There are thousands of children every year who are victims of cyber bullying. Many times their stories are not heard or forgotten. It is important to remember all of those who are victims so we can work toward finding a solution. Many families struggle with overcoming bullying and the situation often gets out of hand. Below are three real life examples of how cyber bullying can be a very serious problem that can impact both children and their families forever. We need to learn from these stories and others to prevent the extreme cases that involve loss of life. Scroll down to read their stories and click on the images below to visit their websites.
Victims of Cyber Bullying
Megan Meier
Megan was a few weeks shy of turning 14 when she took her own life after being cyber bullied. Parents and students were involved in creating a fake MySpace af a boy that misled Megan into thinking he was interested in her. They later used this account to instigate hurtful messages and bulletins for Megan to see. Even with her parents' continuous monitoring of Megan's social media, she was still a victim of cyber bullying. Soon after seeing the messages on her MySpace, Megan took her own life. To learn more information about Megan and the Megan Meier Foundation visit her website.
What parents could do in a similar circumstance:
-
Monitor not only what your child is posting online, but also what other children are posting to them.
-
Make your children aware that people are not always who they say they are.
Ryan Halligan
Ryan's bullying started the same as many other students in elementary school; he was singled out for his differences and a few students began to bully him. After overcoming his initial bullying problems, Ryan was again faced with bullying at the start of middle school. Other students started spreading rumors about Ryan and in his attempt to overcome them he befriended a female classmate online. She gained his trust and then used the personal stories he shared with her to humiliate him. The accumulation of the physical and cyber bullying led to Ryan to suffer from depression which led to his suicide. You can learn more about Ryan and his family on their website.
What parents and teachers could do in a similar circumstance:
-
Both parents and teachers can teach children to be accepting of everyone.
-
Teach children to be genuine.
-
Parents and teachers can learn the signs of depression and other emotional disorders.
Amanda Todd
Amanda's story begins with her being tricked into revealing herself on an online webcam to a stranger. The stranger threatened to share this photo of Amanda with her family and classmates if she didn't cooperate with him, which he later shared anyway. She moved numerous times to escape the online and offline bullying by her peers, but it always followed her via the internet. Amanda began to suffer from anxiety, depression, and a panic disorder. To alleviate these issues she started using drugs, alcohol, and started self harming. After her fourth move, Amanda lost the battle against cyber bullying and her depression. To learn about the Amanda Todd Legacy and her story visit her website.
What parents and teachers could do in a similar circumstance:
-
Monitor your child's online activity.
-
Learn how the internet and applications work.
-
Teach children the power of words and how to communicate their problems.
-
Make sure that children and youth know who they are talking to on the internet. Anonymity can be very dangerous.