12-18-2009 National:
When she was 13, Susan -- not her real name -- fell victim to cyber bullying.
One of her friends on Facebook posted a picture of actor Robert Pattinson, of "Twilight" fame. Susan left a lukewarm comment, saying the "Twilight" novels (which spawned the movies) were fine, but there were other, more interesting books to read.
Almost instantaneously, comments started flooding in, criticizing Susan. "It got way out of control," Susan said. "People told me I should kill myself, that I was a lesbian. They'd say 'bang, you've been gang raped!'"
The next day at school, a group of girls continued the taunting in person. "It went on for a whole year," Susan said. "I looked for any excuse not to go to school."
Back on Facebook, the comments kept piling up. "Really vile stuff," said Susan's mother, Nora Bateson.
After several attempts to convince Susan's school of the severity of the problem, a counselor joined Facebook and "friended" Susan's page so she could read the comments. Finally, the girl deemed most responsible for the bullying was called into the office.
Though Susan's life has mostly returned to normal, the original comment thread with all of the hateful messages remains on Facebook, a kind of memorial to the viral nature of teen interaction in the digital age. Susan still uses Facebook but says she's more cautious now. "Don't add anyone as a friend that you wouldn't tell a secret to," she said. "And avoid people who have reputations as bullies."
Her mother said the experience gave her a new appreciation for what teenagers face today and also underscores the challenge of parenting in the cyber age. "In many ways, this generation are the pioneers," Bateson says. "And there are no adults who can guide them based on first-hand experience."
While some might argue that the best answer to problems like Susan's is to simply unplug from technology, recent statistics and studies suggest that might not be so easy. In short, digital communication has become the lifeblood of the teenage experience.
According to a new study by Nielsen Mobile, the average cell-phone-carrying teen in the United States now sends 2,899 text messages every month. That's up 566 percent from just two years ago.
Another recent survey by The Associated Press and MTV found that one-third of teens and young adults age 14 to 24 engaged in "sexting," the practice of sending sexually explicit messages or pictures via text message. And a poll conducted by Common Sense Media found that nearly a quarter of all teens who belong to Facebook check their page more than 10 times each day.
"This generation is consumed by technology from birth," said Larry Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and the author of "Me, MySpace, and I: Parenting the Net Generation."
To hear Rosen tell it, kids today are fundamentally different from how their parents were at the same age. "These teens have grown up multitasking, and they believe in communication in a multitude of ways," Rosen said. "It means that parents have a new responsibility. We have to respect their style and try to understand the way that they operate."
Ridicule itself may simply be part of the teenage experience. It certainly is on Facebook, says 14-year-old Massimo Mullen-Lambert of Albany, Calif. "I try not to go to Facebook when I'm in a bad mood," he said. "Because people are likely to say something stupid to you, and then I fire back, and the arguments start."
Like many parents, Massimo's mother, Nina Mullen, says she gives her son latitude with texting and online time, "as long as he helps around the house, doesn't text at the dinner table and keeps up his grades."
As the chief technology officer at True/Slant, a news and opinion Web site, Steve McNally knows plenty about the Internet. And, as the father of three girls, ages 14, 12 and 7, he has become all too familiar with the shifting landscape of teenage communication.
"I'm definitely worried about the photos," McNally said. "We're constantly trying to get the message through that she shouldn't post anything inappropriate. When you post something online, you create a permanent record, and you open yourself up to ridicule."
McNally's 15-year-old, Olivia, says she sends about 8,000 text messages each month. "I can do it without looking at the keypad," she said, explaining that she, like her friends, often texts during class at their high school in Naples, Fla.
On Facebook, she has posted hundreds of pictures of herself that any of her more than 500 friends can view and comment on. That includes Olivia's parents, who say that part of their agreement allowing her to join the site was that she had to add them as friends so they could monitor her online activity.
And if parental boundaries aren't heeded?
"I've lost my cell and computer privileges this week," Olivia said. "Now I look forward to going to school because that's the only time I can communicate with friends." ..Source..
