A Canadian mother is asking teens on Facebook and their parents to “take back” the popular social-networking site from cyberbullies buy logging out of the site for one hour in November.
Traci-Lee Burchell said the short mass exodus from Facebook is meant to draw attention to what she said is a “deplorable display of horrific and demoralizing crimes.”
The mother of a 13-year-old girl has decided to hold the demonstration from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 5 in an effort to call people’s attention to the recent phenom of cyberbullying and online harassment incidents.
Burchell said he was shocked to hear the recent story of a 16-year-old girl from British Columbia who was photographed being gang-raped at a party. Photos of the incident appeared on Facebook.
Police called the act “disgusting, morally corrupt and criminal.” One teen boy has been charged with distributing child pornography, but the girl’s attackers have not been charged.
“It’s time to take a stand for all these people,” Burchell said. “It’s time to get Facebook back to its original roots of social networking.”
Meanwhile, a New Jersey senator has announced he plans to create legislation that would require colleges that receive federal funding to create policies to help stop the bullying of any student.
The bill comes in the wake of the death of Tyler Clementi; a Rutgers University freshman who committed suicide after two the students allegedly broadcasts his intimate encounter with another man over the Internet.
The bill from Sen. Frank Lautenberg would also establish a grant program to help colleges set up programs that work to prevent harassment, including targeted bullying of gay and lesbian students. The bill could be introduced when the Senate reconvenes in November.