Privacy Information :: Online bullies pull schools into the fray

Keep the Information Flowing

Small contributions go a long way. Your donation to Consumer Action, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, can help us cover the cost of research, writing, and translation of our materials. To keep our services free for those who need them. Select an amount to give.

Released: June 28, 2010

Online bullies pull schools into the fray

Source: Jan Hoffman, New York Times (Free Registration)

The girl’s parents, wild with outrage and fear, showed the principal the text messages: a dozen shocking, sexually explicit threats, sent to their daughter the previous Saturday night from the cellphone of a 12-year-old boy. Both children were sixth graders at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, N.J.

“I said, ‘This occurred out of school, on a weekend,’ ” recalled the principal, Tony Orsini. “We can’t discipline him.” Had they contacted the boy’s family, he asked.

Read Full Article: Online bullies pull schools into the fray