Cyberbullying has claimed another beautiful life.
This has to stop. It just has to stop.
On July 19, Australian teen Daani Sanders killed herself. Her friends say that the Sydney student was constantly bullied online and in person, and that it got so bad that her parents removed her from school and tried to get help for her through medical and psychological programs.
Daani was in crisis, but her schoolmates kept up the online bullying, and no one knew how bad it got for her until it was too late.
What makes me even sicker over the whole affair is this: After her suicide, her enemies kept on posting nasty things about her online: They said that she “deserved it” on a memorial Facebook page. They laughed at her death on Twitter. They called her horrible names in YouTube videos set up to memorialize her.
Nobody deserves what happened to Daani. Nobody.
It’s becoming more evident that the only people who can truly stop this tragedy are those who are on the frontlines — including readers of this column. And those who have posted a nasty message about someone else — even if they think that person deserved it — MUST STOP.
In college, a roommate spent a lot of time spreading rumors about me on an Internet bulletin board. She called me names and threatened me, and her messages and nasty words made their way across campus. Before I knew it, I had no friends.
I don’t think she ever knew how horrible her actions made me feel.
Fortunately, I talked to my parents and campus ministry leaders, and they helped me through it.
Today, anyone who is like my former roommate, and who believes that the Internet makes it OK to be cruel, is wrong. Cyberbullying is never OK.
Anyone who hasn’t been cyberbullied can’t understand how devastating it is to the victim, especially today, when bullying doesn’t stop just because the school day is over.
Anti-bullying initiatives are everywhere, but teens such as Daani, such as Britney Tongel, Phoebe Prince and Tyler Clementi, are still ending up dead.
It’s becoming more evident that the only people who can truly stop this tragedy are those who are on the frontlines — including readers of this column. And those who have posted a nasty message about someone else — even if they think that person deserved it — MUST STOP.
Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they are young. So they need to think about how they would feel if cruel words were said about them and stop saying such words about anyone else.
They must not post mean status updates and wall posts.
They must not post mean videos.
To save lives, everyone has to do more than just stand by and be silent.
Like Daani, many victims act like there’s nothing going on, but in reality they feel that the only way out is suicide.
So it is up to the rest of us to actively support victims of cyberbullying by defending them and directing them to the help that they so desperately need.
Teens especially must talk to teachers, administrators, parents — anyone who could possibly help fight the attacks.
I strongly urge anyone — who is facing the nasty wall posts, the text messages, the Twitter taunts, the whispers in the lunchroom and the dark night that just won’t let you go — to talk to someone! Don’t keep it to yourself!
There are also dozens of phone and Internet chatlines available to victims who are shy about speaking about their dilemma in person. Victims will be able to speak to other people who have been bullied and are ready to listen and give their support.
We all must stand up and say, “No more! No more deaths! No more cyberbullying!”
Those who go on the offensive against cyberbullying just may be saving a life.
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