How Should One Deal With Threats On Social Media?

[Rainman]

It's easy these days for people to bully or threaten others on social media. Mostly it's kids who are targeted by this sort of bullying and it could be shrugged of something that doesn't mean much. But such threats and bullying at times have ended up costing the lives of those targeted. So supposing a kid or someone you know has been threatened on social media should that be taken serious(ly) and reported to the police?

 

[Gabe]

Cyber bullying can be dangerous as children hide it and get more daring. My friend when she was at school was a victim and the school did get involved, but my friend said the worse thing is everyone knew and no one did anything. These days the police can get involved if actual threats are made to a specific person. In my friends case they set up a hate website and the people responsible were suspended or expelled. Recently she found out a couple of them (in their 20s) died recently in accidents, so she has some justice and closure.

Social media threats are now more serious. A recent case where a man threatened his ex in the form of a rap on Facebook was convicted He tried the defense it was self-expressio and not a real threat, but it was harassment and the judges ruled it was a threat as it was aimed at her.The case is Elonis v. United States, 13-983.

 

[Patrick]

If the threat is serious enough (intent of violence or damage to property) I believe that you can contact the police to intervene. It's still a grey area that's just emerging but we will probably see more laws and cases on online harrassment unfold over the next few years.

 

[Rainman]

I agree. It was in the news last year that a girl who extensively bullied on social media eventually couldn't take it anymore. She committed suicide to end it all. Though these threats may not appear serious there's no need to take unnecessary risks by ignoring them I suppose. I wish police departments had some "cyber unit" that combated local cyber crimes.

 

[JoanMcWench]

There was a situation with one of my children finding out that someone in his class had been saying things about him on their Facebook. My son does not have a Facebook he was shown it by a friend. I think children having a Facebook is ridiculous but I digress. So, I made it a point to contact this child's mother & take her with me while school was in session to speak to him in front of his class during class. Of course, I let the principal know that I was doing this & she was more than accommodating. I convinced his mother that giving her son a Facebook is not the best idea (we're currently friends now) & I think the sheer embarrassment of what we did with her son in front of his friends was enough to sway that entire class.

Everything shouldn't be a police issue. I've noticed a lot of parents not parenting & relying on the school or others to take care of things they should be taking care of themselves.

 

[jesuslover0314]

In my opinion, I don't necessarily think it should be reported to the law enforcement unless you know the person giving the threat. If you know someone being bullied on social media you should report their bullies message/post to Facebook and allow them to deal with the threat. If it continues then I would recommend reporting it to the law enforcement. Whether that person is really going to actually do what they say they will, they do not need to be saying things like that on social media with kids that are more than likely underage, and that will take those threats and unnecessary comments seriously. After all, some kids let it go to their heads and they end up committing suicide. So, yes, you should report it to the law enforcement and allow them to deal with the situation.

 

[missbishi]

It's always better to report any cyber bullying to the relevant authorities - if you are a victim or if you have just witnessed it. It is being taken more seriously these days.

It is ridiculous that a child should have Facebook anyway - I think the age limit of 13 is far too young - especially as Facebook was originally designed for college students to stay in touch with each other. Parents need to be more vigilant too.