month.
Allison Wendel, a fifth grader at Hazard Elementary School, was found dead in her family's Santa Ana home Oct. 13.
Police said in a statement that they examined more than 2,500 videos and social media posts from classmates and interviewed more than 50 students at the school after reports of bullying. And while detectives found several "mean-spirited" social media posts shared among a group of students that included Allison, none of the posts rose to the level of bullying or criminal conduct.
"It's not just a one-way thing," Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, of the Santa Ana Police Department, said. "She was part of the group, and it was the group that was saying these mean-spirited things to each other."
Officials said they did not know if the posts were a factor in the girl's death, but they said the posts were concerning.
"We cannot bring back this 10-year-old, but there is a group of friends who are dealing with and suffering from the loss of this 10-year-old," Bertanga said. "Part of what we're doing is working with the school and working with groups to educate these young children as well as their parents."
Garden Grove Unified School District said in a statement that it was continuing to support its students and staff following the girl's death.
"Garden Grove Unified School District continues to support the school community members who are hurting and grieving this terrible tragedy. Our focus is on providing support and counseling to students and staff members. We have partnered with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services which has provided and will continue to provide expert crisis counseling to our students and staff. Additionally, district psychologists, social workers and counselors provide grief counseling and crisis support to school staff and students throughout the district."
The district further said it would be offering parent education workshops about mental health, suicide prevention and safe online activity with a focus on social media use.
Both the school district and the police department said parents of young children should monitor their social media interactions and report concerning posts to school officials or the police.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Trained counselors are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to help.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
