Aussie mum’s heartbreaking discovery on her 12-year-old daughter’s phone

An Aussie mum has issued a desperate plea after recalling the devastating moment she found a disturbing message on her 12-year-old daughter’s mobile phone from a classmate.

The Queensland mum had only recently allowed her high school-aged daughter to have the phone and a Snapchat account on the condition she could go through the device at any time.

But nothing could prepare her for the sickening discovery while scrolling through her daughter’s Snapchat.

‘This is the exact reason we aren’t friends, you fat oversized bitch. When you think everyone loves you, but honestly, they all wished you were dead,’ the message from another girl read.

Her daughter’s dad had taken his own life a month earlier.

The mum was scrolling through her daughter’s phone when she came across a disturbing Snapchat message from a classmate

The mum has spoken out about the ordeal with a desperate plea to her parents.

‘Parents should be made aware and accountable to some degree what their children are saying or sharing online,’ she posted on Facebook.

‘Please, please, please check your darlings’ phones to make sure it’s all above board and have open dialogue and boundaries in place.’

She was also concerned that the message didn’t faze her daughter.

‘It became apparent that this sort of thing happens so often within their age group,’ the mum told Yahoo News Australia. 

‘It’s sort of a non-event, and didn’t worry her like I think it should have.’

The mother has since contacted the school which has vowed to take the incident seriously

‘Because it happened on private devices and outside of school they aren’t bound by any behaviour code, however they are very determined to have it stamped out and are willing to do what they can on their end to put an end to this behaviour,’ she added

‘I think you have to know your child and who they associate with. I really think it starts in the home,’ she said. ‘I think it starts with the parents and the environment a child is in.’

Around 230 cyberbullying complaints reported to eSafety within a month earlier this year

eSafety Australia urges parents and carers to speak with their children about online safety and set boundaries following a recent spike in cyberbullying involving teens.

The independent regulator recently revealed that complaints of serious cyberbullying involving under 14s more than tripled in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic.

In 2019, eSafety received a little over 200 complaints from children aged 8-13, which jumping to almost 740 in 2022. 

May this year was also the biggest reporting month on record since eSafety’s cyberbullying scheme started eight years ago.

Of the 230 complaints reported to eSafety in May alone, around half involved children aged 8-13.

Common complaints included nasty comments, offensive pictures or videos and impersonation accounts

Parents and carers are urged to establish boundaries to help their kids avoid potential harms and show an interest in the games they play online, and the profiles they follow on social media.

If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline 13 11 14, Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

The mum reported the incident to her daughter’s school, which is dealing with the matter