After reading an article about how students hijacked a website in memory of a girl who committed suicide, I felt angry and deflated. What makes the story worse is she killed herself as a result of cyberbullying:
PRINCIPALS have condemned “heartless” school bullies who hijacked website pages set up in honour of a Sydney teen who committed suicide last week.
Dannii Sanders, from Castle Hill, took her life on Tuesday after she was allegedly tormented on Facebook.
But when Dannii’s devastated friends created a Facebook tribute page, the bullying continued as users flooded the page with derogatory remarks.
“Guys I can’t take all this internet bullying. I think I’ma kill myself,” mocked a user.
“Deserved it. I (laughed out loud) hard,” another wrote.
When Dannii’s friends spoke up against the bullies, posting “Let her be in peace”, one tormentor replied: “What is she gonna do though?
Read the comments and kill herself again?”
During the week at least three Facebook groups set up in Dannii’s honour were removed after pranksters posted abuse.
One group’s page called “Stop bullying NOW: In memory of Danni Sanders” was defaced with a disturbing image of the 14-year-old’s head in a noose containing the caption, “place head here”.
Sheree Vertigan, the Australian Secondary Principals Association Head, said the online onslaught was some of the most vicious she had encountered and “an example of 21st century bullying at its worst”.
She said those making inappropriate comments should face legal action as it was defamation.
Ms. Vertifan is absolutely right. Those responsible should be charged for their defamatory words. But we should demand that cyberbullies of all types are banned from all social media. Cyberbullies should not have Facebook and Twitter accounts.
I’ve got a message for cyberbullies:
Look at the consequences of being bullied! Don’t expect to get away without consequences of your own!
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