Hurtful messages on social media websites like Ask.fm, Instagram, and Kik appeared to have caused 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick to take her own life this week.
Her mother hadn't seen the websites on her daughter's cell phone until it was too late. Family members have said they had no clue Rebecca was seriously considering suicide.
"She seemed perfectly fine and then on Instagram, two weeks later, she was posting things like if she was missing no one would even know she was gone and stuff like that," said Rebecca's older sister Amy Sedwick.
Rebecca's death appeared to be the result of cyber-bullying.
Psychologist Dr. Steven O'Brien said the online world can be lethal to those children who are emotionally fragile.
"The social media, the internet, the electronic devices that we have, make negative messages about people go everywhere," Dr. O'Brien said. "And so there's a higher humiliation factor because kids today are not humiliated just for people in that room, but they are potentially humiliated by everyone who goes on that website."
Dr. O'Brien said this latest style of bullying required parents to be online savvy. The key, he said, is to monitor your children's cyber-activity.
"Consider the people online and getting to know them just as you would get to know a child that's going to come to your house for dinner," Dr. O'Brien said. "It's important to not think of online life as not having much impact. It has a potentially huge impact."
In Rebecca's case, there were warning signs. She had previously been Baker-Acted after cutting herself. She also made negative statements and showed an interest in death.
Dr. O'Brien said these are all important signs to monitor. Other symptoms may include moodiness, social withdrawal and shutting down emotionally or verbally. And while not every child may show signs, Dr. O' Brien said it's critical to talk with your child and address any problems with a mental health professional before it's too late.