The case of Amanda Todd

Alrik Fassbauer

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Hello everyone,

I just read today in the newspaper the case of a Teenager named Amanda Todd - she decided to end her life this October after years of bullying and cyber-harassment by a man who, according to the newspaper article, was duistracted by the fact that she didn't do what he wanted.

The newspaper article says that before her self-decided death, she had put on her tale on YouTube. And that "Anonymous" (whoever this is) has published name & adress of her harasser.

This is just another example of people using the internet as a new "tool" for harassment & bullying. Malicious people see in the internet seemingl a way to remain "anonymous" meanwhile harassing and bullying people they don't like. It's like … some sort of "anonymity shield".

The sad fact is, however, that o-one helped her, according to the newspaper article, but instead people kept on bullying her.

To me this is nothing but an expresion of chauvinistic, patriarchic (sub-)culture, not to help women, but rather - indirectly by not wanting to find out who harassed her in the first place - protecting bullying men.

Sad times, where people begin to lose contact to the Real World.

And another sign not to use the internet at all. The internet is growing more and more dangerous, like walking into a gang-controled suburb with lots of criminal deeds.

More here, for example : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/amanda-todd-bully-anonymous-suicide_n_1969792.html

Alrik
 
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Yes, I do know, I was just implying that no-one realy knows who are the *real* persons within the "Anonymous" group.
 
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It's okay.

I just read that somewhere in Germany someone "threw himelf/herself before a train" because of similar bullying.
 
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As the father of a one year girl, this kind of thing absolutely terrifies me.
 
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Well, if I got the story correctly a boy which already had a GF seduced her and made her send topless photos to him, which he posted on the internet and called her a slut or some such. She had to move schools but since the internet and Facebook can be reached from anywhere they started harassing her in the new school too.

Sounds like lack of supporting adults who could ensure that the transfer to the new school was fluent and explain the situation to the students in that school as well.
 
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As the father of a one year girl, this kind of thing absolutely terrifies me.
Involved parents can work wonders with this sort of thing, bn. I don't particularly want to give Grand Professor of Enlightenment Ubereil an excuse to tell us that my children are ruined for life again, so I'll be happy to discuss our "event" in greater detail via PM if you're really that troubled. I can tell you that anyone spouting the "open lines of communication" fluff as their sole line of defense is completely delusional.
 
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I thought I did a fairly good job of avoiding opening the door for it, D'art.
 
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OK, no one start arguing with DTE, or else he will take it personally and will turn this into a 10 page tirade against us for "Implying" that's DTE's children are horrible misfits and his parenting was a complete disaster. :p
 
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I think in many cases it's about not realizing how serious things like these really are. "It was just for fun" and "This is the internet, get used to it" are quite common attitudes out there. Perhaps a call from the police or some other outside-family-and-outside-school-authority might teach them. I'm not talking about jail and torture (after all I live at the top of enlightened Europe), just a call might do the trick for first time offenders.

pibbur who has no opinion about dte's parenthood, but who thinks that his current avatar is UGLY!

EDIT: I realize this particular case is far more nasty than the average making-fun-of-you-no-harm-intended prank.
 
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pibbur who has no opinion about dte's parenthood, but who thinks that his current avatar is UGLY!
It's Halloween and the 3rd season of Walking Dead has begun. I didn't have a choice, pibbur. ;)
 
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It's Halloween and the 3rd season of Walking Dead has begun. I didn't have a choice, pibbur. ;)

apology accepted

pibbur who is very happy with his avatar and doesn't have to change it since he's got most recent dr who episodes on dvd
 
Thrasher and DTE should make a club for people dragging out arguments the most when their positions are weakest :)

Of course, I've never extended an argument needlessly :blush:
 
[Rodney King]Can we all just get along?[/Rodney King]
 
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This may sound very cold but I really couldn't care less, people kill them self all the time and cyber bullying is just one of many many reasons the do it.

Sure its a tragic case, the parents/school should have been there and people wasting there time bullying other are generally human garbage, but the internet is huge and it just one of many things you can spend your time on, if your are having bad time on one internet page try visiting new ones, play a single player game or just go outside and do something else.

I know there are probably some people that feel strongly about this and this isn't meant to troll anyone, I just can't feel bad for anyone living in today's western world with all the freedoms that entail and then commit suicide.
 
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Not only does it sound cold, but as I see it it IS cold. Your post suggests limited emotional capicatiy and above all you seem to know very little about what drives people to comitting suicide.

All based on what you wrote in your post, I don't know anything about YOU, of course :)

pibbur who probably will regret posting this
 
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