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Cyberbullies threatened everyone, not just school aged kids

How many times have you accidentally sent the wrong message or wished you hadn't clicked send? After you sent, I think you realize you should have never sent the message, but it is always too late.

So, in this blog I will focus on a Social and Legal Issue intertwined that student threats, whether to students, teachers, or high school officials, are dangerous and the teen brain is not able to function quick enough to process the damage they can cause and the once "funny joke" can be turned into a lifetime of horror, if you send it to the wrong person. The impulsivity of teens is unbelievable.

Below are several stories that will enlighten you and motivate you that something needs to be done to help the impulsivity of students on the internet.

• Although not on the internet, this first case is a wake up call to how easily it can be said online, if a student will threaten face to face. Police Investigate Threats by Student: Recently, a twelve year old girl was questioned by police on a call about threatening a teacher and assistant principal. The young girl explained later she really did not mean should would kill her assistant principal and that she never threatened the teacher, but she did say she "hoped she died".
• Student in the doghouse after MySpace death threat: A new recent trend: internet threats. In 2006, a college student was being investigated after threatening a professor's life, the incident was handed over to the university's judicial system.
• Students excorted from Barre school after threat: Just last week two students were escorted out of their school in which they threatened to "shoot up a school" while playing an online game, they disclosed this information to another online gamer. The threat is being taken very seriously by the superintendent and this is just one of the many recent online threats to schools and students.
• Unrelated to schools, this article investigates criminals using the internet to Skype calls so they cannot be wiretapped. Italy police warn of Skype threat

Of all of the articles, I highly recommend this article. It is about the many threats that surface the Web and can be hurtful to others. Cyberbullying has become easy and of course all, adults and children alike are more willing to leave mean comments anonymously online because of course they are not face to face and will not face many reprocussions. It is at this time, I feel strongly feel we need to do something to stop the "Easy Way Out", it is time we force and end to the hatred online.

• Rudeness, threats make the Web a cruel world
  

Resources:
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/aandrews2.htm