MySpace Cyberbullying incident produces tragic results
August 11th, 2008 by admin
The Internet has provided a new method of communication for young people from all over the world. For most, online social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are an opportunity to share feelings about music, movies, school and anything else that kids tend to talk about with one another when they congregate.
But as kids gain a greater mastery over the online tools at their disposal, more and more are using these technologically advanced sites, and major consumer software programs, for an insidious purpose – namely, cyberbullying.
What is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying occurs when one or more individuals use the Internet to inflict psychological harm on another individual. This can occur in many forms, including: using social media techniques to spread hurtful or untrue information about another individual, creating fake identities and using them to manipulate others, posting unwanted photos of an individual, or doctoring photos of an individual using PhotoShop or other photo editing software programs.
The sad case of Megan Meier
Recently, cyberbullying made headlines when a 13-year old girl from Missouri named Megan Meier committed suicide in her bedroom inside her parent’s home. An investigation found that Megan’s death was likely caused due to stress over being the target of a cruel cyberbullying incident.
Megan developed a relationship on MySpace with an individual who she thought was a new boy in the area, but turned out to be a cabal of other individuals from the neighborhood, including adults such as Lori Drews (who’s 13-year old daughter was once friends with Megan, but had gotten into a fight with her) and an 18-year-old temporary office worker who worked for Drews.
The group created an elaborate hoax to make Megan believe that she had a burgeoning relationship with the boy. When the plot was revealed for all to see, Megan was unable to deal with the humiliation and took her own life.
The state of Missouri had no cyberbullying laws at the time of Megan’s suicide and was therefore unable to prosecute Lori Drews or any of the other parties involved. Federal prosecutors working in Los Angeles however, saw the case as a clear cut violation of the Consumer Fraud and Abuse Act and stepped in to bring Drews up on charges for violating the terms and conditions of her MySpace account. That case is currently pending.
Bullying and young girls
This sad case is unique in that it involved an adult at the helm who should have known better, but the act of bullying has been around as long as there have been children. And while many individuals associate bully-behavior with boys, some of the most devastating instances of bullying occur with girls. What makes girl-girl bullying so harmful is that the age in which it is most likely to occur, say twelve to eighteen years old, is the time in which young women-to-be are dealing with a number of challenging issues regarding their bodies and self-image. Exposing them to high levels of emotional stress, such as those coming from being the target of a cyberbullying incident, can yield unpredictable and often tragic results.
The ACLU gets involved
And this incident is far from over. Recently, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has become involved in the case, concerned that in their haste to bring someone to justice for Megan Meier’s tragic death, Federal prosecutors will be setting a bad precedent, and that the door will open to prosecute (or investigate) anyone who innocently violates the terms and conditions of the websites they use. Like the federal case against Lori Drews, this case is pending as well.
Cyber bullying in the News | Video Update
Tags: Cyber Bullying, cyber bullying examples, Cyber Bullying Stories, facebook, myspace, social networks
August 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am
This situation is terrible, I can’t believe that an adult would act this way towards a kid. Parents need to be taking the Internet seriously and realizing the importance of talking with their kids about online situations.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Life is tough for teenagers. I know because I was bullied in junior high and 2 years of high school. It can be awful and humiliating, especially when you find out that a group of other people are in on it. I just wish something could be done to prosecute the guilty.
January 21st, 2009 at 4:35 pm
This is such a sad story. I always tell my friends NOT to go on Myspace! It’s really bad but they never listen to me. “Everyone has it,” I’ve heard this reply many many times. In fact,(Im at the library) the person sitting next to me is on Myspace. I used to be frustrated but I hope they can learn a lesson from this incident.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:49 am
I think this is horrid but it has made people step up to cyber bullies thankyou megan we will miss you dearly. I was once cyber bulled but it stopped now. I wish all the best to her sorrow family. Don’t let this go as far again stop cyber bullies they are the worst of them.
REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thankyou love Jodie - I weep for you
February 16th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
would like a contact number for Megan Meier’s parents as we are wanting to fight against cyberbullying in our state. I have a daughter who became seriously depressed because of similar circumstances and yet there is no state law in SC.
Thanks Barbara Campbell
March 14th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
And people wonder why teenagers go “postal” in our schools as a result of bullying. Schools need to do more, and laws need to be put in place to stop the atrocities. Many schools don’t want to get involved in “bullying cases” - and it’s no wonder that some of the outcomes are tragic.
As with other comments on here, I was also bullied, and no one did anything - I had to repeat the seventh grade, because the school would not do anything, and I refused to be a punching bag for a pack of girls - so I can honestly relate to teens who decide to go postal. Its not the right answer, but it sure gets put on the table for an honest look our education institutions. Cybering should also be a crime - let’s just hope the Democrats can pass a few hard laws, to prevent future tragedies.
June 27th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
This is such a sad story. I am so sorry for the parent’s loss. I don’t know how anyone could do such a horrible thing to another human being. I am bullied at my school too, and I hate it.
July 12th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
The is the exact reason why i chose social networking as my topic for my computers topic i think the issue needs addressing to the parents so they know about the symptoms of depression maybe then her parents would of realized the emotional state there daughter was in and maybe this would of have prevented this tragedy.
Overall this is a very sad and depressing story and hopefully the family can cope with it. =(
July 28th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
i believe that those people how did that terrible thing should go to jail, because that poor girl probably did nothing to deserve what they did to her and that adult should have known better.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:56 am
this is a sad story i am researching this for a speech a truly sad story
October 30th, 2009 at 8:18 am
I had to deal with a few nuts online not as bad as the one i’m dealing with now. Talk about some downright disgusting comments this dude is mental & I reported him nothing has been done due to the fact they prob. can’t track him cause he’s a internet troll with a number of accounts.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:22 am
No matter how hard the bully tries, he/she will never win!
