Former Orono High student charged in cyberbullying case; target and family speak out

[Maine-ah]

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/15/news/bangor/former-orono-high-student-charged-in-cyberbullying-case-target-and-family-speak-out/

VEAZIE, Maine — A former Orono High School student is facing felony terrorizing and harassment by electronic communication charges after posting dozens of threatening, anonymous messages on an Internet account of a former classmate she thought was flirting with her boyfriend, according to Veazie police.

Although the Bangor Daily News usually does not identify crime victims, Orono High School sophomore Alexis Henkel, 15, her parents, Norbert and Judy Henkel, and her twin brother, Austin, agreed to talk publicly about what they’ve experienced in the hope of educating others about the impact that cyberbullying has on those who become targets.

The alleged cyberbully — a 16-year-old girl who used to go to Orono High School with the victim but now attends a high school in southern Maine — was charged with the offenses on Nov. 1 by Veazie police Sgt. Keith Emery.

*snip*

Some of the threats:

“Ready for tomorrow night? I’d learn to sleep with your eyes open if I were you. I’m dulling my knife right now so when I stab you in the face, gut and legs it’ll be painful as possible.”

— “You know how all these environmental friendly groups say that waste should be properly disposed of? Well, come on Lexi, do the world a favor, and properly dispose of your [expletive deleted] self!”

— “Your face is like a baby seal. Fat, furry and just asking to be clubbed to death.”

Video at link. Good lord, my daughter is only six - I hope I never have to deal with this crap, and if I do, I hope I handle it as intelligently as these parents did.

[Initech]

1. Man what the hell is wrong with some people???

[SheilaT]

2. Maybe the best thing to do for your kids is to keep

them off the social media networks.

I had to read a surprisingly long way into the article to find out what kind of account was receiving the messages. It's Tumblr, which I have heard of but am not personally familiar with.

And since my ideal solution, keeping kids off these accounts, isn't really going to happen, isn't there some way to hold the various social media networks accountable for this kind of stuff? How about, no one can post anonymously. How about being able to report threatening messages to the network and they are obligated to track down the poster?

[Maine-ah]

3. she'll be monitored

if she wants a social account & cell phone. We've made major strides in technology in such a short time, who knows what it will be like in 7 years. :/

[SheilaT]

5. This is the kind of thing people need to think about very carefully, and unfortunately do not.

You will of course make your own decisions about all these things, but I'm a firm believer in: no TV in a kid's bedroom. Nor in the parents' bedroom, I might add. Getting a kid a cell phone needs to be carefully thought out. I know the age of getting them is dropping precipitously, but there need to be some kinds of limits here. Carefully monitor computer usage. Again, they probably shouldn't have one in their own room at too early an age.

My kids are now 25 and 29 and I know how much things have changed since they were teens. What bothers me is that too many people just jump on whatever the current bandwagon is and get their kids anything and everything they want. And then are shocked, just shocked when things go wrong.

[graywarrior]

4. Wow