Cyber-bullying Results in Suicide

I came across this story the other day and was quite saddened by it. It just goes to show that not everything you read/see on the internet is for real, I guess. Here's the skinny:

Megan Meier, a 13 year-old girl who suffered from depression, committed suicide after her MySpace "friend" of six weeks named Josh suddenly broke off the friendship and said some pretty nasty things about her. Well, it turns out Josh didn't really exist - he was actually the mother of a classmate of Megan's who was trying to find out what Megan was saying about her daughter online. So tragic... read the story about and then this related story.

Comments

[Rebecca]

I just heard about this story, and I think it is very sick for a grown woman to torment a child, just to find out if her own child is being talked about! I hope that the mother and daughter involved in this is eaten alive by guilt every day for the rest of their lives. I don't know how anyone could live with themselves after knowing their actions caused someone to take their own life. I realize that Megan had some depression problems, but that is all the more reason that people should think before they act! This story is very sad, and I send my deepest sympathy to the family of Megan, and hopefully this story wakes people up to what effect bullying, (in person or on computer) has on people!

[bobby]

I agree, it was stupid of an adult to do what this parent did. Grow up already.

But at the same time I don't know that it's completely fair to place so much blame on the other parent for this suicide. There had to be deeper issues in my opinion. At some point this girl would be dumped by a boy, and would come up against real people her own age talking about her. But even an emotionally healthy teenager should be able to deal with such a situation in a way other than suicide.

Again, it is a horrible loss, and I don't condone the behavior of the internet bullying. I just don't think it's deserving of ALL the blame.

[euphrony]

Sadly, some parents believe that kind of behavior is not only acceptable, but actually best. Even among Christians. I have a friend who works closely with the youth in their church of ~500. He's told me of a girl who ended up being ostracized by the other teens because of the atrocious way she treated others. When trying to talk to this girl's mother about her behavior, my friend was told point blank that the girl was doing exactly what her mother had taught her and expected her to do; and told to mind his own business, to boot.

It is very sad, very sad, to see how hard it is for teens to struggle to find their place and identity - so often unsure of themselves and prone to doubts of their self-worth. To find that adults, who have gone through this, are intentionally adding to their burden with the sophistry that age and experience have brought and which teens cannot yet fully deal with, is terrible.

[Carla]

I can't believe a grown woman would do such a miserable thing to a teen girl. It shows incredible immaturity and callousness. Even if she'd caught the victim saying things about her own daughter, what would she have done then? That's something she'll have to live with for the rest of her life, and so will her daughter. It's very saddening.

(BTW, the first link in the post is broken.)

[kathryn]

what to say??? oh dear.