Girl, 10, took her own life because her empathy made her a target for bullies, family says

A 10-year-old Virginia girl took her own life after being targeted by bullies for defending others, her family has said.

Autumn Brooke Bushman, 10, of Roanoke, died on March 21. Her parents, Mark and Summer Bushman, and two older siblings are reeling from the sudden and unexpected loss.

According to her obituary, Autumn was a child who had “deep empathy, was soft-hearted, and always ready to lend a listening ear or offer support.”

While her parents were reportedly aware she was being bullied, things began to spiral in the last few weeks.

“If somebody was getting bullied or picked on, she would stand up for them. And unfortunately, that may have made her a target for more bullying,” Summer Bushman told WDBJ7.

Autumn began making unusual changes to her everyday life: she began wearing darker clothes, laughing and joking less around her loved ones, and sleeping for longer, her father told WSLS in a separate interview.

This behavior was atypical for a young girl who had an “infectious laugh and wonderful sense of humor” and loved taking part in cheer, track, dance, and archery.

Autumn was said to have “brought joy to those around her, making every moment brighter,” her family wrote in the obituary.

The bullying, her parents say, began at the start of the school year at Mountain View Elementary School last August, where Autumn was in the fourth grade.

Her mother said she discussed suicide awareness with her 12 and 17-year-old children in the past but never expected this to be something she needed to discuss with her 10-year-old.

According to her parents, the Roanoke County Public Schools district told Summer Bushman that it was handling the bullying allegations after the family first reported them.

“They said they had handled it, and that was about as far as it went.

“But, as far as we know, what we were told—at least by our daughter—was that it kept happening,” Mark Bushman said in his WSLS interview.

“This is an age where they have tablets and they have phones, so it’s happening around the clock. They can’t really escape,” he added.

In a statement provided to the outlet, the Roanoke County Public Schools described Autumn’s death as a “tragic loss” and said that they would “stand in support of the family, friends, and Mountain View community.”

The school did not confirm bullying but said they were investigating and shared that students would be offered additional counseling services upon returning from spring break next week to help them cope with the “profound grief.”

“While we cannot discuss the specifics of this situation due to federal privacy laws and out of respect for the family, we are conducting a thorough review. Our schools take all reports of bullying and conflicts among students very seriously”, the statement read.

“Our schools educate students and respond appropriately to specific situations when we are made aware, including working with parents and families of students involved.”

The Bushmans are now desperately seeking answers as they grapple with their loss and urged other parents to monitor their children’s phones.

“My biggest message to parents is to please go through your child’s cell phone,” said Summer.

The heartbroken mother said, “Go through your child’s cell phone to make sure that they are being kind to other children [and] to make sure children are being kind to them.”

Autumn was allowed to own a phone but was forbidden from using social media, insisted her mother.

Mark Bushman posted a striking message on Facebook Monday, encouraging other parents to take a stand against bullying.

“Putting an end to bullying is not something achieved by individuals operating alone; it is done by a community banding together. Meaningful change will come if we focus our energy not on fighting the old but on building the new. Let’s give these kids a life worth living through accountability and solid resources, both at home and in the school system”, he wrote.

A funeral service is scheduled to be held in Roanoke on Friday, and the family is holding “A Celebration of Autumn’s Life” a day later, to which the public is invited.

The Independent contacted the Roanoke County Public Schools for comment.

If you are based in the USA and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org