Parents: don’t panic about Momo – worry about YouTube Kids instead
“YouTube has been battling disturbing videos for years, but a 2017 Medium post by the writer and artist James Bridle brought the problem to widespread attention, kicking off a slew of stories about the various horrors that could be found through the YouTube Kids app. Frightening videos of Peppa Pig at the dentist or Mickey Mouse being tortured were appearing in searches. Weirdly sexualised videos of Disney princesses were easy to find. Supposedly “family-friendly” channels showed children wetting themselves, being injured or screaming in apparent terror – a father who ran one such “prank” channel allegedly lost custody of two of his children as a result.
YouTube has removed a lot of the worst videos that used to be rife on the platform, but they just keep coming, finding new ways to get around the algorithm. The most recent major scandal involves the discovery of a “soft paedophile ring” operating in YouTube comments, where men leave chilling comments on videos of children and exchange numbers to share further images, as reported by The Verge.”
The Guardian (UK), February 28, 2019
YouTube and YouTube Kids videos are hiding suicide tips for children. A pediatrician is exposing them.
“Free Hess, a pediatrician and mother, had learned about the chilling videos over the summer when another mom spotted one on YouTube Kids.
She said that minutes into the clip from a children’s video game, a man appeared on the screen – giving instructions on how to commit suicide.”
Washington Post, February 25, 2019
Hailey Nailor ID’d as Danbury suicide victim
“Detective Mark Williams said Danbury police went to the mall around 1:20 p.m. on a check on the well-being complaint regarding a teenage female threatening suicide. “As both Mall Security and police units responded to the area of the parking garage, the area the teen was believed to be, the teen had fallen to her death from atop the mall parking garage. Preliminary information indicates that the teen was alone at the time and that the fall was an intentional act.”
Luis Lopez, 18, said the Danbury High School student recorded a video on Snapchat moments before jumping from the fifth floor of the at mall’s garage. “Before she did, she recorded herself contemplating if she should go through with it. She sadly did go through with it.””
Connecticut Post, February 11, 2019
Michelle Carter ordered to begin serving jail sentence in texting suicide case
“Michelle Carter ordered to begin serving jail sentence in texting suicide case
Updated on: February 11, 2019 / 4:12 PM / CBS/AP
Taunton, Mass. — A young woman who urged her boyfriend through text messages to kill himself has been ordered to jail to begin serving her jail sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Michelle Carter showed no emotion as she was taken into custody at the end of a brief hearing before the Taunton Trial Court Monday afternoon.
Michelle was sentenced to 15 months in jail in 2017 for her role in the 2014 death of Conrad Roy III, but the judge allowed her to remain free while she appealed in state court. Massachusetts’ highest court upheld her conviction last week. The judge who convicted Carter and the appeals court found she caused Roy’s death when she instructed him to get back in his truck filling with toxic gas. Carter’s lawyers say she isn’t responsible for Roy’s suicide. “
CBS News, ebruary 11, 2019
11-Year-Old Boy Kills Himself After Alleged Social Media Prank — and Another Child Is Charged
“Authorities in Marquette, Michigan, confirm that an unidentified juvenile is charged with malicious use of telecommunication services and using a computer to commit a crime after the boy was found unresponsive on March 14.”
http://people.com, April 06, 2017
Florida mother allegedly watched teen daughter live-stream her suicide while encouraging her to die
“A probe by the Florida Department of Children and Families says Gina Caze, the mother of 14-year-old Naika Venant, was among the hundreds of people who viewed the teen’s grim goodbye on Facebook Live in January.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, March 14, 2017
Florida girl who streamed suicide on Facebook Live was prescribed double dose of antidepressants
“The Miami Herald reported Sunday that Zoloft was the antidepressant prescribed to 14-year-old Naika Venant, and it has a critical warning that it increases the risk of suicide in children.”
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, March 26, 2017
Bronx Science Facebook confessional morphs into ‘super-depressing’ forum for suicidal students to share sadness
“The online outlet for Bronx Science students emerged as a gathering spot for dozens of depressed and anxious teens around the time of January midterms, raising red flags among concerned administrators.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, April 8, 2017
Miami teen commits suicide in two-hour long Facebook Live video, the third in as many weeks
“The Florida Department of Children & Families confirmed that 14-year-old Nakia Venant took her life overnight Sunday by hanging herself in the bathroom of her foster parents’ home.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, January 25, 2017
Thailand father films himself killing 11-month-old daughter on Facebook Live before committing suicide
“Police said the bodies of 21-year-old Wuttisan Wongtalay and his daughter, 11-month-old Natalee, were found hanging at an abandoned construction site for a hotel Monday night after Wongtalay’s wife reported them missing.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, April 25, 2017
Miami teen commits suicide in two-hour long Facebook Live video, the third in as many weeks
“The Florida Department of Children & Families confirmed that 14-year-old Nakia Venant took her life overnight Sunday by hanging herself in the bathroom of her foster parents’ home.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, January 25, 2017.
Georgia police investigating sexual abuse claims made during preteen girl’s online suicide
“Katelyn Nicole Davis in the 42-minute video said she was sexually and physically abused by a relative before she hanged herself in the front yard of her Cedartown home and streamed it live on social media, Fox station WAGA-TV reported.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, January 12, 2017.
