• Home
  • Buy the Book
  • More ebooks
  • Reviews
  • Ethel Is Hot LOL
  • Free resources
    • For Educators
  • Hot Topics blog
  • News & Press
  • About Us
  • Contact

Imposter Website victim puts the past behind her

3/26/2014

0 Comments

 
PicturePhoto courtesy ReachingCampus.com
It's always a relief to hear a cyberbullying story with a positive outcome. In this Washington teen's case, she found the resilience to move on...something that doesn't always happen for teens.

According to the Issaquah Press, in 2011, "then 12-year-old Leslie Cote was the victim of cyberbullying, as two classmates hacked into her social media page and posted altered photos, including one with 'I’m a slut' superimposed on it."

For parents and educators wondering what this tactic is: it's called an Imposter Profile, when the cyberbully sets up a fake website or profile (or hacks into a real one as in this case) and gets the profile's followers to believe it is genuinely owned by the target. This kind of tactic has a lot of power and the cyberbully can do immense reputation damage in a very short time. Another subtactic the cyberbullies used was "slut-shaming"--to try and publicly make Leslie feel guilty or inferior for certain sexual behaviors (even when she didn't engage in them!)

The article further states the cyberbullies altered their attacks by using "the site’s instant messaging service to act as Leslie to proposition boys for sexual acts." Again, this is still using the Imposter Profile tactic, only now the cyberbullies were actively communicating through IM as though they were Leslie with the sole purpose to embarrass and defame her reputation. Subsequently, the girls were charged with cyberstalking and first-degree computer trespassing.

The summer after this incident, Leslie wouldn't even go outside all summer as one of her cyberbullies lived in the same building as her.

Now Leslie is in high school with some of the girls who cyberbullied her and even has to sit next to one of them in one class. But, luckily, the support of her family and her own strength and resilience has helped her gain perspective.

As the article quotes her mother Tara:  "Leslie said she’s not angry with the girls anymore, but it has taken her some time to get to that point. At first, you have anger, you’re upset and you have rage, but now I think she feels more sorry for them."

For anyone who has ever been cyberbullied, it's gratifying to know there are kids like Leslie out there who refuse to let the traumatic incident forever define them. Good for you, Leslie. Stay strong and thank you for helping other kids after what you've been through.

To read the full article: http://www.issaquahpress.com/2014/03/25/cyberbullying-victim-puts-past-behind-her/



Get all of the tactics in one book and prepare your child to recognize and defuse certain types of cyberbullying. Sale: $12.50 Buy The Book

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Cyberslammed
    Hot Topics

    Cyberbullying tactics in the news, expert advice from contributors and prevention tips for parents, educators and kids.

    RSS Feed


    Blog Comment Rules

    All comments are pre-screened before posting. Anonymous comments will not be allowed. Keep it civil and on topic. No harassing or personal attacks; even if you disagree with something, please do it respectfully.

    Categories

    All
    After School App
    Anonymous Apps
    Anxiety
    Ask.fm
    Bulletins
    Burn Book
    Cell Phones/smart Phones
    Cyberbullying Policies
    Digital Pile On
    Ethel Is Hot (LOL)
    Expert Contributors
    Facebook
    Formspring
    Funstagram
    "Go Kill Yourself"
    Google+
    Hater's Club
    Homophobic Cyberbullying
    Identifying Cyberbullies
    Imposter Profile
    Instagram
    Kik Messenger
    Myspace
    Parent Contracts
    Rating Website
    Sexting
    Slut Shaming
    Slut-shaming
    Snapchat
    Streetchat
    Text Bombing
    Tween Novels
    Twitter
    Videojacking
    Whisper
    Yelp
    Youtube

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2017
    October 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

✕