Ryan Patrick Halligan (December 18, 1989 – October 7, 2003) was an American student who died by suicide at the age of 13 after being bullied by his classmates in person and cyberbullying online.

According to the Associated Press, Halligan was repeatedly sent homophobic instant messages, and was "threatened, taunted and insulted incessantly".

[1] His father, John P. Halligan, a former IBM engineer, subsequently lobbied for laws to be passed in Vermont to improve how schools address bullying and suicide prevention.

[1] In Vermont, laws were subsequently enacted to address the cyberbullying problem and the risk of teen suicides, in response.

[2] In 2008, his suicide and its causes were examined in a segment of the PBS Frontline television program entitled "Growing Up Online."

[4] Halligan was described by his father as a "gentle, very sensitive soul," who experienced some developmental delays affecting speech and physical coordination in his early school years.

Although Halligan overcame those difficulties by the fourth grade, "He still struggled; school was never easy to him, but he always showed up with a smile on his face, eager to do his best," said his father.

[4] When Halligan was in fifth grade, he started to suffer bullying at the hands of a group of classmates because of his learning disorder, passion for music (drums and guitar), and love for drama.

Halligan asked for a Tae Bo Kick Boxing set for Christmas in order to learn how to defend himself.

[5] According to his father and news reports, during the summer of 2003, Halligan spent much of his time online, particularly on AIM and other instant messaging services.

Early in the morning, when the other family members were still sleeping, Halligan hanged himself with a bathrobe tie that belonged to his older sister Megan, who later found his body.

John later confronted the bully who had started the gay rumor after finding out that he made fun of how Halligan killed himself.

At first, John was so angry that he wanted to go to the boy's house and "crush that little jerk," but had time to think about it while stuck at a junction.

John wanted to file charges against the bully, but the police said there was no criminal law that covered the relevant circumstances.

While at the pen-pal's house, John learned that the boy's father never received any hard copies of the conversations.

[4] John soon began lobbying for legislation in Vermont to improve how schools address bullying and suicide prevention.

[1] Halligan's story was featured on a Frontline television program entitled "Growing Up Online", produced in January 2008, by WGBH-TV in Boston and distributed nationwide over PBS.

In it, his father recounts his shock upon discovering the extent of the abuse his son endured, saying he believes that bullying on the internet "amplified and accelerated the hurt and pain he was trying to deal with, that started in the real world."