15-Year-Old Girl's Suicide May Have Been the Result of Cyberbullying

By: Kealan Oliver
Topics: Daily Blotter

(CBS)

NEW YORK (CBS) 15-year-old, Phoebe Prince of Massachusetts may have committed suicide as a result of intense cyberbullying, officials believe.

Photo: Mass. officials say they believe Phoebe Prince, 15, committed suicide following online attacks by classmates.

Price moved to Massachusetts last year from Ireland and appeared to be well adjusted and happy, but underneath, friends say the 15-year-old freshman was tormented...a victim of cyberbullying.

A friend, who wanted to remain unidentified, claimed, "She was being bullied because she was pretty and people were jealous."

According to a letter from phoebe's high school principal, what began as 'mean spirited comments' at school soon found their way online, something experts say is far more dangerous.

The teen was called an "Irish slut and a whore", said one of Prince's closest friends, who wants to remain anonymous.

"Cyberbullying is dangerous because it can lead to "cybermobbing", which means kids can come together to bully another kid, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," said Meline Kevorkian, author of "101 Facts About Bullying".

Phoebe was found dead in her South Hadley home, days before a big school dance. The night after she died, fellow students held a candlelight vigil.

This isn't the first time cyberbullying ended in death. In 2006, 13-year-old Meghan Meier killed herself after being harassed on MySpace by a neighbor's mother, posing as a teenage boy. The anonymity of the internet means that parents should be even more vigilant.

"As a parent the concern has to be that we're monitoring and knowing what they're doing in the virtual world," said Kevorkian.

"It just makes me sad that it takes the life of a young teenager who had everything going for her to bring the community together to have them realize how bad bullying is, said a friend who asked to be remained unidentified.

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by ASBSMSW May 31, 2010 5:19 PM EDT: Sadly, it took the death of a young white female/student to bring attention to the effects bullying has on our children. As a result laws were passed to protect our children and to hold those guilty of the horrible acts, including the public system who are responsible for protecting our children when not in our parental care.
However, I am taken aback because shortly before Phobe's death, a young black male student suffered the same plight as Phobe and nothing was done to appease his death or to support and comfort his family. It was as if he was not victimized, he was not harmed, he did not die as a result of being bullied and as if he did not exist. Nothing was done to assist his family, no news reports, with the exception of his mother going to the Oprah show to bring attention to the plight of this child. And even after then appearing on the Oprah show there was not generated continued interest about the issue of bulling, the child's resulting death No one, including school officials or the perpetrators were held to task for this child's death. I do not blame the white community of Springfield , Massachusetts for any lack of respect or concern for this child, his family or the issue at hand I do blame the black community for not responding appropriately None of our community leaders or the community as a whole responded in a way that could have brought the proper attention to this particular occurrence. It is time for the black community to wake up and make changes in the way we operate. Phobe's community responded appropriately and did not give up until they received the answers and results the demanded. So, thank you Phobe, you did not die in vain.; Reply to this comment