BULLIES NEVER WIN! They are cowards hiding behind there own sad/cold feelings. I only had a few people I did not get along with no one did in school because they tryed to run there mouth & Be bullies instead they got picked on back & Relized it hurt and went & Told on people. If you don’t want stood up to or picked on back then think before you bully people……….
November 17th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I am 14 years old and even I know better. What that woman did was so outrageously immature that she should sit behind bars for the rest of her days. How childish of an adult…no, a MOTHER to sink to such a degrading level. I understand what her defense would be, “I didn’t know she would kill herself,”. Yes, but that woman was fully aware the the future is totally unpredictable and she had no control over Megan’s possible repricussionary actions. SHame on her. Perhaps her daughter should be taken from her so she ca nbe constantly reminded of how the poor Meier family feels because not only did they lose thier daughter, they lost thier whole everything. I pray for her family and wish to let them know that God is watching over Megan and plotting revenge on that evil woman.
January 9th, 2010 at 10:21 am
I think that this articles are interesting and i think that a head up for the parents so they could know if their child is being bully or not.
January 9th, 2010 at 10:22 am
i think that this articles are really good in many ways
January 30th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
these people that play game to hurt other people and dont care the emotinal damage they cause behind it .to gain selfish grafication or money should sit in jail trying to inflict psychological harm to another and think it funny. is it worth losing freedom? I feel the parents of this girl because my kids were taking too and IAM also a victim of cbyer bully.
February 10th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I totally agree with Chambers. This whole story is horrible & it literally makes me ill. For a 49 year old woman to pull a stunt like this, just angers me so bad. No wonder why children these days have no repect & dont understand the difference between right and wrong. These parents are setting great examples! not! In one article i read, it stated that Lori Drew doesnt even feel guilty for the crime she committed because Megan had issues with depression and once said she was thinking about suicide. So just because the little girl in 5th grade thought about it, that means you dont have to feel guilty for her actually doing it?? This world is nuts. The end of my junior year I was accused of something entirely false but all my friends turned against me & almost the whole school. I couldnt go back my senior year because the bullying was to much. I became a hermit crab because i didnt want to face the words & looks I got when i went out in public. But i couldnt even get away from it in my own home because they bombarded my through text messages and MySpace. Bullitens were posted about me where everyone just went on there & bashed me. They would all get together & text horrible things to me & send threatening voicemails telling me to kill myself because i dont deserve to be alive. I was a waste of space & so on so forth. I was so depressed. Now i understand why things like the Columbine shooting happen. Nothing happened to the kids that harrassed me because there is no laws & they were just innocent kids. Innocent my butt. All im saying is that no child deserves to go through what some kids do. Bullying should be stopped. God bless the Meier family & my heart goes out to Megan
February 10th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
i cant believe that an adult would behave in such a childish manner!!! She lucky that Megan wasnt my child because i would be in jail and she would be in a coffin!! Im 16 and when i read this story i was shocked like what adult would act like that does she not have a job or a hobby she should not have even gotten in to that situation if she was a real woman about hers she would have sat the two girls down and settled that one on one!!! What kind of impression is she setting for her daughter!! I also deal with depression and thats not something you wouldn’t want to play with that!! my prayers go out to the Meier family.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:15 am
This is such an awful things wat this lady did to Megan, i also believe that school bulling is as serious as cyber bulling. This is a major problem we all need to discuse and try to find a situacion to try to prevent it or STOP it once for all. If you can prevent bullying from happening than that way we can prevent Suicide as well. Bullies are just ppl who arent happy with their life and want to mess up other ppls lifes and they pick on ppl who are smaller then them or who they know would do anything to stop it.
I believe everybody has been a bully at least once in their life, there for i think we shou,d help out others who are being bullied….
May 18th, 2010 at 11:53 am
I’m so sorry about your loss, but it brought changes, and saved so many other lives, now that laws have been made, i feel your loss, i’ve gone through more loss than anyone can imagine…
February 17th, 2011 at 9:46 am
It’s really sad to see the event that took place. I can’t believe that the woman thought it was acceptable to bully a 13 year old child. She’s a horrible roll model for her daughter. Any adult who thinks it’s ok to mentally or physically abuse a child needs to be treated the same way they are treating others. The sticks and stones mentality that I hear so much, as a child as much as we say that names will never hurt me.. ever been called a fat cow, or the N word or some nasty slur because your gay? just because it’s not physical attack, doesn’t meant it won’t leave it’s own scars. It’s sad that she killed herself. however the incident has paved it’s way to help others and help stop the issue of cyber bullying
November 15th, 2011 at 10:25 am
I want to find a way to stop this or it will just get worst
December 5th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
i am doin a research project for my english class about class bullying/cyberbullying..nothing really motivated me until i saw this story i feel real sorry to megan and what she probaby had gone thru…soo just wanted to say that this family is actually making a difference in peoples lives..i hope one day ppl will notice how harsh society can be agaisnt each other..
February 2nd, 2012 at 9:22 pm
i think that this is really bad too. i am going a reseach project about cyber bullying too. I THINK IT IS UNFAIR THAT THERE MIGHT BE NO CRINAL CHARGES! they deserve to be put in jail and got through pain like Megan. I also have been bullied i was used it help with home work and i was called the devil. I think That cyber bullying and bullying need to stop soo or i will and shall get worse. I SUPPORE YOU ALL THE WAY MEGANS PARENTS!!!!