Law lags as taunts ruin lives

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 11/19/2007 | David Hunn and Joel Currier

[pandoraou812]

Prayers for ALL of these people. I think they surely need them. I hope Megan rests in peace. I think any mother such as Mrs Drew who has to get involved with her daughter’s life to the point of setting up a fake online account & playing games with a girl who they already knew & had issues ought to be totally ashamed of herself. Why parent’s need to take on their children’s fights is beyond me. I think of the cheerleader mothers, the scocor mother who hit the old man etc. This is just plain sick, twisted & evil.

[newgeezer]

Thanks, ladies; you're not alone in thinking that way.

If you haven't already seen it, there's more in the earlier article.

[newgeezer]

In Florida, Jeff Johnston, 15, hanged himself by his book-bag strap in 2005 after three years of cyberspace bullying. His mother and principal had tried to stop the threats but couldn't.

I must be missing something. My two boys, 17 and 15, are doing just fine with no email, no MySpace accounts, no IMs, ... no personal accounts of any kind online. They've never had any. They don't need any.

So, I'm left wondering, especially since it was so bad and it went on for 3 years(!!), what on earth prevented this mother (and child) from simply shutting off all the avenues for all that "cyberspace bullying"?

[Ptarmigan]

I don’t see how technology is outpacing laws. Harassment is harassment regardless whether it is verbal, phone, or Internet.

[Between the Lines]

Police Cite 'Air of Vigilantism' in Response to Girl's Suicide

[newgeezer]

I don’t see how technology is outpacing laws. Harassment is harassment regardless whether it is verbal, phone, or Internet.

I wonder if the fact that she could have turned it off anytime she wanted to prevents it from rising to the level of harassment.