Cyber Bullying

Graphic & Story by: Kristie Stremel
Cyber Bullying

On October 15, 2006, 13 year old Megan Meier committed suicide after being cyber bullied. Josh Evans, a fictional Myspace creation made up by, Lori Drew, the mother of one of Megan’s friends. "Evans" claimed to be 16 years old and Megan thought he was attractive. Evans pretended to like Megan and continued an online friendship with Megan. Her family described her at the time as having her spirits lifted. Then suddenly, Evans began leaving Megan hurtful messages. The next day, after telling her mother about the number of hurtful messages, the two got into an argument over the vulgar language Megan used in response to the messages and she did not log off when her mother told her to. After the argument, Megan ran upstairs to her room. She was found twenty minutes later, hanging by the neck in a closet.

Cyber bullying is much like school yard bullying, only it is done through digital communication devices. Some kids are sending cruel, vicious, and sometimes threatening messages via email and text messaging. Others are creating web sites that have stories, cartoons, pictures, and jokes ridiculing others. The new trend even has bullies tricking other kids into revealing sensitive personal information, and forwarding that information to other kids. More than half of American teens, according to The National Crime Prevention Council, are exposed to cyber bullying. In addition, the Council suggests that as technology advances and new forms of electronic communication are introduced, the safety of kids in cyberworld becomes further compromised.

Principal, Jessica Bird at Kenneth Henderson Middle School in Garden City, KS., agrees, "This day in age, cyber bullying is definitely a new form of bullying, and with the access to new technology kids have now, it certainly makes us very aware".

Cyber bullying statistics show that the affect this abuse has on victims can be devastating. Cyber victimization has been shown to cause poor grades, emotional distress, poor self-esteem, repeated school absences, depression, and in some cases suicide. Some kids are reluctant to tell their parents or teachers for fear of retribution or losing their Internet privileges.

A student in Southwest Kansas, Erica Droste, says she has been a victim of cyber bullying, "mostly on myspace and email, and text messaging people will make fun of the fact I’m gay" . When asked how this affected her, she replied, "It made me not want to hang out with friends and I’ve become shy and worry about what people think of me". Droste concluded, "There has been times that what people say to me has made me want to just die".

These outcomes are similar to real-life bullying outcomes, except for that with cyber bullying there is often no escape. School ends at 3 p.m,. while the Internet is open for business year round. Stopbullyingnow.com is a website that offers tips for educators, parents, and kids to address the growing trend of cyber bullying.

The issue of cyberharassment has gained national attention following the suicide of Megan Meier in 2006 and an increase of harassment on college campuses. Currently, Senator. Scott Rupp, R-St. Louis, is sponsoring a bill that would limit harassing language over the Internet and impose harsher penalties on the harassment of a minor.