Mom's Fight To End Cyber Abuse

Daughter Kills Self After Alleged Cyberbullying Via "Sexting"; Mom Working Laws Against Such Actions

(CBS)  Jessica Logan, an 18-year-old Ohio teen had it all -- brains, beauty and a loving boyfriend.

But it all spiraled out of control after she began "sexting" -- sending nude photos of herself -- to that boyfriend.

After they broke up, he forwarded the pictures to hundreds of other high school girls, many of whom allegedly harassed Logan at school, calling her a "slut" and "whore."

Then, last July, Logan killed herself in her closet. She hanged herself; Jessica’s cell phone, her mother said in a broadcast interview, was on the floor.

Cynthia claims the reason for the suicide was that the harassment -- also known as "cyberbullying" -- became unbearable.

And Jessica’s story isn’t isolated.

Twenty percent of teens responding to a recent survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy said they’ve sent or posted nude pictures of themselves.

But now, Cynthia is fighting back with tech safety groups on Capitol Hill to avoid cases like her daughter’s. She’s advocating The School and Family Education About the Internet (SAFE Internet) Act, which would support existing and new Internet safety education programs for children, parents and educators.

"I’m following in her (Jessic's) footsteps," Cynthia testified Wednesday. "I think she would have wanted me to do this. That’s the only thing that keeps me going."

Cynthia appeared on The Early Show Thursday to talk about her daughter’s case and her efforts to end abusive "sexting" and "cyberbullying" with Parry Aftab, executive director of "Wired Safety." Aftab said such abuses can amount to using the images as weapons.

She told co-anchor Julie Chen she blames several parties for her daughter’s death, including Jessica’s school.

"I think the school should have come to the aid of my child, should have guided her, alerted the teachers that a photo of her was being disseminated..." Cynthia said. "...They should have done something."

Cynthia and her husband, Albert, recently sued Jessica’s school in the Cincinnati suburb of Montgomery, Ohio, as well as Montgomery itself and some of the students allegedly involved in the taunting. The lawsuit claims the school did nothing to stop the harassment and police failed to charge those distributing the photos. The suit seeks unspecified money damages for Jessica's estate.

But Cynthia also told Chen the punishment should fit the crime in today’s changing world of tech crime.

Children, she said, are being convicted as pedophiles and being forced to register as sex offenders, possibly for the rest of their lives.

"The laws are either too hot or too cold," Aftab added. "Too hot, kids are sending naked pictures of themselves voluntarily to each other are now being charged as registered sex offenders and felons, and harassment laws need to be beefed up. ... We need harassment laws that have some real teeth."

---

You can follow Cynthia Logan at Wired Moms on Twitter.

[ToolMangler1]

I have a "but for the Grace of God, there go I" for you. As a adolescent, I was small and had thick glasses and a weird last name. I was also a stranger in a strange land. During my ninth-grade I was involved in at least one fight a week. This came to a climax with a fortunately happy (For me) ending when the local Football jock (8 inches, 100 lbs) bigger and stronger than I tried to show off for his girl-friend and started picking on me. I endured about two minutes of this when something snapped and I 'swarmed' him. I jumped forward ,punching and hitting in every way I could. he knocked me down repeatedly but each time I came back for more. I do not remember any feeling at the time except for anger and rage. I truly was not sane at that point. Finally He got me under control by straddling me with his knees on my arms and started talking to me. "If you will stop, I will stop!" over and over until it sank into my thick skull and I stopped. He then said something that was like music from heaven. "if you will except my apology, I will make sure that 'No one else will pick on you in this school".
He is dead now (Korean War) but I will never forget his affect on me that 'one' day I decided to die rather than endure anymore. I am not a 'little boy' anymore. my skills serve me well and I have and will provide for my great-grandchildren the same valuable lesson I learned at a huge turning point in my life. I am so glad I didn't have to lose it all to learn.
Children today are not being taught the core values that we were, Religion has been banned from school, corporal punishment (no matter how light) will get you arrested and defiance of authority is preached in most of the songs and music of todays youth. Today, without the upbringing I had as a child, I might well have been a 'school shooter or bomber'. Remember, "what goes around, comes around"...

[rrozsa]

Think about it. Surely I am not the only thinking person in the land who has noticed that ALL the school shooting have as a common denominator the fact that the shooters were all victims of bullying at school.

Posted by texbelle123 at 3:52 PM : May 14, 2009

==============================

It just goes to show you how off-the-mark we have become in trying to shield kids from hurt feelings. Today's kids grow up in a school environment where everyone on the team has to have a trophy, no matter how they perform, because someone's feelings might be hurt. And hurting someone's feelings is tantamount to harrassment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning bullying. But it sure seems like my generation (high school in the 70's) were somewhat better at coping with teasing or just downright meanness because it was all part of life and you learned (with your parents' encouragement) how to interpret other people's unkind acts as a reflection of their own insecurity, rather than a reflection on ourselves who were the targets. Of course, we also had a devotional and prayer each morning to start the day, and most of my high school guy friends had rifles in their trucks because they had gone hunting early in the morning before school, neither of which ever led to school shootings back then either. I'm just saying that kids must be taught coping skills rather than JUST trying to constantly protect them from bullies.

