Two 18 year old boys from Nova Scotia are expected to be indicted on child pornography charges after allegedly raping 15-yr-old Rehteah Parsons, then “sharing” the incident through through texting and the internet.

The incident happened in November of 2011.  After suffering from the humiliation and isolation, 17 year old Parsons died in April of 2013, three days after hanging herself in a story that’s becoming all too familiar.  As was reported in News on the Home front on August 8, texting has been linked to risky sexual behavior   in several landmark studies.

Cyberbullying

Certainly, social media makes it “easier” for teens to engage in risky activities.  But, perhaps even more importantly, it causes tremendous emotional and psychological trauma among those who are the victims of such behavior.  A study published two years ago in the Journal of Adolescent Health underscores the psychological impact cyberbullying has on teenagers.  The National Institutes of Health funded research led by Ronald J. Iannoti, whose team surveyed 7,500 schoolchildren and discovered that cyberbullying victims are more likely to feel dehumanized and isolated from their peers.  The problem is exacerbated by the fact that in order to flee the bullying, a child has to cut themselves off from social media entirely, deepening those feelings of isolation.

As a result of increased technological abuse, a non-profit organization has devoted itself to educating parents and teens of the realities of cyber misconduct.  The Cyberbullying Research Center reports that the phenomenon is being constantly expanded as new forms of cyber violence continue to come on the scene.

Legislation

According to a recent news forum on HLN, the reason the issue seems so out of control at this point is that social media is still new, and laws governing this type of behavior have yet to be passed on the federal and local level.  However, this will likely change as we continue to define and illuminate the problem in the future.  According to Kristalline Kraus, a blogger from Canada, Parsons’ plight has prompted the Canadian government to act (see Activist Communique: Cyberbullying law inspired by Rehtaeh Parsons comes into effect in Nova Scotia | rabble.ca.).  The Cyber Safety Act was introduced just several days after Parsons’ death; more legislation is sure to follow.

Role of Parents

Because these types of crimes are relatively new, parents are not always aware of the potential dangers of cyberbullying, nor are they necessarily aware of how widespread it is.  Kate Freeman, in an excellent article on cyberbullying posted an “infographic” that helps parents visually see where the dangers lurk.  The statistics are eye-opening and worth the read, especially since school will soon start.