Bullied Carlsbad student Baileigh Karam vanished on the same day that a video of her being beaten up by a schoolmate surfaced online. This is a distressing case, and her mother is seeking answers while the search for the 14-year-old kicks off with little success. The video went viral today, 1/18/2013, but the alert for the missing teen has been less than immediate. In the age of bullying and teen suicide rates on the increase, is it wrong to fear the worse for this missing girl?
The mother of the missing teen spoke to the media today and declared that she had warned the school that her daughter was being bullied. It's unclear if anything had been done at all about the incidents, but judging by the video and the girl's strange disappearance, it's hard to believe that anything was done at all. Baileigh Karam still hasn't been found and it has been a week. Will she be found before the day ends, or is this disappearance the result of something foul?
The video shows Baileigh being wailed on by another classmate as she begs for the girl to stop hitting her. While this appears to be like any other fight, it should be noted that fights could become fatal, especially if a blow to the head is experienced -- that leads to a concussion. Anything is possible, and that's why it's absolutely important that this missing teen be found.
ABC 10 News reported today (January 18, 2013), that This young girl hasn't been seen since January 11th, indicating that fears for the worst are not out of the question. The first 48 to 72 hours are the most vital in the search for a missing person, so with a week being gone now, it's difficult to see a positive outcome in this search. While it's possible that this 14-year-old girl could be a runaway, hiding out after being beaten and then made fun of online, it's also entirely possible that she is in grave danger as a result of her bullying. Hopefully officials provide new updates soon to this already tragic case.
In the meantime, it's important to recognize the signs of bullying if you have children. Times are far different in the age of rapid communication, and students can't just escape their tormentors by going home at the end of the day. Social networking has made it nearly impossible for bullied children to find solace away from those who victimize them on a daily basis. This, naturally, has led to the increase of bullying-related suicides and possibly even violence in retaliation. Hopefully this child is not made another statistic in this horrible modern truth.
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