[rrozsa]

The name of someone with way too much time on their hands:

goosfraba2 at 4:25 PM : May 14, 2009

[billky1]

The worst offenders in this whole sexting mess is a few prosecutors and lawmakers who are trying to get votes by being tough on pornography. They are ruining these kids lives. Charging kids with felonies and forcing them to register as sex offenders for a topless photo. We need to change the state and Federal laws concerning juveniles and sexting.

[goosfraba2]

The names of certified JERKS follows:

mypatch at 9:01 AM : May 14, 2009
willyhenail at 9:18 AM : May 14, 2009
kimmie404 at 9:28 AM : May 14, 2009
NOinhale at 9:31 AM : May 14, 2009
DaVicar5 at 9:59 AM : May 14, 2009
DaVicar5 at 10:05 AM : May 14, 2009
DaVicar5 at 10:36 AM : May 14, 2009
mrs_trepidatious at 10:51 AM : May 14, 2009 -- A Super Jerk
whatsup49 at 10:53 AM : May 14, 2009
DaVicar5 at 11:08 AM : May 14, 2009 -- An Insensitive Jerk
redcj at 11:16 AM : May 14, 2009 -- Obviously, a Jerk who was never young.
horse3farm at 12:36 PM : May 14, 2009 -- No. The daughter is not the only one to blame. The ex-boy friend is responsible for sending her pics around to others. Her pics to him were a personal gift. He's the biggest Jerk of all and an a$$hole
whatsup49 at 12:48 PM : May 14, 2009 -- How many H.S. teens tell their parents things of this sort? The article didn't state that any adults had knowledge prior to Jessica's death though the implication is there. She was very likely too embarrassed to tell or discuss her situation with her mother so the parents didn't know; the girl kept it to herself. I seriously doubt that school officials knew in advance as well and, if they did, they should have conducted an intervention with the student body. The harassment was likely contained within those few who knew and some or many of the little angels at the school couldn't resist torturing Jessica. They were probably all good Christian girls.
likwidnite at 2:46 PM : May 14, 2009 -- Actually, the ex-boy friend shares the most responsibility.

-----

The names of adult-like thinkers follows:

magoo2u1 at 12:10 PM : May 14, 2009 -- The boyfriend should never have distributed it or them. Why would he do that? She gave it to someone she trusted. She did not say distribute it. That rests on his shoulders as his action.
texbelle123 at 3:52 PM : May 14, 2009 -- texbelle123, you have said it best.

[texbelle123]

Boy I hope she is successful at bringing some sanity to the proble of cyber bullying.
No, she was not smart to take pictures of herself and to send them to a boyfriend. Without going off on the dangers of teenage sex, let's be clear that having been dumb bout it doesn't make her - or any high school girl who is equally dumb - a sexual preditor. The district attorneys who are busy racking up "wins" for their re-election columns by charging these girls with and convicting them of being sexual preditors need to all be disbarred.
The boyfriend who takes such pictures and distributes them in any way are the one who need to be charged. Distribution of pronography is illegal, isn't it? But actions which are designed to hurt, humiliate and cause psychological pain is bullying.

THAT should also be illegal, whether its cyber bullying or one-on-one bullying, it's something we need to take very seriously.
Think about it. Surely I am not the only thinking person in the land who has noticed that ALL the school shooting have as a common denominator the fact that the shooters were all victims of bullying at school.

This girl was also a victim. Like I said, I hope her mother is successful - but I doubt she will be. Too much of what we've heard here. It's always easier to blame the victim than it is to address the problem.

[winghawk]

I feel awful for her family, but the responsibility should fall first on the girl that sent the photos, secondly her jerk boyfriend and not the school teachers. Teachers should teach and stay out of the law enforcement business.
steve

[likwidnite]

I am not that far removed from my days in high school and my friends and I did some stupid stuff, but we would never ever be so stupid as to send a nude picture of ourselves to anyone. Kids these days, (and adults too!) for some reason feel they need to record or take pictures of the idiotic and usually illegal things they do. Like the people who video tape themselves beating up other kids and then posting it on YouTube or Myspace. Don't they realize those images will now be seen by everyone and can never totally be erased. Its the same with "sexting". Gimme a break. I'm sure these kid's parents would be delighted to know what they spend all their time (and their parents money) doing on their cell phones. What happened to written notes in class. At least those could be destroyed!

It is horrible what happend to this girl, but I have to agree with the majority on this one, the responsibility lies with her.

[xxunknown]

people are just morons.

[anitaymoore]

I'm sorry but I have to agree with those who say...the daughter is the only one to blame in this situation. It's tragic that she killed herself, I feel for that family's suffering...but if you send nude photos of yourself over the internet, or to someone's phone there's a very good chance that the intended person will not be the only one seeing those photos. Yes, it was wrong of that boy to share the photos with other people (he's not in the clear on this) but is she had never sent the photos to begin with....this would never have happened. I don't believe it's the school's job to monitor everything the kids do...although personally, I don't believe cell phones have any place in a school either. If a parent needs to get in touch with their kids during school-hours CALL THE OFFICE AND HAVE THEM BROUGHT TO THE PHONE!