Schoolgirl, 16, hanged herself after being bullied on Facebook and Snapchat
A SCHOOLGIRL hanged herself after being bullied on Facebook and Snapchat and suffering with anxiety, an inquest heard.
Sian Waterhouse, 16, had told a doctor "I feel like my heart is sinking" after falling out with friends.
The inquest into her death in Lancashire heard she had been a "bubbly, fun-loving" teen before being upset by former friends online.
The youngster was found by her stepdad after a Sunday afternoon shopping trip in February.
She had left a handwritten note on the dining table and died two days later in hospital.
The teen had been a regular user of social media after getting a mobile phone for Christmas, but fell out with friends and was advised to block them online.
The inquest heard she was admitted to hospital after harming herself but was discharged just before her 16th birthday.
Her stepdad, Phillip Noyland, told the hearing she "seemed to be in a better place and more like her old self", as she worked towards her GCSEs.
But later last year she was put on medication and her stepdad added she "had some issues with some other children over bullying".
He said: "On February 18 Sian went to Preston with a friend and got home in the afternoon. She seemed fine and was looking forward to her friend's party the following Saturday.
''I checked on her a couple times and everything seemed fine, she was making tea for her and a friend. I was in bed later that evening when I heard the back door shut and what I thought was Sian coming upstairs.
"I texted to see if she was OK and had no response. I went down to check on her and on the dining table and there was a note and I saw her.''
What to do if your child is worried about negative comments online
Dr Linda Papadopoulos, a top psychologist, has essential advice for any parent trying to help their kids navigate social media:
1. Talk about it – find the right time to approach your child if you think they’re being targeted.
2. Show your support – be calm and considered and tell them how you’ll help them.
3. Don’t stop them going online – taking away their devices or restricting usage might make things worse and make your child feel more isolated.
4. Help them to deal with it themselves – if it’s among school friends, and if they feel they can, advise them to tell the person how it made them feel and ask to take any comments or pictures down.
5. Don’t retaliate – getting angry won’t help, advise your child not to respond to abusive messages and leave conversations if they’re uncomfortable.
6. Block the bullies – if the messages are repeated block and report the sender to the social network or gaming platform.
7. Keep the evidence – If the comments are serious or abusive in nature, take screenshots and keep a timeline in case you need them later as proof of what’s happened.
Sian's mother Ann said: "I became aware that there were issues with friendships and who she hung around with. There was the problem of being friends and not friends.
"There were also some issues with some bullying and I told her to block their numbers from her phone and as far as I was aware she did."
In a statement Sian's father Paul Waterhouse said he believed Sian ''might have fallen into the wrong crowd'' whilst at high school.
He added: ''She had a bright bubbly personality but people are great at hiding their conditions. She was a typical teenage girl, she had a number of close friends and friends who were in and out of friendships."
Following her death, Sian's family organised a music event - Shine for Sian - to raise awareness of mental health.
Recording a narrative conclusion, coroner James Newman told Sian's family: ''I cannot imagine how difficult this has been for you all today.
''She has been described as a very loving, happy and friendly 16 year old girl - a 16 year old girl going through all of the troubles a normal teenager would go through, but given her sensitive nature she felt it more than others.''
