Dolly's father urges to stop bullying after 'beautiful soul's' suicide shocks Australia
Amy Jayne Everett was the face of an iconic Australian outback hat firm as a child. Now, Australia and other parts of the worlds are left in shock after reports surfaced that the "the kindest, caring, beautiful soul” ended her own life due to bullying.
Amy was more popularly known as Dolly, the young girl many Australians would recognise from Akubra Hats’ past Christmas adverts. According to the company, she had taken her own life earlier this month. Her father has urged people to act and put a stop to bullying. "If we can help other precious lives from being lost and the suffering of so many, then Doll's life will not be wasted,” Tick Everett wrote in a Facebook post.
“This is not an easy post to write,” Akubra wrote on Facebook on Tuesday along with a photo of Dolly taken eight years ago. The company said it was both shocked and distressed to hear of Dolly’s passing.
Akubra expressed condolences and issued a call to "stand up" against bullying of any type. It added that Dolly could be anyone’s daughter, sister and friend.
Dolly’s family released a statement to media outlets on Wednesday, the BBC reports. Her family said she was "the kindest, caring, beautiful soul.” They shared that she had always been caring for animals and children who were less fortunate.
Overall bullying rates have declined over the past years, the National Centre Against Bullying (NCAB) said. It noted, however, that cyberbullying has seen an increase.
NCAB’S Jeremy Blackman told the BBC that cyberbullying can be constant. He explained that another huge factor is anonymity on the internet, which can make it harder for people to feel empathy for their victims.
Teenagers, NCAB said, are reluctant to report being victims of bullying despite the availability of helplines and services. Some only decide to reach out for help if the situation has become unbearable.
While there are no official statistics on suicides due to bullying, national suicide rates in Australia are reportedly declining. The number of people between 15 and 24 committing suicide, though, has seen a rise in recent years.
