Parents of Drayke Hardman Speak Out Against Bullying That Led to His Death

The parents of Drayke Hardman, the 12-year-old boy who died by suicide, speak out against bullying to raise awareness on the devastating impact of what it has done to their son.

In an interview with ABC News, Samie Hardman and Andrew Hardman have launched a #DoItForDrayke to promote kindness in the community. The parents said that their son had a heart of gold who showed nothing but kindness to everyone.

However, the parents believed that the child bullying Drayke also had "something broken" inside him that led him to attack their son. They think that he's also a victim of unkind treatment.

Bullying: Blackeye, Skipping School Practices

Drayke came home one day with a black eye after being beaten up in school. Then he started to skip his basketball practice altogether to avoid the confrontation with his bully. Samie and Andrew took action and got the school involved. The school even suspended the bully at one point.

For their part, the parents sat down with Drayke to talk to him about what had been happening in school. Samie and Andrew told their son that they could come to him if he struggled.

Samie recalled that she asked her son point-blank if he had thoughts of suicide, but the boy told his parents no. He also told his parents that "snitches get stitches" when he was encouraged to open up about his problems with the bully.

Then, last Wednesday, February 9, Drayke asked his parents if he could stay home instead of going to basketball practice. While he seemed to appear fine, Drayke took his own life inside their house. His sisters discovered him in the bedroom, and the family rushed Drayke to the hospital, where the medical team could no longer revive him.

According to Andrew, Drayke didn't want his family to know that bullying hurt him physically and emotionally. He encouraged parents to be on the lookout for signs of any distress or aggression for their kids.

Nathan Watkins of the Wasatch Family Therapy said that bullying, as with kindness, is a learned behavior. Yet it's very important to talk to kids about bullying early on, especially if they start the school year. It's also crucial to teach kids how to express their emotions with kindness.

Community Support, Including from the Utah Jazz

Meanwhile, locals from Utah have rallied behind the Hardman family in the wake of this devastating tragedy. A GoFundMe page was created for Drayke's memorial expenses. Some of the donors included players of the Utah Jazz, Drayke's favorite NBA team. Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell, and Rudy Gobert also reached out to Andrew to tell him that they will be thinking about his son as they play their games this week.

If you or someone you love are experiencing a personal crisis or feelings of hopelessness, call the 24-hour lifeline 1-800-273-8255 to talk to someone confidentially. In Utah, the numbers for the 24/7 crisis hotlines are (801) 625-3700, (801) 226-4433, or (801) 373-7393.