Online bullying a growing part of US teen Internet life
Agence France Press
Glenn Chapman
December 2, 2007
The recent suicide of a Missouri teen spurred by the end of a MySpace.com friendship highlights the issue that online bullying among children ages 10 to 17 is on the rise, and often has serious consequences. According to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bullying commonly happens through online instant messaging and text messaging sent to mobile phones. In the face of increasing violence resulting from online bullying, local politicians are passing laws against online harassment and schools are restricting Internet and cell phone access on campus. “Some of this hysteria about bullying is just a way to try to regulate and surveil kids,” said Nan Stein, a scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women, where she directs research on sexual harassment. Stein continued, “We need to encourage kids to be citizens of the world. Being nice helps too, but we shouldn’t be regulating.” However, amid reports that kids bullied online are more likely to bring guns to school, researchers and schools remain conflicted over the possible benefits and losses that would stem from regulating children’s access to technology.
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