This is sad but I think her parents share some responsibility here for allowing her on myspace in the first place. She legally is not even old enough to have a myspace profile. You have to be 14. Her parents can petition for non harassment laws all they want but they should not have allowed their child on this website. Parents just do not have a clue what their kids are doing on the internet.
MO - Megan Meier, 13, Mentally Abused, Commits Suicide
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Nocgirl, the parents went about it a lot more sensibly than most. If I recall correctly *THEY* were the only ones with a password to that account, and for her to even have it that was the rule. The parents did closely monitor her interactions also. I think that these people would have found a way to stalk, spy on, and harass Megan even if it wasn't MySpace or on the internet at all. I think they would have found a way (maybe via the old fashioned "poisoned pen" letters a la a pen pal gone psycho using snail mail) to say those hateful things to her under the mask of anonynmity. Where there is a will, there is a way. Trite, but true. 
Nocgirl, when I read that Megan was allowed to add "Josh" to her friends list because he was so cute...it angered me. Not only did they allow her to be on Myspace, but the mom was very careless IMO.
JanetElaine
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I think they did a good job on monitoring her MySpace use overall, except that exact part, TM. No adding strangers should have been a rule.... but... like KatK said this could have happened anyway, and I refuse to put even the littlest bit of blame on Megan's parents.
I know these kids find a way around everything, but I almost wish that had been the case instead of the mom actually approving his "add".
georgiagirl
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I wonder why is it that any time a case comes up where a child dies, no matter how tragic there are always people who will find fault with something the mother did or did not do. Someone will always post something blaming the parent(s) of the victim in some way. Those of us that are parents are not perfect and we make mistakes. I shudder to think if God forbid, something happened to one of my children that someone would be picking apart my actions and putting the blame on me.
If the former friends mother did not do what she did then this little girl would most likely be alive today. As far as I am concerned she took this girls hand and led her right over to the rope to hang herself.
If the former friends mother did not do what she did then this little girl would most likely be alive today. As far as I am concerned she took this girls hand and led her right over to the rope to hang herself.
JanetElaine
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Eaxctly, Georgiagirl. I'm sure Megan's parents did everything they did with all of the best intentions, like most parents, which is a heck of a lot more than can be said of *oops I almost wrote her name* this fake-MySpace-adult. She, her co-worker and daughter are to blame for this and not Megan's parents.
TM I understand where you're coming from though, but to me that's the same as going 'I wish I had done my groceries while she was in school' if your child dies in a car crash on the way to the grocery store, not caused by you. KWIM? In hind sight you wish you had done things differently, while in reality you're really not to blame.
TM I understand where you're coming from though, but to me that's the same as going 'I wish I had done my groceries while she was in school' if your child dies in a car crash on the way to the grocery store, not caused by you. KWIM? In hind sight you wish you had done things differently, while in reality you're really not to blame.
I guess my perspective is different. Maybe I've read too much here, but IMO I think the mother should have thought twice before adding a guy just because Megan thought he was cute. Granted, Megan would have probably found a way to communicate with "him" if her mom had said no, but that didn't happen here.
I'm not blaming her parents at all for Megan's suicide. I just wish they had been more careful with Megan and the internet. Anyone watching primetime tv certainly understands why.
I'm not blaming her parents at all for Megan's suicide. I just wish they had been more careful with Megan and the internet. Anyone watching primetime tv certainly understands why.
browneyes
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This is such a horrible situation. Your post reminded me of the Mom of one of my DD's friends. When they were growing up, everytime they had even a small tiff, the Mom would call me and try to involve me. I would tell her, nope I'm not getting involved......they will be friends again in an hour and you and I will probably be mad about something said about our child.
I haven't read the whole thread yet, I hope to find out those parents are being held accountable in some way.
georgiagirl
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I understand what you are staying TM, but as a mother to two girls, though they are not at that age yet, I DO understand how this mother would allow it. If I had a daughter that age who had struggled with low self esteem and depression and just feeling like she did not fit in, then I could see myself allowing her to be on myspace if I saw that it made her feel like a normal teen. PLUS, she had "met" a cute guy on there and her mother sees her happiness and does not foresee any harm in it. I mean it is not outta the norm for a young guy to send a friend request on myspace to a young girl. I think the mother WAS being reasonably cautious and monitored her time online, etc. Anyway, I was not singling you out in my first post, it was just a general rant! LOL
Anyway, I wish they would teach a mandatory class in school about internet safety and cyber bullying and how to identify it and handle it.
Myspace has caused so many problems, I really think the website should ban everyone under 18. Way too many teens getting into trouble and everyone wants to blame somebody else, or blame myspace. My husbands idiot nephew stole his moms car and credit card to drive 2000 miles to meet his myspace teenage girlfriend, who had been sending him topless pics of her. She was also under 18. It's partially moms fault for not monitoring anything her kids do on their computer. This girl lives with her grandma who was clueless to what she was doing.
They aren't, and the mother who instigated the Cyber Bullying says she doesn't feel too bad, because she heard that Megan had tried to commit suicide prior to her harassment. Megan's parents assert that this is a lie, that although she was depressed, and mentioned the idea of suicide, she never did try to commit suicide prior to that awful day.
georgiagirl, that's a great idea about teaching them internet safety at school. The parents need to know too! lol (ala SNL skit about Myspace)
Does anyone remember a case like this (many years ago) where a family or a little girl was terrorized on the internet by a creepy neighbor? I think their phone number and address were put on a website or a place where pedo's hung out...something like that.
I can't remember the details, but it seems like some laws should have been created as a result of that case that might help with this situation.
Does anyone remember a case like this (many years ago) where a family or a little girl was terrorized on the internet by a creepy neighbor? I think their phone number and address were put on a website or a place where pedo's hung out...something like that.
I can't remember the details, but it seems like some laws should have been created as a result of that case that might help with this situation.
browneyes
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They aren't, and the mother who instigated the Cyber Bullying says she doesn't feel too bad, because she heard that Megan had tried to commit suicide prior to her harassment. Megan's parents assert that this is a lie, that although she was depressed, and mentioned the idea of suicide, she never did try to commit suicide prior to that awful day.
Oh my gosh, how could the "instigating" mother not feel bad.....what a b*tch. I will never understand adults bullying or hurting children.
I think at the very least the "IM" should do some community service with teens.
KansasCutie
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The Drew family's address and phone number has been posted ALLL over the internet with directions to send hate mail & call there house a million times a day calling them murderers & throwing things at their house & etc.
I think they're about to see what it's like with the shoe on the other foot. Can't say I'm sorry at all - I wouldn't personally call their house, I might mail a letter, or post on a site about their business to let everyone know that the owners are the people who did this - but that's where I stop.
Still, it's a lot like what they did to the dead girl, except real - she was fooled by a fake, they get real people telling them what jerks they are.
KansasCutie
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Yea me and my roomate were going to call...but then..we chicken out thinking if they were getting too many calls they would file a harassment charge or something and the police would trace our call back to two college girls in kansas!!
Depends on if the person on the other end of the line percieves a threat in your words, caveat!