The recent spate of cyber bullying is worrisome.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/mean-girls-mother-speaks-out-on-ascham-bullying/2009/05/08/1241727605725.html
The anguish and nightmare of cyberbullying that a family I know had to endure was excruciating, which threatened to destroy precious friendships and undermined acceptable social and moral norms that our education system strived so hard to cultivate. A nice girl who's academically gifted, helpful, generous, kind and courteous recently fell victim to cyberbullying.
Despite the brave front she put on, she was fearful for her life, yes, literally. What began as a prank during the school vacation when her friends became restless and bored turned out to be horrifying experience; a joke that went awry when friends impersonating as a gang of students and adult bullies threatened to bring physical harm and even kill her for a fabricated crime of torturing their pets which she of course, never did. The bullies thought that the anonymity would protect themselves in their game of taunting their good friend. But the "joke" that went on in digital, electronic and voice medium for several days, was not funny anymore.
Fortunately, parents became aware of the seriousness of the bullying, sought clarification and mediation. After lots of sleepless nights, trembles and heartaches, the issues were finally thrashed out and resolved amicably without involving school authorities, the police and law suits. There were no indications of nervous breakdowns, injuries of deaths of any parties unlike some of the sad cyber bullying incidents. But there are some lessons to be learnt by children, parents and teachers to tread carefully : where cyber communication is involved, one should not to get carried away by innocent pranks that may grow too hot and huge for the players and victims to handle.
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