Today, John shares Ryan's story with students and teachers to bring awareness to the problem. "Cyberbullying is far more dangerous than what we had to deal with a generation ago," he says. "The level of pain that can be brought about by this behavior is unbelievable."

John says he had no idea his son was being harassed online until after his death, when he signed on to his son's instant messaging account. It was there he says he learned of the taunts—and found evidence of his son's deep depression. "It was very clear he had been contemplating and actually planning this final act," he says.

At the time, John says he and his wife weren't trained to see the signs of depression or suicide in their son. "That last summer he became very withdrawn," he says. "I just thought he was becoming an older teenager who didn't want to hang out with Dad anymore."