Social media is giving Aboriginal teenagers the impression 'the world has passed them by' in a development that could be driving them to take their own lives, according to an Indigenous campaigner.

Five Aboriginal girls committed suicide within two weeks earlier this month in a phenomenon known as a suicide cluster.

One of the girls, Rochelle Pryor, from Perth, wrote a cry for help on Facebook before ending her life, saying: 'Once I'm gone, the bullying and the ­racism will stop.'

Only one friend replied to her post. Later that night her father, Geoffrey, found her unconscious in her bedroom.

The schoolgirl died in hospital nine days later on January 10, making her the fifth Aboriginal girl to commit suicide in 14 days.

The latest spate across Australia is the result of a deadly combination of a lack of Aboriginal mental health programs combined with the dangerous power of internet platforms, suicide prevention advocate Gerry Georgatos said.

Rochelle Pryor (pictured), from Perth, took her own life after a cry for help on social media

The schoolgirl died in hospital nine days later on January 10, making her the fifth Aboriginal girl to commit suicide in 14 days

Mr Georgatos is the national co-ordinator of the federal government's National Indigenous Critical Response Project.

'Poverty is the one key factor that is causing the high suicide rate - underneath that though is an arc of other issues including cyber bullying,' the campaigner told Daily Mail Australia.

'Social media has the power to be particularly powerful in remote Indigenous communities where they haven't been exposed to social media until recently.

'I recently went to two communities on remote islands where there are no recorded suicides – since they were introduced those areas have now had their first suicides.

'Social media plays on a sense of shaming and with indigenous populations this shaming can reflect their impression the world has passed them by,' he said.

The latest spate across Australia is the result of a deadly combination of a lack of Aboriginal mental health programs combined with the dangerous power of internet platforms, suicide prevention advocate Gerry Georgatos said (pictured second from right)

Workers from the National Indigenous Critical Response project, co-ordinated by Mr Georgatos, have been in contact with the families of the young girls who have died.

Aboriginal expert Ken Zulumovski, Gamarada Universal Indigenous Resources, meanwhile, said the deaths could be because indigenous Australians share common vulnerabilities.

'Indigenous Australians have endured profound physiological injury and this is one of the symptoms,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

What is a suicide cluster? One definition calls a cluster: 'A group of suicides or suicide attempts, or both, that occur closer together in time and space than would normally be expected on the basis of statistical prediction or community expectation' Advertisement

'What we know is that when a child makes a decision to end their life they are in an overwhelming physiological distress. So they feel entirely abandoned and completely helpless.

'In some of these areas where it's happening, Indigenous Australians have been pushed on to the fringe as a long-term result of the historic confiscation of their land.'

Identity is likely a factor in the recent spate in the Aboriginal community.

This is especially the case because, unlike other clusters where suicides have occurred in close geographical proximity, this spate has crossed several states.

The recent wave of suicides include three cases in Western Australia, one in Queensland and one in South Australia.

In addition, a 12-year-old boy was treated in hospital in Brisbane after a suicide attempt.

The five most recent cases began on January 3 when a 15-year-old from Western Australia who was visiting relatives in Queensland was admitted to hospital after self harming. She died two days later as a result of her injuries.

On January 4, in South Hedland in Western Australia, a 12-year-old girl took her own life, while two days later on January 6, a 14-year-old girl in the Kimberley region of the Northern Territory also died from suicide.

When a young person hears or reads about someone with whom they identify committing suicide, it may make them more likely to consider ending their life, according to Sara Bartlett from mental health charity Mindframe.

This is not to say that the media shouldn't report on suicides - but that they should do so responsibly by, for example, withholding details of the manner of death, she said.

The schoolgirl died in hospital nine days after her cry for help on January 10, making her the fifth Aboriginal girl to commit suicide in the past two weeks (file image)

Mrs Barlett, said: 'We know that talking about these issues in a responsible way can help community members better understand mental ill-health and suicide.

'Encouraging safe conversations supports the reduction of stigma and stereotypes, whilst connecting people to relevant help-seeking services and support.

'A more proactive way of supporting people who are vulnerable, is to highlight recovery stories, promote messages of hope and always providing access to help-seeking services and information.'

Rochell's sister, Kyanne, revealed this week her younger 'sweet, happy and funny' sibling was being bullied.

Aboriginal suicide crisis: A timeline JANUARY 3: Girl, 15, from Western Australia self-harms in Queensland and dies two days later. JANUARY 4: Girl, 12, kills herself in Western Australia. JANUARY 6: Girl, 14, takes her own life in the Northern Territory. JANUARY 10: Girl, 15, dies from suicide in Perth. January 11: Girl, 12, kills herself in a community near Adelaide. Advertisement

'She was really upset by it,' Kyanne, 17, told The Australian.

'There was racism involved - a lot of the time it was just random people who don't ­realise what they're saying.'

In August, Rochelle was involved in an altercation outside the school gates and came home with cuts on her legs.

Her mother said after that she didn't want to go in to school anymore and her mental health went downhill.

Friends paid tribute to the youngster, who loved animals and one day dreamed of going to university.

One fellow student wrote on Instagram: 'My vision is so blurry from my tears … come back please.

'The last day we were talking about what colour you should dye your hair and you were thinking about… blue or purple.

It comes just over a year on from the death of 'Akubra girl' Dolly Everett, 14, who died from suicide on January 3, 2018, after she was bullied

'If I knew that was your last day, I would do anything to stop you. I remember telling you whenever you weren't in the right mindset I would repeat telling you "I'm always here for you".'

Mr Georgatos said poverty was a major factor in the deaths, but that sexual assaults were behind one-third of cases.

Indigenous lawyer Hannah McGlade, who has advised the UN High Commission for Human Rights in Geneva, said there is a clear link between child sexual assault, family violence, and the high levels of indigenous girls and women who were taking their own lives.

'Last year the UN highlighted the level of violence against indigenous women and girls in Australia and called for a specific national action plan,' Dr McGlade told The Australian.

'The people funded to provide suicide prevention plans are not properly addressing the level of sexual violence suffered by our women and girls.'

Suicide clusters, which are more common with teenagers, have been affected by the rise of social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook.

Last year, the world was rocked by the Blue Whale suicide game in Russia which resulted in 130 teen deaths.

Manipulators running a sick Facebook group encouraged members to take part in challenges such as self-harming and waking up at unusual hours. On the 50th day of the challenge they encouraged the youngsters to kill themselves.

The spate of suicides comes just over a year on from the death of 'Akubra girl' Dolly Everett, 14, who died from suicide on January 3, 2018, after she was bullied.

If you need help call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au. Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800.