By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-05-12 15:46:50 | Word Count: 664
A few days ago, two suburban Washington girls were charged with cyber stalking and computer trespassing. The charges stem from allegations that both of these preteens, aged 11 and 12, posted inappropriate pictures and remarks on another girl’s Facebook page. The victim was one of their classmates and former friends. The accused girls hacked into their 12-year-old classmates’ Facebook page by using the password that they had been given access to while on a visit to the victim’s home. The three girls were close friends at one point until the relationship went awry. Not only are they accused of posting sexually explicit images, but it is also alleged that they logged in to the victim’s instant messaging account to send messages soliciting sex.
If they are found guilty of the charges, these girls could spend a month in juvenile detention. The prosecutor in King County, Washington, is determined to teach these girls and others a lesson about internet bullying and harassment. The 11-year-old will participate in a capacity hearing that will decide whether or not she was aware that that her actions were wrong. In Washington, children 11 and below are deemed to be incapable of knowingly committing a crime. The prosecutor may only be able to show that the accused 12-year-old was fully aware of her actions and cause her to endure the consequences.
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Even with all the recent reports about bullying, there seems to be a persistent urge for young adults, teenagers and preteens to harass and antagonize their peers using online mediums like social networking sites. Because of the prevalence of this behavior, there has been widespread attention on this issue. Even Facebook has made an effort to crack down on bullies by encourage people to operate ethically in a safe-space. With cases like these, I’m not sure that it is working. After the Rutgers University freshman committed suicide because of what fellow students posted on the internet about his sexuality, I thought that people were taking internet bullying more seriously. Apparently this is not the case.
Both girls in this case are from Issaquah, Seattle. It is a small city of no more than fifty thousand residents, with picturesque views of nature and gorgeous scenery. It is a seemingly quiet city with little problems when it comes to eleven and twelve year olds. There is no set profile for an internet bully. Any and everybody seem to be taking part in this outrageous activity. The facts of the matter however is that there are more than two people at fault. Facebook is at fault for not making it more difficult for these young girls to create and manage Facebook accounts. The girls are below the age minimum for users, so how were they able to get an account and page. Secondly, the parents of these children are at fault. There was obviously a lack of supervision and judgment, especially if the parents knowingly allowed these girls to use Facebook on their own.
