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Health & Fitness

Has Cyber Bullying Gone Too Far? Administrators at DGN Think So

Cyber bullying has always been a problem, but now, social media is taking it a little bit too far. Here is an article about how far it's gone.

            There is no doubt that the internet has made the lives of many people easier. In fact, the internet has practically changed the world. From the way we do research, think and communicate, the internet has had a drastic impact on our daily lives.

            However, with the good always comes the bad. The internet has also had a strong impact on bullying. Gone are the days where a bully would stop a student in the school hallway and take their lunch money. Gone are the times where name calling and pranks were the extent of bullying. Now, it's much more personal.

            Recently, a Facebook page called "Downers North Insults" has launched on the popular social network, with the intent of making bullying much easier. All a student has to do is send the admin of the page a message with an insult in it. The admin of the page will then send the insult anonymously to the person who was named in the message.  

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            Here are a few examples of the page. Some of the names have been taken out, and the language has been cleaned up:

            "This is for some of the black kids at our school. You people are a useless pile of s**t that stains our hallways. I get so sick and tired of your constant bitching about nothing. You sag your pants thinking you're the big shot on campus when you look [too many expletives to keep going]. I can't stand you..."

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            Some of the "attacks" are a little more personal:

            "[Student name] is the biggest wannabe. He thinks he's hot s**t when he needs a reality check. He is so fake so don't believe anything he tells you. He needs to realize that girls may think he's attractive (NOT) but they hate his personality..."

            Administrators at Downers Grove North High School are working hard to get this page taken down, however, there is only so much that can be done. Facebook does have a "report" feature, however, it simply sends the admin a message saying to stop their behavior.

            In the last publication of the school newspaper, "The Omega," assistant principal Chuck Hiscock was quoted as saying the page is despicable. He also said that hiding behind a computer screen does not make this okay.

            This page is clearly cyber bullying, and many students, administrators and parents of the school want the page to be removed.

            Not only is cyber bullying a crime, punishable by law, in the state of Illinois, but these students could also see strict punishment from the school, if they are caught.  

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