High Tech Bullying hits Clinton - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

High Tech Bullying hits Clinton

By: Jillian Wilson

jwilson@cbs4qc.com

Kids from Clinton's Washington Middle School made a Facebook page to publicly make fun of other students.

Word got out to parents and the site was quickly shut down.

"It talked about different kids and it said very hurtful things about them. It also had disgusting comments in there pertaining to things I wouldn't want my children involved with," said Deb Olson, Clinton's Superintendent.

She says the site was created last night, and the kids who made it are between the ages of just 11 and 14 years old.

After some parents complained, the Superintendent and other staff flagged the site and had it quickly shut down by 11 a.m.

"Due to the alertness of our parents we were able to take care of this in a very short amount of time," said Olson.

The school took screen shots of the site, so they could see who created the page and who took part in the bullying by liking and commenting on the hurtful posts.

Clinton High School students who went to Washington say cyber bullying is even more hurtful than doing it in person.

"People see it and then everybody else sees it rather than somebody comes up to you and you just having the issue with yourself and the other person," said Levi Walters, a Clinton resident.

Other students say bullying is both easier and more common when kids have a computer to hide behind.

"People can say something on Facebook or through text messaging that they can't say face to face because they are scared of the outcome," said Kaitlin Cole, a Clinton Resident.

The Superintendent says the school staff will talk to students about how hurtful bullying and Cyber bullying is.