‘You just need to do it, Conrad’: Mass. teen’s texts show she urged online boyfriend to commit suicide
” She put him on the road to suicide and drew a map to make sure he’d get there.
That’s what prosecutors are arguing in the case of Michelle Carter, the Massachusetts teen who is facing involuntary manslaughter charges in the suicide of her online boyfriend Conrad Roy III.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, August 31, 2015.
Calif. family of Audrie Pott starts petition to expel three teens who sexually attacked her
“Relatives of a 15–year–old teen who was ‘slut shamed’ and later committed suicide want her assaulters kicked out of school. Their online demands have garnered more than 17,000 supporters.”
Daily News, February 12, 2015.
Bullied Ohio Girl, 15, leaves
behind suicide note reading ‘Thanks for all the pain’
“Cora Delille was found dead in her Pickerington, Ohio home’s bedroom last week, along with the painful, handwritten page which police say addressed some of her accused tormenters by name.”
Daily News, May 20, 2014.
Attempted, in this case … but same cause
Missouri teen at center of explosive rape case attempts suicide: report
Daisy Coleman’s mother said she tried to commit suicide on Sunday after being ‘terrorized’ by bullies on social media following a party.
Daily News, January 07, 2014
And an online homicide
Italian man murders ex-girlfriend after stalking her fake Facebook profile
The 42-year-old woman was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, also in his 40s, who had created a fake Facebook profile in order to stalk the woman’s fake Facebook profile and track her movements. He admitted to strangling her in her car and even led police to her body after his confession.
Daily News, December 31, 2013
Here’s another online homicide:
Mexican teen stabbed best friend 65 times after she posted naked selfies on Facebook: cops
New York Daily News, April 1, 2014.
And yet another online homicide:
Indian man shoots online girlfriend after discovering she’s a 45-year-old married woman
New York Daily News, April 22, 2014.
Rebecca Ann Sedwick, 12-Year-Old Florida Girl, Commits Suicide After Online Bullying
Huffington Post, September 12, 2013
- Mother of 12-year-old girl found dead believes cyberbullying drove her to death
Daily News, September 12, 2013
- Florida 12-year-old who killed herself was picked on by as many as 15 other girls, authorities say
Daily News, September 14, 2013
- Florida teen charged in death of bullied girl after turning a friend of the victim against her: authorities
Daily News, October 16, 2013
- Florida mom of teen accused of bullying girl who committed suicide arrested on child abuse charges: authorities
Vivian Vosburg, 30, was booked on child abuse and neglect charges after police found a video of her beating a young boy posted on Facebook in July. Authorities said the charges were not related to the case against Vosburg’s daugther, Guadalupe Shaw, 14 — who is accused of bullying 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick before she killed herself.
Daily News, October 19, 2013
- Rebecca Sedwick case: Both suicide victim and bully grew up in ‘disturbing’ family environments, cop says
Daily News, October 25, 2013
Texas teen who committed suicide at school posted Facebook warning
Daily News, October 17, 2013
Florida mom on mission to fight cyberbullying after daughter’s tragic suicide
Daily News, September 26, 2013
Facebook sorry for running dating site ad showing photo of girl who hanged herself after alleged rape, cyberbullying
Daily News, September 18, 2013
Sexting, Shame and Suicide
A shocking tale of sexual assault in the Digital Age
Rolling Stone, September 17, 2013
Indiana teen allegedly threatens to kill, dismember girl on Facebook: I know ’99 ways to kill [you] and never get caught’
Daily News, August 23, 2013
“I’m tired of hiding”: Revenge–porn victim speaks out over her abuse after she claims ex posted explicit photos of her online
Holly Jacobs, 29, who legally changed her name from Holli Thometz following years of online abuse, is finally speaking out over her ordeal. She alleges her ex-boyfriend posted intimate pictures of her on the web.
Daily News, May 03, 2013
Amanda Todd: Bullied Canadian Teen Commits Suicide After Prolonged Battle Online And In School
Huffington Post, October 11, 2012
‘Bullied’ Staten Island teen kills self
Daily News, January 03, 2012
How to Handle Social Media Harassment
“Cyber–bullying and online harassment aren’t just the domain of high school kids and spurned ex–lovers. It can happen to your company, too. And despite the fact that social media is an integral part of the marketing mix for many companies today, plenty of business owners still hesitate because of concerns about what could go wrong.”
Business News Daily, May 07, 2012.
Pols stand up to bullies: Bill aims to treat ‘bullycide’ as manslaughter, cyberbullying as stalking
Daily News, October 18, 2011
Victim of Secret Dorm Sex Tape Posts Facebook Goodbye, Jumps to His Death
ABC News, September 29, 2010
Facebook bully jailed: Death threat girl, 18, is first person put behind bars for vicious internet campaign
The Daily Mail, August 21, 2010
Online Bullies Pull Schools Into the Fray
New York Times, June 27, 2010
Alexis Pilkington Facebook Nightmare: Cyber Bullies, Teen Suicide
RightJuris.com, March 24, 2010
Parents of Holly Grogan, 15, blame Facebook for teen’s suicide
New York Daily News, September 21, 2009
Teen becomes first jailed in U.K. for cyberbullying
CNET News, August 21, 2009
Missouri woman charged in cyber-bully case
The Los Angeles Times, August 19, 2009
Internet Gives Teenage Bullies Weapons to Wound From Afar
New York Times, August 26, 2004
