Remembering Phoebe Prince

With all the attention the media gives to bullying and students taking their own lives as a result, it amazes me that it still exists – and some parents and teachers don’t bat an eye.  Prime example is the recent case of 15 year old Phoebe Prince.  She moved to the United States from Ireland, and police say she committed suicide on January 14, 2010 after she was bullied over and over online and at her school.  Many reports show that administrators and staff of the school knew about the bullying and abuse, but did nothing to help.  They may have even witnessed physical abuse, but still did nothing.  So why aren’t they charged as well?  Reports show Phoebe was dating a popular high school athlete, and a group known as the “Mean Girls” targeted her in person and online calling her names and spreading rumors about her.  The days leading up to her death, investigators say she was bullied in the library, the lunchroom, the hallways, and even walking home. In many instances she was threatened with text messages, her books were flung out of her hands, and horrific messages tarnished her reputation online. 

Nine teenagers, seven females and two males, have been charged with criminal harassment, violation of civil rights and disturbing a school assembly resulting in bodily injury.   It is true that adults view it as “kids will be kids,” but in this day and age, that just simply isn’t the case. The National Crime Prevention Council says in 2007, 43% of teens have been a victim of cyber-bullying.  Cyber bullies use Facebook, Myspace, twitter, and text messages to hurt and send out nasty messages about students or youngsters in their communities they want to target.  NetSmartz from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a section for parents on how to prevent this and what to do if your child is a victim. The National Crime Prevention Council always has helpful tips and articles.  This is something to take seriously.  A simple step like having access to your child’s social networking accounts, creating your own account, and becoming their friend is a great way to monitor the activity.  Also, educating children on what bullying is, showing them examples like Phoebe’s case, and implementing a mandatory program inside schools is a great place to start.