A 15-year old teenager from Staten Island died after being struck by a bus while carrying a suicide note on Monday evening.
NYPD officials say a witness saw Amanda Diane Cummings jump in front of the bus on Hylan Boulevard by Hunter Avenue. She was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital where she was in critical condition and ultimately died from her injuries.
Cummings was a sophomore at New Dorp High School and according to the girl's uncle, Keith Cummings, she had been bullied by peers.
The relative spoke to the Staten Island Advance on the alleged bullying and said Amanda was tormented after bullies stole her possessions including her jacket, phone, and shoes.
He said they were even posting cruel, inappropriate comments on Amanda's Facebook wall while in the hospital after being struck by the bus.
The uncle said he would be seeking legal action against the bullies and said, "I'm not going to tolerate this. I'm gonna go full force. Kids can't do this to each other."
Amanda's family described her as a kind teenager who loved animals and enjoyed poetry. A family blog has been created in her memory.
Bullying, specifically cyber-bullying, has been a growing problem for young adults across the nation, as social networking sites become centers of harmful taunting and insults.
In 2010, The New York Times reported that one of out five middle-school students said they had been victims of cyberbullying and while most states have bullying prevention ordinances in place, less than half provide guidance on what should be done about bullying on the internet and electronic communication devices.
Pop superstar Lady Gaga has been an advocate of anti-bullying measures and recently launched the Born This Way foundation with the help of the MacArthur Foundation and Harvard University to highlight "issues like self-confidence, well being, anti-bullying, mentoring, and career development" and help empower young people.