Cyber-bullying
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"Cyber-bullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking."[1] It has become somewhat of a moral panic among parents and educators (although not nearly as intense as that surrounding Child predators on the Internet).[2] This has led to seminars and programs teaching children about the dangers of the Internet adding cyber-bullying to the more traditional pedophile and abduction warnings.
On the other hand, it is becoming recognized more and more that bullying matters to kids in ways adults forget about or can not comprehend. Kids who have attempted suicides report bullying as one of the top reasons they 1) became withdrawn and depressed in the first place, and 2) was the impulse for the actual attempt itself.[3][4] (Obviously, these are kids who failed at their attempts. It's quite apparent from those who succeeded that bullying influenced their decisions).
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[edit] Real cases
As with most things about modern society, the media tends to hype and exaggerate for effect. However, there are several noteworthy cases of cyber bullying.
[edit] Megan Meier
In 2006 Megan killed herself after threats, taunting and harassment from other students on her myspace page. This case is particularly sad because the mother of a student was involved. The students made a fake account and convinced Megan she was talking to a boy who "loved" her named Josh. "Josh" extracted information from Megan that her friends used to humiliate her online and at school.
[edit] Ryan Halligan
Ryan Halligan had a learning disorder, was bad at sports, and was the typical "target" for bullies. The cyber bullies added to what was going on in school by sending messages by text and e-mail, accusing him of being gay because he "talked funny" and he "wasn't good at sports". He apparently got quite a few texts per day, during school and out of it. His parents tried to talk to school officials but it was more of the same "boys will be boys", and "learn to live with it". Like most targets of bullying, he bought into it, crying at school and having no way of "fighting back", so the bullying got worse. He eventually killed himself after the name of someone he had a real-life crush on, was printed for the world and that student to see. She laughed in his face during class. He killed himself that week. Ironically, that girl has since become a part of her school system's "anti bullying" campaign, fearing she was to blame for his suicide.
[edit] Jessie Slaughter
The most recent example of this is the case of Jessie Slaughter. Jessie Slaughter had been posting regular videos to a video sharing website when 4chan found her and began harassing her. She continued to post ever more tearful videos in response, fueling the fire. The saga ended with her father screaming into a live webcam at the various people who had been harassing his daughter. Among the choice words he used were: "cyberpolice" (a non-existent police force), "backtrace" (apparently referring to IP tracing), and "Consequences will never be the same" (possibly referring to some sort of legal action).