Most teenagers know they’re too smart to fall for the manipulations of online strangers young or old, but they’re not, is the message of parents Danielle and Robin Helms in Orange County, Calif. They say that because their 15-year-old daughter, Kristin, committed suicide after she and her parents “tried everything” to overcome her depression over the end of her mostly online “relationship” with a … [Read more...] about Tragic teen grooming case
Search Results for: suicide
Extreme cyberbullying: 2 cases
By “extreme,” I mean bullying that has led to teen suicide attempts. Two such cases involving three New Zealand girls have come to my attention in the past week – one through our BlogSafety forum and the other covered in that country’s national news media. The Sunday News in NZ reported this week that two 15-year-old secondary-school students were tricked by another girl into believing two teenage … [Read more...] about Extreme cyberbullying: 2 cases
Net-safety perspective
This Charlotte Observer columnist makes a darn sensible point. He points to a “National Survey of Children’s Health” by University of Michigan’s Children’s Hospital finding that Internet safety was ranked as the No. 7 children’s health problem by the US public (smoking, drugs, and obesity top the list). What’s interesting, he writes, is that “suicide, depression and cancer didn't make the top 10,” … [Read more...] about Net-safety perspective
Prevention on the social Web
A tragic teen double-suicide case in Australia underscores the importance of loved ones and caregivers monitoring what at-risk youth say in their online profiles and blogs. Two 16-year-old girls in the Melbourne area apparently killed themselves in a suicide pact, posting "their own death notice – a farewell message to their online friends" in MySpace, The Star in Malaysia reports. The Star … [Read more...] about Prevention on the social Web
5,000 calls to his cellphone
A young Massachusetts man with some time on his hands thought he'd give some of it to people seeking help. So he posted a video on YouTube.com showing his cellphone number on Friday and – apparently by Monday – had received 5,000 calls and text messages, the Associated Press reports. He said he "was inspired to act by a video of Juan Mann, whose 'Free Hugs' campaign became world famous after video … [Read more...] about 5,000 calls to his cellphone