X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

She wanted to feel accepted so she started talking to a teen five years older

3 min read
She wanted to feel accepted so she started talking to a teen five years older

“And all she wanted was just the attention… She wanted to feel like she could fit in with the boys, and that the boys loved her and thought she was pretty.”

Tammy Weeks heard the last thing a mother could possibly want to hear: The body of her 13-year-old daughter has been found dead, discovered in North Carolina, across the state line from their family home in Virginia.

Like any other teenager in this generation, Nicole Lovell turned to social media to find solace. She had been bullied in her high school, and in her desire to feel accepted, she looked for it in the only place she knew where she could find it.

She found it in David Eisenhauer, an 18-year-old Virginia Tech student she had met on the social media app called Kik.

READ: 7 things your kid shouldn't do online

The two quickly began to form a friendship, with the two secretly exchanging messages on the app.

“She had a huge boy crush kind of thing,” her mother Terry told reporters. “But in the same sense, it was kind of innocent, you know?”

“Because she was still a child, you know? And all she wanted was just the attention… She wanted to feel like she could fit in with the boys, and that the boys loved her and thought she was pretty. And, you know, just like any other little girl.”

It didn’t take long for Eisenhauer to lure the teen from her home. Nicole climbed out of her window one night to meet the older teen. Eisenhauer then brought the Nicole to his friend’s dorm where they killed her.

Not surprising

When news of Nicole’s death surfaced, youth culture journalist Nancy Jo Sales wasn’t surprised that social media played a role. She has been reporting on this for over a decade.

“It’s so much a part of their culture,” she said. “I mean I think it’s probably impossible if you have a teenage daughter right now that she doesn’t know what Kik is.”

Nancy Jo continued: “It’s known for a place where you sext. I mean it’s not set up that way…but it’s like, that’s how kids use it. And there’s even, it’s even become a verb, ‘want to Kik?’…And that means ‘do you want to exchange nudes?’”

Online Safety

On one hand you want to keep your children safe, and on the other you want to be able to trust them.

There there’s no point in banning kids from the Internet; its is already a part of our daily life. There is also no point in monitoring your child’s Internet activity 24/7.

Instead of constantly worrying about the real and imagined dangers that could happen, you need to prioritize educating your children on online safety and the proper way to use the internet.

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below.

Partner Stories
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

James Martinez

  • Home
  • /
  • Relationship & Sex
  • /
  • She wanted to feel accepted so she started talking to a teen five years older
Share:
  • Why parents need to stop saying "Boys will be Boys"

    Why parents need to stop saying "Boys will be Boys"

  • 17 Beautiful Gestures Guaranteed To Make Your Wife Feel Like A Goddess

    17 Beautiful Gestures Guaranteed To Make Your Wife Feel Like A Goddess

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Why parents need to stop saying "Boys will be Boys"

    Why parents need to stop saying "Boys will be Boys"

  • 17 Beautiful Gestures Guaranteed To Make Your Wife Feel Like A Goddess

    17 Beautiful Gestures Guaranteed To Make Your Wife Feel Like A Goddess

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.