Sheriff: 12-year-old Fla. girl commits suicide after she was bullied online; charges possible

[InsideThePark]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/sheriff-12-year-old-fla-girl-commits-suicide-after-she-was-bullied-online-by-a-dozen-girls/2013/09/12/0a7aa918-1be1-11e3-80ac-96205cacb45a_story.html

 

 

 

LAKELAND, Fla. — A 12-year-old Florida girl committed suicide after she was bullied online by more than a dozen girls and a sheriff said Thursday that he is investigating whether he can file charges under Florida’s new law that covers cyber-bullying.

 

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that Rebecca Ann Sedwick jumped to her death on Monday at an old cement business in Lakeland, a city between Tampa and Orlando. Investigators say the girl was despondent after others had posted hate messages about her online.

 

Sedwick was “absolutely terrorized on social media,” Judd said.

[mancini79]

This is tragic and a sign of the world we live in. This is a tough one because you really can't hold 12 yr olds accountable. But kids are finding ways to turn the web into a weapon. How do you stop this? Maybe holding parents accountable. If you're going to give your kid a cell phone or computer, then you better know what they are doing on it at all times. You can't expect a preteen to be responsible. Ultimately with the current laws, this poor girl won't get any justice.

[InsideThePark]

This is tragic and a sign of the world we live in. This is a tough one because you really can't hold 12 yr olds accountable. But kids are finding ways to turn the web into a weapon. How do you stop this? Maybe holding parents accountable. If you're going to give your kid a cell phone or computer, then you better know what they are doing on it at all times. You can't expect a preteen to be responsible. Ultimately with the current laws, this poor girl won't get any justice.

Having a daughter at about that age of my own, my heart goes out to the parents whether or not they are partially responsible. From what I understand, they had their daughter switch schools but apparently that wasn't enough to prevent this.

I agree with the gist of what you said, but I would not be opposed to the guilty party doing time in juvie even if it is a mere slap on the wrist.

[Ray McKigney]

Now cyber-bullying is a huge issue? WOW. You can't talk sh*t to people online anymore? Well, 90% of the people that are on this board should be banned then. Why is a 12 year old girl unsupervised enough to be online for that long? Crazy times we live in. Strange days, indeed. 

[FireThemAll]

The issue is parenting here. You have to make it clear to your kid that nothing can be this bad. There is no amount of bullying that can make you commit suicide. A lot of Kids don't have thick enough skin to be posting on the internet.

[GoodTimesGoneBad]

Turn off the computer?

[gotbeer]

The issue is parenting here. You have to make it clear to your kid that nothing can be this bad. There is no amount of bullying that can make you commit suicide. A lot of Kids don't have thick enough skin to be posting on the internet.

 

I think this is a comment on society that we live in.  That you have to have a thick skin to post on the internet.  

[HaloCory22]

This is tragic and a sign of the world we live in. This is a tough one because you really can't hold 12 yr olds accountable. But kids are finding ways to turn the web into a weapon. How do you stop this? Maybe holding parents accountable. If you're going to give your kid a cell phone or computer, then you better know what they are doing on it at all times. You can't expect a preteen to be responsible. Ultimately with the current laws, this poor girl won't get any justice.

[m0nkey]

Good parenting by the bullying kids too

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

I think this is a comment on society that we live in.  That you have to have a thick skin to post on the internet.  

 

I would agree if it weren't for the fact that I've been going online for the last 16 or 17 years and have heard damn near everything possible in chatrooms and on messageboards.  The internet is the easiest way for people to act like tough guys, racists and so on.  I'm not on facebook or anything like that and I shudder to think what some kids go through when they can't even escape bullying in the real world by going online.   

[mtangelsfan]

The issue is parenting here. You have to make it clear to your kid that nothing can be this bad. There is no amount of bullying that can make you commit suicide. A lot of Kids don't have thick enough skin to be posting on the internet.

 

You don't have kids.

[BaseballMom]

In our district (K-8) we had a group of girls make a facebook page called  "The killing of ________"  These were elementary school kids...education and parent involvement are key.

[Taylor]

The issue is parenting here. You have to make it clear to your kid that nothing can be this bad. There is no amount of bullying that can make you commit suicide. A lot of Kids don't have thick enough skin to be posting on the internet.

 

As someone who works with middle schoolers, I can tell you that no one is more fragile than a 12-14 year old girl. Don't blame the victim or her parents for not having thick enough skin. Belittling a person's insecurities and feelings does absolutely nothing helpful for them.

[2112]

This trait shows we are not evolved as much as we think we are. Eventhough we are intelligent, bullying still exists

[Taylor]

This trait shows we are not evolved as much as we think we are. Eventhough we are intelligent, bullying still exists

 

Unfortunately, humans will never evolve out of evil. We need something bigger than ourselves to rescue us from our human nature.