Cyberbullying has struck the United Kingdom twice in a week.
Just after United Kingdom parents digested Hannah Smith’s tragic suicide, they now have to handle the suicide of Scottish teenager Daniel Perry, who took his own life after suffering skype blackmail.
Perry apparently committed suicide after blackmailers recorded his skype conversations with an individual who he believed was an American teen girl and then threatened to share the footage with his family unless he paid them money.
Smith’s suicide circumstances were different, but her and Perry’s tragic stories are two sides of the same coin. Smith suffered chronic cyberbullying at the hands of nameless attackers on social website Ask.fm while Perry was the victim of one rapid attack from seasoned blackmailers.
What both incidents show us is the critical importance of monitoring teen social activity online and on smart devices. Both skype and Ask.fm are services that can be accessed on any device – mobile or desktop – making parents aware of the importance of extra vigilance.
Please do your part to help MMGuardian protect teens today. For parents, guardians, and educators looking for more information on how to prevent mobile and internet bullying, Stop Cyberbullying presents many helpful informational resources.
