Is youtube helping or hurting us?? Apparently this is what is causes: eight teenagers beating up another girl

I have the goosebumps. I have seen bullying amongst teenage girls, but nothing like this. Is this the shape that high school girls are now taking? As if verbal abuse and the hallway "shove" wasn't bad enough?

Apparently this all began on the internet..over a myspace account. Someone hacked into her account and her parents advised her to delete it. She deleted it, made a new one, and again it was hacked into. Six girls later on ambushed her and brought her to a house where she was approached by two other girls and verbally abused and threatend. She was beaten up and told that this was going to be posted on the internet for public humiliation. Her parents biggest fear is that the internet has caused a space for all of this to manifest itself, and in more than one way.

I always hear stories of people fighting over instant messenger and it turning into a grueling and dangerous conversation. Now that facebook, myspace, and youtube have become so available and easy to use, it not only brings with it the good-but also the bad. People are using these tools to threaten and attack other people.

According to abcnews.com:

"Physical violence among teens has dipped by 10 percent during the last 10 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

I do not think there is enough advising and warning out there about the dangers of misusing these websites. I was always taught by my high school and parents to block people, refuse to request people I don't know as friends, and be mature about who I let view my pictures and talk to. This situation regarding the eight teenagers is proof that there is a lack of communication and direction in the world about how to use the internet. Clearly, something needs to be done because this is just scary.

This was an interview with the victim's parents after the incident had occured:

For more information and details about this situation click here.

After watching this video, I felt it was my obligation to research how to react to a situation like this on campus if I ever had to. To find out how to respond to an act of violence or harrasment click here.