So I'm not sure how many people have heard of this, but it's a pretty big story right now, and it's definitely worth posting here. This was taken from Wikipedia:
Amanda Michelle Todd (died October 10, 2012) was a 15-year-old Canadian teenager who committed suicide attributed to cyber-bullying through the social networking website Facebook On 7 September 2012, Todd posted a video on YouTube in which she used a series of flash cards to tell of her experience of being bullied. In it she regrets sending an image of her breasts to a man who later circulated it around the internet.
Shortly before 6:00 pm on October 10, 2012, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were called to her home in Port Coquitlam, to investigate what they refer to as a "sudden death". They have since launched a full investigation into Todd's death. Police are conducting interviews, reviewing content at social media sites, and are actively monitoring pages.
Christy Clark, the Premier of British Columbia, made an online statement of condolence suggesting a national discussion be made discussing criminalizing cyber-bullying.
Todd was a 10th-grade student at CABE Secondary in Coquitlam.
YouTube message
On 7 September 2012, Todd posted a 9-minute YouTube video entitled My Story: Struggling, bullying, suicide and self harm, in which she used a series of flash cards to tell of her experience of being bullied. The video post went viral, receiving over 1,600,000 views by 13 October 2012, with online newspapers around the world linking to it.
Summary of message
The following is a summary of statements made in the video:
While in seventh grade, Todd met with friends over video chat to meet new people over the internet. She was complimented with such terms as "stunning", "beautiful", and "perfect". During one of these sessions, someone wanted her to show her breasts, and she complied.
A year later, an anonymous user left a message on her Facebook profile. A user who had her personal details blackmailed her, threatening to send topless pictures of Todd to others if she did not give them a "show". At 4 am during Christmas break, police arrived at Todd's door, possibly to inform her that photos of her breasts were circulating on the Internet. She became sick, started to experience anxiety, major depression and panic disorder.
After moving to a different home, she began to take drugs and alcohol. Her anxiety worsened, and she couldn't go out of the house.
A year later, the person who had blackmailed her re-entered her life, posting a list of her friends and school. He used an image of her breasts as his profile picture. Subsequently, she was ostracized by her peers. She began self-mutilation by cutting herself. She changed schools again. Within the month, her situation had improved, despite her isolation.
A month after that, she began communicating with an "old guy friend". They exchanged text messages. He told her that he liked her. She knew he had a girlfriend. He invited her to his home while his girlfriend was on vacation, and they engaged in some form of sex.
After a week, she received a text message warning her to get out of school. The girlfriend and the "old guy friend" with fifteen others came to find her. During the confrontation, the girlfriend stated "look around nobody likes you", in the presence of approximately 50 other students. One of the students yelled out for the girl to punch Todd. The girlfriend then threw Todd to the ground and struck her several times while students filmed it. Teachers ran to her aid, but she remained in the "ditch", where her father eventually recovered her. After arriving home, she drank bleach, and was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment. Upon returning home, she discovered that the incident was reported on Facebook, with such remarks as "she deserved it", "did you wash the mud out of your hair?", and "I hope shes dead."
Todd then moved again to live in another city with her mother. Six months after the incident, people were still posting images of bleach, Clorox, and ditches, and tagging her in them with comments such as "She should try a different bleach", "I hope she dies this time and isn't so stupid.", and "They said I hope she sees this and kills herself".
She began constantly cutting herself and taking anti-depressants, and was receiving counselling. Around that time, she had overdosed, and spent two days in hospital.
You can watch the video here. It's about 10 minutes, but it's a heartbreaking story and it's worth hearing this poor girl out.
[youtube]vOHXGNx-E7E[/youtube]
Edit: Here is Solace's Post, basically summarizing what this thread is set to achieve.
Amanda Michelle Todd (died October 10, 2012) was a 15-year-old Canadian teenager who committed suicide attributed to cyber-bullying through the social networking website Facebook On 7 September 2012, Todd posted a video on YouTube in which she used a series of flash cards to tell of her experience of being bullied. In it she regrets sending an image of her breasts to a man who later circulated it around the internet.
Shortly before 6:00 pm on October 10, 2012, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were called to her home in Port Coquitlam, to investigate what they refer to as a "sudden death". They have since launched a full investigation into Todd's death. Police are conducting interviews, reviewing content at social media sites, and are actively monitoring pages.
Christy Clark, the Premier of British Columbia, made an online statement of condolence suggesting a national discussion be made discussing criminalizing cyber-bullying.
Todd was a 10th-grade student at CABE Secondary in Coquitlam.
YouTube message
On 7 September 2012, Todd posted a 9-minute YouTube video entitled My Story: Struggling, bullying, suicide and self harm, in which she used a series of flash cards to tell of her experience of being bullied. The video post went viral, receiving over 1,600,000 views by 13 October 2012, with online newspapers around the world linking to it.
Summary of message
The following is a summary of statements made in the video:
While in seventh grade, Todd met with friends over video chat to meet new people over the internet. She was complimented with such terms as "stunning", "beautiful", and "perfect". During one of these sessions, someone wanted her to show her breasts, and she complied.
A year later, an anonymous user left a message on her Facebook profile. A user who had her personal details blackmailed her, threatening to send topless pictures of Todd to others if she did not give them a "show". At 4 am during Christmas break, police arrived at Todd's door, possibly to inform her that photos of her breasts were circulating on the Internet. She became sick, started to experience anxiety, major depression and panic disorder.
After moving to a different home, she began to take drugs and alcohol. Her anxiety worsened, and she couldn't go out of the house.
A year later, the person who had blackmailed her re-entered her life, posting a list of her friends and school. He used an image of her breasts as his profile picture. Subsequently, she was ostracized by her peers. She began self-mutilation by cutting herself. She changed schools again. Within the month, her situation had improved, despite her isolation.
A month after that, she began communicating with an "old guy friend". They exchanged text messages. He told her that he liked her. She knew he had a girlfriend. He invited her to his home while his girlfriend was on vacation, and they engaged in some form of sex.
After a week, she received a text message warning her to get out of school. The girlfriend and the "old guy friend" with fifteen others came to find her. During the confrontation, the girlfriend stated "look around nobody likes you", in the presence of approximately 50 other students. One of the students yelled out for the girl to punch Todd. The girlfriend then threw Todd to the ground and struck her several times while students filmed it. Teachers ran to her aid, but she remained in the "ditch", where her father eventually recovered her. After arriving home, she drank bleach, and was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment. Upon returning home, she discovered that the incident was reported on Facebook, with such remarks as "she deserved it", "did you wash the mud out of your hair?", and "I hope shes dead."
Todd then moved again to live in another city with her mother. Six months after the incident, people were still posting images of bleach, Clorox, and ditches, and tagging her in them with comments such as "She should try a different bleach", "I hope she dies this time and isn't so stupid.", and "They said I hope she sees this and kills herself".
She began constantly cutting herself and taking anti-depressants, and was receiving counselling. Around that time, she had overdosed, and spent two days in hospital.
You can watch the video here. It's about 10 minutes, but it's a heartbreaking story and it's worth hearing this poor girl out.
[youtube]vOHXGNx-E7E[/youtube]
Edit: Here is Solace's Post, basically summarizing what this thread is set to achieve.