Cyberbullying Led to Teen's Suicide

Parents: Cyber Bullying Led to Teen's Suicide. (2007, November 19). Retrieved from ABC: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3882520&page=1

This is a story of a 13 year girl, Megan Meier’s, who suffered from low self-esteem and was taking medication for depression.  She became a victim of a cyber bully, who happened to be the mother of a friend of Megan.

A fabricated, “cute” boy was created by a mother of this friend because she wanted to gain the trust of Megan and to find out what Megan was saying about her daughter.  The article claims that it started off “innocent” enough and it then turned to an abusive cyber-relationship.  The “boy” wrote to Megan, just prior to her birthday, that he no longer wanted to be her friend.  What soon followed was so tragic; resulting in what has now become an epidemic.  The writer of the boy’s profile started calling her names and Megan believed it was this boy that she liked. 

Tragically, Megan committed suicide by hanging herself.  She never made it to her birthday, she never got her braces off, and she never got a chance to learn that the boy was the cyberbullying mom of her friend.  The mother was not prosecuted because there were no laws in place. Megan’s parents have taken an active role to change the laws and have created a website, as a support system for victims.   http://www.meganmeierfoundation.org/

When emotionally vulnerable young people get online, they can be very easily manipulated,” said Nancy Willard, who is the Executive Director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet use.

 

                                                                Tina Meier Holding Pictures of Her Daughter, Megan