December 18, 2009
Cyber Lives of Teens Pose New Parenting Challenge
August 18, 2009
MO- St. Peters woman accused of cyber bullying
This is a rather unusual case. Under the Adam Walsh Act, the girl being 17 is a minor, and sending porn to a minor would make this person a sex offender? This may also fall under what we consider vigilantism, not sure yet. Any thoughts are welcomed..
8-18-2009 Missouri:
ST. CHARLES COUNTY — A St. Peters woman sought to humiliate a St. Charles County teenager by posting the girl's picture and cell phone number in a sexually suggestive online forum on Craigslist, prosecutors said Monday.
Elizabeth A. Thrasher, 40, is accused of posting the listing after an online confrontation with the 17-year-old daughter of a woman Thrasher's ex-husband was dating.
Authorities say the case is the first felony harassment charge filed in St. Charles County under a new state law drafted in response to the suicide of Dardenne Prairie teenager Megan Meier. Misdemeanor charges have been filed in other local cases.
St. Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas said Thrasher and the teen's mother were bickering. The teen sent a MySpace message to Thrasher, telling her to grow up.
Thrasher, of the 1300 block of Farm Valley Drive, then created a listing on Craigslist's Casual Encounters section, investigators said. The listing included the teen's picture, employer, e-mail address and cell phone number. Banas said the posting's language would lead people to believe it was an invitation to sexual contact.
Investigators said men called the girl and sent e-mails, text messages and pornography to her cell phone after Thrasher posted the listing.
Mike Kielty, Thrasher's lawyer, said he wasn't sure prosecutors could meet the elements of the charge. He said the statute itself was poorly written.
"To charge a woman, a mother, with a felony for what is tantamount to a practical joke, that's awfully rash," he said. "That's taking it to the extreme."
Thrasher has two children. Her ex-husband and the mother of the teen could not be reached for comment.
The first page of the Casual Encounters section warns that its pages may include adult content. It also links to information about safe sex and a way to report suspected exploitation of minors.
The Meier cyber-bullying case received international attention after Lori Drew, an adult neighbor of Meier's, was linked to a fake MySpace account blamed in her death.
Drew eventually was charged with four federal misdemeanors. A jury found her guilty of three, but a judge overturned the verdicts, saying he will acquit her. He has not made the decision official by putting it in writing.
Banas said the case filed Monday afternoon surprised him because of the widespread coverage given to the Meier case.
"I would just question the wisdom of somebody who would get involved in this type of behavior after the information that has been disseminated rather voluminously," he said.
Missouri's harassment law, which took effect last August, covers threats or communication that cause emotional distress, including electronic messaging on computers, text messaging and e-mail. Statewide, felony charges have been filed in other cases since the new cyber-harassment law was enacted. In the Meier case, Banas said no state law applied at the time. ..Source.. by Shane Anthony, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
February 4, 2009
Student cell phone confiscation and searches
2-4-2009 National:
According to this article, one Texas school district is now allowing for the confiscation of cell phones from students who display or use them at school, and is considering levying a retrieval fee. I had mentioned in a comment to a previous post by Justin that other districts are definitely requiring a fee of either $15 or $25 for a confiscated cell phone to be returned to a parent of the offending student. I personally am in support of such a policy, as it affects one’s pocketbook and inconveniences the parent who has to come to school to deal with the matter. Another article from Wyoming details a new policy (which still requires final approval but is on its way) allowing a student’s cell phone to be searched.
The search can occur if the phone is “suspected to have materials that pose a threat to the welfare of the school population.” Maybe this language is intentionally broad. Or, maybe the language is sufficiently narrow because such a “threat” might conjure up similar conceptions in the minds of reasonable persons. What do you think? Who will be able to articulate such a suspicion? Teachers? Administrators? Student peers? Bus drivers? Cafeteria workers?
Will this lead to 4th Amendment violations of students, or is this definitely the way to go nowadays in order to prevent harm, victimization, and criminal activity among youth?
Seemingly, materials on a cell phone that might pose a threat to the welfare of the school population could include evidence of textual harassment of a teacher or another student; inappropriate pictures or videos involving nudity, drugs, weapons, or other contraband; or even web history files that indicate the student was visiting a bomb-making or anti-establishment web site. Can you think of any other possibilities? Could this policy be abused and lead to more headaches for the district? ..Source.. by CyberBullying.us
