Articles labeled: internet hoax

Many will certainly recall the case from last November of Megan Meier, who committed suicide after being bullied on MySpace. At the time, Lori Drew — the mother of one of Megan’s former friends — denied being involved with a fake MySpace profile that was set up to lure Megan in and then taunt her. But a former employee of Drew’s is now refuting that claim:

But now Ashley Grills, a 19-year-old employee of Drew’s who created both Evans and the page, claims the mother not only knew about it, but encouraged it. She told a U.S. network the mom called it a “good idea” and alleges she wrote some of the messages that helped lure Meier in.

Grills was the one who found the phony picture they used to represent Evans, a lad who always found an excuse not to meet the shy, overweight teen he befriended and then condemned. And she admits writing the final message that appears to have sent the girl over the edge.

“The world would be a better place without you,” it read. A few hours later, Meier was discovered hanged in her bedroom. But Grills insists she never meant any harm, claiming she was trying to end the online relationship because the hoax had gone too far.

UPDATE

What do all bullies have in common?? They have parents that are bullies too. If you’ve ever spoken with a bullies parent, they generally don’t care about their children’s behavior and in fact, encourage it. It’s a way for them to deal with unresolved issues from their past (I suppose).

How can any parent be a part of a bullying campaign that ultimately lead to a 13 year old’s suicide?…somebody who is creating future sociopaths.

DARDENNE PRAIRIE, Missouri (AP) — Megan Meier thought she had made a new friend in cyberspace when a cute teenage boy named Josh contacted her on MySpace and began exchanging messages with her.

Megan, a 13-year-old who suffered from depression and attention deficit disorder, corresponded with Josh for more than a month before he abruptly ended their friendship, telling her he had heard she was cruel.

The next day Megan committed suicide. Her family learned later that Josh never actually existed; he was created by members of a neighborhood family that included a former friend of Megan’s.